Innotek Basic In-Ground Pet Fencing System, SD-2000

We've had this product for about 3 years, and absolutely love it. We live on a fairly busy street, and even though we have a fenced in back yard, our schnauser always found a way to get out. We even tried a screw type of stake in the back yard however, within a month, he figured out how to unscrew it from the ground. After that, we used the same steel cable to attach him to the garage, he somehow snapped the cable!

It was when we went looking for him after the cable snap, that we saw him down the street, crossing the street directly in front of a car! Our hearts both jumped and we decided right then and there that since nothing else had worked, we were going to get an electric fence.

We went to our local Menards, and found the SD-2000. It was on sale, so we went ahead and got it. Now, don't let anyone fool you, putting this thing in is no easy chore. It took us a few days to bury the wire for it. However, once that hard work was out of the way, everything else has been great! In less than two weeks of following the instruction DVD, our 2 year old pup was completely trained! He hasn't tried to leave the yard since!

Without this product, we feel almost certain that we would have experienced the tragedy of finding our dog in the middle of our street. This is something that no pet owner ever wishes to face, and for that we say THANK YOU! to Innotek.

Two of my dogs were tearing up my grape vines. My wife and step daughter said I couldnt give the dogs away so I started looking for a way to keep them out without putting up an ugly barrier. This system worked great for me. After setting up the fence I put the collars on and let the dogs loose. They got a nice little shock and now run as soon as they hear the warning beep. My wife got home and watched the DVD and to my amusement.. LOL... You're suppose to train the dogs without shocking them first! My wife started the training routine without the shocking contacts on the collars but we noticed (right away) that they didn't need the training because of their initial shock therapy. Now the dogs roam the yard with the non-conductive contacts on (they never get shocked with them on, they only here the warning beeps) and wont go past the parameter. Well the dogs got a crash course, my grape vines will live, the wife and kids are happy that the dogs don't get shocked, so I'm very happy.

Maybe I should have watched the DVD and trained the dogs first but now that they got a small taste of what the collar can do... they stay away from the parameter and I saved weeks worth of training. If they ever get smart and figure out that the collar only beeps I'll put on the conductive contacts and they learn a lesson again.

Just in case anyone is wondering... I tried the collar on around my forearm (with the conductive contacts) and the shock is not painful. It made my muscle jump almost like a small muscle spasm but it was not painful. I would feel safe putting this collar on my kids but my they refuse to test it out and my wife would kill me..

Buy Innotek Basic In-Ground Pet Fencing System, SD-2000 Now

It worked for a while.

Customer service at Innotek is the pits. I felt like I was bothering in the guy on the phone.

I had to call because my transmitter stopped working. If you read the warrentee, it is not covered for lightning stikes. One of the first questions is "Could it have taken a lightning strike?" How would I know. The wire is in the ground outside. I guess it could have. Try to prove there was no lightning near by. I realize now it was not engineered to survive any near-by strikes so they will not cover the transmitter.

When I asked if there was any options, he tried to sell me a $250 dollar system. No offer to fix it or replace it. Price for just the transmitter $60 + S/H. I am now looking for a different brand system for not much more. That way I will get a new transmitter and new collar and, hopefully, a friendly CUSTOMER service..

Yes, I will avoid this brand.

Read Best Reviews of Innotek Basic In-Ground Pet Fencing System, SD-2000 Here

Simple and inexpensive. Works well.

Installation tips: Layout the wire where it is to be installed and test this. Next, using a flat-blade spade shovel, have the lead person step on the shovel a couple inches into the ground and pull it back towards them. This creates a wedge opening. The person a few feet behind them tucks the wire in and steps on the ground closing the opening.

Easy to install.

Want Innotek Basic In-Ground Pet Fencing System, SD-2000 Discount?

This system worked great at first. However, once the batteries died in both of our dogs' collars and we had to replace them, neither collar would work at all. Calling Innotek was useless. These collars lasted just over a year and since they were out of warranty the only thing they could do was give us a credit towards the purchase of new collars. They did not care that their product was defective. We will never buy another Innotek product again knowing that once the warranty has expired so does the usefulness of their product.

Save 36% Off

PetSafe Deluxe In-Ground Fence, PRF-304W

We have 3 acres and the fence works great so far. I have learned a couple of things that I want to share. First, the installation manual says you can only twist the wire (to cancel the signal when getting from the boundary to the house) a total of 50 feet. Since my boundary is 160 feet from the house, this was a real problem. After 3 calls to PetSafe, it appears that exceeding the 50 foot limit will cause 'hot spots' or 'inconsistency' along the twisted section. My solution, which I verified with PetSafe, is to run the wire in metal conduit from the boundary to the house. This worked great, I didn't have to twist the wire, and it also kept the silly dog from digging up the wire near the house, it's protected in the conduit. I used 1/2 metal conduit, ~$2.80 for a 10 ft section. Don't worry about buying the metal connectors (they cost nearly as much as the sections), just use cheap PVC or anything to keep the sections lined up as you lay them in (do be careful not to knick the wires).

So far, the collar appears to be waterproof, the dog hops in the pool several time a day.

As for training, I recommend following the PetSafe guide closely those first two weeks. My dog has been shocked a total of 5 times over 3 or 4 days and wants no part of the flags, even though his favorite digging spot was in the (now protected) flower bed. He's been within the fence for about a month now.

My dog is ~60 lbs, about 9 months old, and is a very active lab/boxer mix that loves to run.

There is much peace of mind now, the dog doesn't get yelled at for leaving the yard, and we are happy campers. Now, if I can just keep him from shredding aluminum cans and digging holes in the yard....

**UPDATE after almost 2 years (May 2010)**

Lightning zonked the base station, but PetSafe replaced it for $35, which I found reasonable. The dog hits the pool about 20 times a day and I was getting a little moisture in the collar. I bought a little tub of 'pool grease' at the pool supply store and when I change the battery I just smear some on the threads and o-ring. The dog is now 70 lbs and 2.5 years old and greatly respects the fence, even if his nemesis 'the squirrel' taunts him on the other side. With the metal conduit approach mentioned above, I plan to now easily extend another loop around a different flowerbed.

We were expecting some issues based on the reviews, but actually now that ours is installed and the dog is trained, we have to say we're happy-it installed on the first try and works as advertised.

The video CD instructions included installation and training beyond the detail the written manual. Both are adequate.

The only negative surprise is once we read the instructions it indicated the unit should be grounded to guard against lightening strikesso they recommend connecting a wire to the house ground rod or burying a new one 3 feet deep. Not a big deal if you locate the unit near your house grounding rod. They also recommend locating the transmitter 3 feet from any large metal objects in your garageie. the metal garage door, washer, hot water tanks, or electrical breaker box. (We did 2 feet and it seems to work fine)

We rented an edger to bury 1700 feet of wire around 2 acres (3 extra wire kits were purchased), and used a paint stick stirrer to push the wire in about 3". The edger worked pretty well, assuming I ran it twice over the cut to get the full depth. This process took a full day.

The unit has an adjustable range knob it changes the distance to when the collar picks up this signal from the wire.

Our 7 month lab was fairly easy to trainstarting at the low setting (of 5 levels, the lowest being beep only) on the collar and working up until he noticed it. Took about 2 weeks, and he respects the boundary, but without fear or emotional scars (best we can tell!)

One pleasant surprise: The collar will beep first as the dog nears the fence, and if he gets closer, then it zaps him. This was not clear to us from the instructions or the box.

Overall very happy with this unit.

Buy PetSafe Deluxe In-Ground Fence, PRF-304W Now

The fence transmitter and receiver collar work just as well as the expensive ones that the pet containment companies would like to sell you. But watch out for the light guage antenna wire that comes with this kit. I've had 3 problems with the wire:

Stapling the twisted pairs to the side of my house the flat staples cut right through the insulation and shorted the antenna loop. Took a while to track that down.

Easy to break. Above ground stretches of the wire (along a fence) have broken twice.

Apparent high impedance the transmitter chirps intermittently because it thinks there's a break in the wire when there isn't. I suspect this is just the impedance from 1000 feet of tiny wire.

I plan to buy a roll of heavier wire at the hardware store and replace the antenna entirely.

Follow Up (Dec 2009): I found 14 ga solid core copper wire at the local home center for a reasonable price, and used it to replace the wire that came with kit. That seemed to fix the problem. I later had to buy a new transmitter after a lightning strike fried the original, but I know from experience that the this happens to the expensive dog fences just as often.

Read Best Reviews of PetSafe Deluxe In-Ground Fence, PRF-304W Here

I started with the PETSafe PIF-300 wireless fence, but to maximize the yard space for Miles, my 85lb chocolate lab, I was half in both neighbors yards, so the traditional in-ground fence made more sense as I could choose the extreme boundaries on all sides of the yard.

I bought a second hand 1/2 hp edger to dig the trench which did a great job. Laid out the boundary line and used a paint stick to tuck in in the trench. My two boys helped cover the trench by doing a congo-line along the rift twisting their feet as they walked. Lots of fun. Ran a line from the side yard nearest the garage and used a power drill to twist the wire. Plugged them into the unit and it was good to go. Very easy installation, but requires a little patience to tuck 500 feet of wire into a trench.

We set the collar on beep only first, walked Miles around the perimeter marked with flags, and gave him a treat each time he came back into the safe zone. Did this many many times. Then increased the static correction level on it's lowest setting. He seemed completely unaffected by it. I tried it on my leg. Not much to write home about, but I'm sure works for a smaller dog. So, I increased the level to 3 (flashes). Better, but we finally settled on 4 before Miles even had a reaction to it. This is good because no matter what size your dog is, you can adjust this to your needs. Again, I tried it through my jeans on my leg. It was enough to get my attention, but was not inhumane or painful. Within a couple of hours, Miles had figured out the flags and beeps went together and he stayed in the yard.

Over the next couple of days, Miles only got outside the boundary twice. We figured out the collar was too loose and wasn't making contact. A little slack taken up, and he's not even tried to get out since. Miles loves the new arrangement. At the old house he had the backyard to himself with a chain-link fence. He paced paths, barked at everyone walking the neighborhood, and seemed anxious. With the in-ground fence going from the front curb to the boundary of the backyard, he has total access to everything which he loves. He just lays in the front yard during the day and watches people, cars, and dogs walk by without a bark. I guess the distance between the front and back with the chain-link was just too much for him, but now he's really happy.

I would highly recommend this product and intend to install new wire should we move again and take the unit with us. Money very well spent. Note: If you don't have close neighbors, the wireless option is very cool, just keep in mind the shape of your yard and how large a diameter circle you want to work with. Wired is great in that you can exclude flower beds or other areas of your yard like a garden that you might not want the dog getting into.

Want PetSafe Deluxe In-Ground Fence, PRF-304W Discount?

Our dog has a great time running free of any leashes. But, I want to give everyone a head's up. Our 1000 ft. of wire did not last two years. The kit comes with 20 gauge solid wire. Turns out, the instructions say strand wire is better. Also, when I called the company, they told me the unit could be used with 14 gauge which is much thicker. We like the system well enough that we bought 1000 ft. of 14 gauge strand wire from Home Depot. We had to pull up all the old wire first, and bury the new wire. Had we have known this, we would have upgraded from the start. Upgrade was only about $25 more. Hope this helps someone out. Also, the company is extremely helpful with trouble shooting.

Save 27% Off

Premier Easy Walk Harness

My dog is reasonably well behaved but the instant he sees another dog when we're out walking he pulls so hard I'm afraid he's going to damage my shoulders. I tried several different anti-pulling harnesses and collars and this one worked perfectly! At one point I tried the Gentle Leader head collar, but my dog hated having something on his face so this harness version was much better for him. Since the leash attaches at the dog's chest and contracts if the dog pulls, there are two benefits: (1) When the dog pulls, the harness contracts around the front legs making walking awkward so it breaks their attention on whatever they were pulling towards, and (2) since the leash attaches at the chest, when the dog pulls it snaps him around to face you which gives you a chance to correct him and redirect his attention. Ultimately, the dog's weight works against him versus the owner having to pull back. Now when my dog sees another dog and goes to pull, he immediately stops and rethinks that move since he's instantly pulled around to face me, without me having to do anything at all. A wonderful tool!

This harness is phenomenal. I was a skeptic but I wish I bought it two years ago. My dog is a large, strong and athletic 3.5 year old and I struggled over the past two years we've had him to teach him leash manners. We have made a lot of progress but walking him was still a chore and he pulled excessively when he saw other dogs. I have had to use a choke chain even though I was uncomfortable doing so, and was constantly having to readjust it so it was on the right place of his neck. With this harness, he does NOT try to walk in front, he does NOT try to stop and investigate every single mailbox and telephone poll, and we can approach other dogs at MY pace, not his. The harness works because it tightens across his front shoulders. If he tries to go to the side (to sniff something) or out in front (to get somewhere faster) a *gentle* tug clinches his front legs and he responds immediately. It sets the tone for the entire walk and makes the walk relaxing and enjoyable for the human, too. I was thrilled with it from the first time I used it.

If you need to correct the dog, a gentle tug (very little force) will do it. But I have also found that I correct the dog much less often than before because the harness does it automatically as soon as he puts tension on the lead (before there is any actual pulling). For example if he starts to veer towards a fire hydrant he feels a slight tightening which stops the sideways movement and then instantly releases, rewarding him for returning to the path. This is why people say it is like walking a whole new dogbecause the dog is on his very best behavior without any extra effort from the walker.

If you're skeptical because you've heard people say, "With a harness, the dog can leverage his whole weight against it and pull harder," know that this is not that type of harness. I mean, it isn't a sled dog harness, people! Because it tightens across the front legs, the dog cannot leverage his weight against it. In fact he can pull harder with a choke chain because he is able to use the strength of all four legs.

My dog and I do a lot of walking (did I mention he's large and athletic?) and I can't tell you how much I appreciate this harness. Of course I still let him pee on the occasional fire hydrant and pause to sniff a few mailboxes, but he gets more consistent exercise without the risk of neck injury. Best of all his "momma" is totally happy with his behavior. Walking him is now stress relieving instead of stress building, and I have a better relationship with my pet because of it.

This harness may not work for every dog or every human, but you must give it a try. You may be as pleasantly surprised as I was.

One final note: the harness is designed to prevent pulling forward, and works less well when trying to get the dog to continue walking if he stops to smell something. However it still exceeds a collar or choke chain in this regard, and, as described above, there is less stopping throughout the walk because of the instant corrections. Plus (in my experience anyway) teaching the dog "let's go" is much easier than teaching to walk at heel.

Buy Premier Easy Walk Harness Now

Of course, everyone always has suggestions on what you're doing wrong when you have a dog that just can't seem to stop pulling. I know how it feels, because I have one of those dogs. Regardless of consistant training (mine and hers,) this was the only thing that we just couldn't seem to conquer. Many suggested the "Gentle" Leader (among other things,) but after much training and size readjustments she was STILL managing to pull it off her muzzle and rub her little sniffer to a bloody mess.

Finally, I saw this harness and figured I might as well give it one last chance. I am SO glad I did!!! First time out, she had it. I was stunned. I knew she was a champion!!! : )

UPDATE...

I still think this a great product, but do have one warning. My dog went swimming while wearing her harness and afterwards, we continued on our walk. When we got home, the wet harness had rubbed her raw underneath her "armpits." We have never had this problem with the dry harness, but I would not recommend letting your dog wear it wet.

Read Best Reviews of Premier Easy Walk Harness Here

I heard about this product on the Cool Tools blog and was pretty interested. I had tried the Gentle Leader that wraps around a dogs head, but my dog hated it (I didn't like it much either) and would refuse to wear it.

I tried this one after my dog was slightly injured my a neighbors dog and the vet suggested we avoid any pressure on her neck for a while. This worked immediately and my dog loves it!!

It works very well for limiting her from pulling during a normal walk. The only thing I don't like is that it's not quite as good as a standard collar as far as keeping her inline when we are just standing around talking to people as it doesn't really control her head at all. At the same time I'm not restraining her neck and "pulling" on her which I've always hated.

I would highly recommend it for anyone that has a dog that tries to pull a little too much.

Want Premier Easy Walk Harness Discount?

I ordered the Easy Walk Harness-Tweener Size M/L. Size description on Amazon states 22.5"-35" girth. The package after I received shipment says other wise, 25"-35". My dog's girth is 22.5", after all adjustments, it is still way too big for her. Don't be mislead by sizing chart as I was.

Save 40% Off

Pet toy - Rubber Ducky

I ordered the camo rubber ducky as a gag gift for a white elephant party (it made sense to everyone there), and was so disappointed to have a plain yellow ducky arrive in the mail instead. The box was addressed to me, but the invoice inside was for someone in PA. I'm assuming she got my duck instead of the yellow one she ordered. I requested them to overnight the camo ducky to me, but they were unable to do so, so refunded my money. I improvised by makin a cape out of camo fabric for the yellow duck and the gift was a huge success in the end.

Supposed to be a dog toy. I bought it for the newest grandchild. I love the fact that it squeaks.

Buy Pet toy - Rubber Ducky Now

Great toy. The other person who reviewed this took off points because they said it wasn't tough enough to stand up to their dogs.

I didn't see the word "tough" anywhere in the item description, but this thing is plenty tough enough for conventional uses. I mean, regular duck stuff. Like swimming, and playing around the river!

Read Best Reviews of Pet toy - Rubber Ducky Here

I read the reviews of this toy on another sight since there were no reviews here but it was the same toy. I always read reviews before purchasing toys since my puppy is tough on her toys . I was under the impression that it was a tough toy. Boy was I wrong she chewed right thru it within a half hour. I wouldn't recommend this toy if you are looking for a tough toy.

Want Pet toy - Rubber Ducky Discount?

Booda Bone Dog Treats Booda

My dogs love these bones. I bought all sizes. My jack russel loves the big ones and the small ones. My 60 pound mutt loves the big ones. They are great. They are able to digest them and able to enjoy the bones. I bought so many of them. Petsmart for some reason discontinued them I was so upset. I was so happy to see them on Amazon for a great price. I highly recommend them.

I don't like all the controversy surrounding rawhide bones and don't want take the risk of my Lab getting a blockage so I exclusively give him Booda bones which are safe. My lab is an aggressive chewer and considering this is edible it makes him that much more excited as he LOVES food. He enjoys these bones but devours them in less than 20 minutes. I usually give it to him for a few minutes until he eats half of it and then I take it away to save for next time. This obviously would get very expensive so he has his non-edible Nylabones most of the time and these are special treats.

Buy Booda Bone Dog Treats Booda Now

My dog gets sick eating a lot of dog treats (even Milkbones), but has always done well with all the Booda bones. She really loves them & they're good for getting rid of the tartar on her teeth. I highly recommend these.

Read Best Reviews of Booda Bone Dog Treats Booda Here

Our Siberian Husky is overweight and on a diet. She also is great at building placque and tartar on her teeth baad breath! She has a touchy stomach on top of it all. Tried these bones in all flavors and she loves them. They help with her teeth and breath. She gets one bone for her lunch (she's a 3 meals a day gal). Her other meals are now canned green beans with either yogurt (plain) or low fat cottage cheese. She has lost about 11 lbs and is doing great! No more throwing up her food!

Want Booda Bone Dog Treats Booda Discount?

Love these! Well, because...we have 3 dogs (2 were unplanned children ;-) & our 60-LB German Shepherd AND our 40-LB we-have-no-clue-what-she-is dog have both choked on various shapes & sizes of rawhides. The Shepherd choked so badly that, this time, it wouldn't come up. She couldn't cough & started to literally choke to death. I actually straddled her back, attempting the only thing I knew how to do the human Heimlich Maneuver! Like where exactly is a dog's sternum, anyway? Well, I tried anyway and thank God it finally did dislodge & we got it out! Was it the Heimlich? I don't know. Probably not. I mean, she still won't tell me... After all, I guess it was very traumatic for her.

But in all seriousness, what I do know, is that was the last time any of my dogs have had any kind of regular rawhide bones! Which, I really wanted to let everyone know of my personal experiences; I believe anybody who is at all concerned about giving their dogs rawhides and/or experiencing a similar problem is on the right track to avoid them.

Our small part Chihuawa/part something else, first 2 times in-a-row, threw up repeatedly w/rawhide pieces and w/foam. He was VERY sick the 3rd time, so we definitely stopped that! The ONLY kind I did finally take a chance with were granulated rawhide munchy sticks, & they're all fine w/these; though I'm still nervous about them choking on a piece, but neither of them have had any problems with Boodas so far, & they don't swell up in their throats like regular rawhides.

So, now... It's Booda Bones!

Yes, they are a bit on the pricey side, especially for my 2 larger aggressive chewers. I agree with some other reviewers that they are not very long-lasting. But it's all I'll give them now. But, for my half Chihuahua/half something else(20lbs), I give him the smallest ones and they are like mega-saurus bones for him(it is my hope that the manufacturer will start selling these in bulk packages, for less $). I get 3 different sizes for my 3 different whatever-they-are-dogs. They absolutely love them! This includes the assorted flavors, the bacon-flavored, and the yogurt-flavored. Whichever is cheaper at the time and shipped by Amazon.

And I owe a big thank you to Brian Amazon, all of you for all of your reviews, Booda Bones, and Amazon!

** Confession: This was originally a comment I posted to a reviewer by the name of "Brian Amazon" a long time ago. I have been buying Bones from Amazon, and, only Booda Bones, ever since. They are so great that I've been wanting to write a review, & now finally have the chance to (I have, however, resorted to copying and pasting much of my original [brief... LOL] comment, with some editing).

Dog Supplies Z-Bone Large Apple 6-Pack

Personally I don't get it. I'm not a dog owner but have several friends who are. The price would keep me away if it weren't for the feedback from them. One friend has a fiest who had to have her eyes removed. She is such a sweetheart I had to let her try these based on those recommendations. She loves them! Can find them no matter where you hide them. She loves them so much it makes me feel good to see her enjoy them. Wish there was something like this for my cat.

Our dog loves all the flavors of the Z-bone. Great substantial treat for our large (90lbs) Labrador Retriever. First recived these as a gift and have been purchasing them ever since.

Buy Dog Supplies Z-Bone Large Apple 6-Pack Now

Very few bones actually are all natural. This is one I would recommend for us picky Moms. I really watch what I feed my BC.

Read Best Reviews of Dog Supplies Z-Bone Large Apple 6-Pack Here

My dog loves these, only problem is that she is getting quite competent at hogging them down. Thanks for a great treat.

Want Dog Supplies Z-Bone Large Apple 6-Pack Discount?

My dog has a system that can't handle the junk that's in a lot of products and is unfortunately stuck into most treats. These are great. I have a German Shepherd and he's pretty rough on bones, this one lasts him a while and he doesn't get sick or have any reactions to them. He takes them out in less than 10 minutes but that's pretty good considering his track record and he just loves them, so definitely a good buy. I haven't noticed the apple ones giving him funny colored poop but the berry ones definitely do, keep that in mind if you notice something off when he's doing his business.

Save 18% Off

Signature K9 Heavy Leather Leash, 6-Feet x 7/8-Inch, Black

This leash is of surprisingly good quality especially for the price. I had stopped into two large chain pet stores in search for a training leash and the prices for very thin six foot leads ranged from $46 $90. I buy most everything for our dogs and other pets on Amazon so I put off purchasing one and am glad I did.

The leash is very sturdy leather which is exactly what you want. Soft leather has to much give and won't hold up to unexpected chewing and biting from your dog. The stiff leather holds up beautifully and provides a better correction "snap".

The top handle and end loop are made by folding the leather down and fastening them with two steel rivets, some braiding would gave made the leash stronger but if you're not training say, a 300 pound Mastiff this lead should work out just fine.

We have two Old English Bulldogs a 95 pound adult and 55 pound 7 month old puppy. I'll be using this lead for beginner obedience training (heel, sit, stay, come on command and lay down) I've been working with dogs for over 40 years and this leash is of a quality that you would pay at least three times the mere selling price of $19.00 at most any retail store.

Simply used for a walking lead this leash would work out equally well. But for entry level training to advanced you really do need a standard 6 foot leather leash. The stiffness of the leather does ease up a bit over time but should stay tough enough to last for years.

The tanning is very well done, it's a deep over saturated black that doesn't rub off. I wish they had passed on the brass plating for the eye clasp. Brass tends to pit and rust from wet weather it's also less attractive especially against the silver rivets.

un plated steel is always preferable, but this is my only complaint and it's a minor one.

The leash was delivered well packaged in a box and the Prime membership you get free two day shipping to boot. Making this leash an even more exceptional bargain.

I love this leash! I wanted a sturdy leash that my dog couldn't chew into. I've had the nylon and vinyl leashes, but my dog still chewed into them. Now that I've been using this leash, my dog doesn't even attempt to chew into it. I saw a woman with this leash in my local pet store and asked where she got it. She said she had bought the leash a few years ago (it still looked in great condition) but hasn't seen any of the stores carrying it anymore. Well lucky for me I was able to find it online with Amazon and have been very happy with the product. I would definitely recommend this leash for anyone who is looking for a great looking, sturdy, 100% leather leash.

Buy Signature K9 Heavy Leather Leash, 6-Feet x 7/8-Inch, Black Now

You may love this leash but...it is VERY heavy. The edges are not beveled as it says in the product description, but almost sharp. It is also VERY stiff, more like plywood than leather. Mine had a defect/split in the leather. It's hard to believe that Amish craftspeople would send out a defective article such as this. If you don't have a 500 pound dog or a hand of steel, I would suggest that you at least purchase a thinner version of this leash.

Read Best Reviews of Signature K9 Heavy Leather Leash, 6-Feet x 7/8-Inch, Black Here

This is a very good leash. It has steel rivets so it should last forever. Leashes without rivets, with just stitching or these new twisted type leashes will wear out and eventually break. This should be the only leash you ever need. Incidentally, I read the other review so I pulled out a tape measure and mine measured exactly 6 feet. Not a big deal, but I figured I'd mention it. From a professional dog trainer and handler, I recommend this leash, and others like it, highly.

Want Signature K9 Heavy Leather Leash, 6-Feet x 7/8-Inch, Black Discount?

I was walking my 25 lb puppy and with very little pressure, the metal fittings broke apart and the dog went running. There was no sign of any damage when I got the leash and this seemed to happen out of nowhere. It may have been one bad one out of the bunch, but I wouldn't get a leash from this company again. It's not worth the risk.

Purina secondnature Dog Litter, 25 lbs.

I can't really complain about a system that gives me peace of mind when I'm not at home. My dog is 10 lbs and 11-months old. I wouldn't recommend this product if you have a dog that's more than 30 pounds. I would say a miniature spaniel or small cockerspaniel would be the top sized dog you'd want to use a litter box with. But then again, if you have a large space like a connecting garage or a very large kitchen area and have space for an extra large tray, it could probably work too.

Although I don't use my litter box outdoors, I can see this as a useful potty aid if you don't want your dog to mess up your outside garden area. I'm thinking about adding a box outside because I don't have a lawn, and it's mostly concrete and dirt.

My dog still enjoys his walks, and DOES go poop and pee outside in the park lawn whenever I take him. He also goes inside his litter box, but it's not as preferable for him. He will still pee on my carpet when he's roaming around and not near the litter box. So my dog, even at 11 months old is not completely housebroken. He's not a very smart dog, so I don't think he ever will be housebroken. If you have a dog like mine, this might be your best solution.

If I know that he has just eaten or drank a lot of water, I bring him back to the litter box after a couple of hours (which is in my laundry room) and close the door for a while or wait until he goes. This is the only way to make sure he doesn't have accidents. If your dog is paper trained or pad trained, you should follow the "transition" instructions on the Purina website. My dog has only used the litter box since birth, but when he discovered the lawn, he never quite liked the litter box as much.

So here is the best way to use this litter.

1. Only line the bottom of the tray with a small layer, just enough to cover the bottom. This will save you A LOT of litter and cash in your pocket. The instructions wants you to put in at least an inch of pellets. I found it very wasteful and heavy to pick up and clean as well.

2. The second most important reason why you want just a THIN layer is because it's always best to replace your litter often. This makes for less waste.

3. When your dog pees on the pellets, they swell up and you can tell which pellets have been soaked. If you're careful, you can use a small scooper to clean that portion out and replace it with fresh pellets.

4. Also clean up poop out of the litter box on a daily basis or as soon as your dog poops. This will prevent a smelly room, and encourage your dog to go back in the litter box. My dog barks when there's poop in the box and tells me to clean it when he's in his room at night. (He literally drags me out of bed with his barking!) I just use some toilet paper to pick it up, and flush the poop down the toilet. This saves on biodegradable poop bags and again, puts a little cash back in your pocket.

5. If you bought the Petco Blue litter box tray, there's some tricky placement to consider due to the foot ledge that sticks out. Do read my review on the Petco blue litter box tray or remember these tips:

a. NEVER put the box flush against the wall. This won't allow your dog ample space to roam around the litter box before it actually pees or poops. This will limit the number of accidents outside of the box. Also, if you have a male dog with a marking problem, you will see lots of urine on the floor next to the wall.

b. Face the foot ledge toward the wall, (if your room is narrow and long like a laundry room...this is where we put our tray) and leave some space between the foot ledge and the wall for your dog to walk around.

c. Be prepared to sop up pee on the foot ledge. This will be a common place for your dog to have a pee or poop accident. Still...better on the ledge than on the floor. The blue raised circles on the foot ledge makes it difficult to clean urine. I have to fold up my paper towels and sop around the circles.

d. Always use a doggie cleaner on the foot ledge after you clean up an accident on the foot ledge. Your room will start to smell if you don't.

e. If you don't want to struggle with this seemingly difficult foot ledge, try the actual PURINA tray. I think the trick is to have a high edge around the tray, so the dog is not tempted to be partially outside the tray when it is going pee or poop.

f. Wash your tray every week or at least every two weeks. No matter how often you empty your pellets, the smell still gets on the tray itself. There just isn't a perfect sanitary system. I guess not having a dog is the perfect sanitary system! :-)

6. Pellet bags are heavy...especially the 25 pound bag. I bought a plastic bowl to help me scoop the pellets out and control the amount that goes in the tray. No one wants to scoop the pellets BACK into the bag from a dirty tray after the fact. Get the scooper...it will actually save you money by controlling the amount of pellets that go into the tray, AND your back in the long run.

7. To avoid your dog from chewing on the pellets, especially in the wee morning hours when it starts to get hungry, leave some treats around his room a night. Be prepared to sweep up pellets on occasion. A bored and hungry dog, makes for a naughty dog.

8. If you are transitioning your dog, make sure you put some of his urine soaked pads or newspapers inside the box so he can smell it in the early stages. Your dog should adjust in about a week or two.

Good Luck!

During the frigid winter, we brought home two toy fox terrier/pug mixes, and this has helped out immensely! At 1.4 pounds, they were to small to go outside to go potty, so they could go in the litter pan anytime they had to go. We had very little difficulty in teaching the dogs where to go. It is ideal for us, because we work longs shifts and are not home on some days for 10+ hours. Great for those who just moved, or are about to move to new construction home sites--it keeps the dogs out of the mud and dirt! The dogs do tend to eat the litter, but it is not harmful, and their stool is not difficult to pass when they have digested it. And, as the dogs have grown, we have gotten progressively bigger with the size of the litter pan. I would not recommend this for a larger size dog!

Buy Purina secondnature Dog Litter, 25 lbs. Now

I trained my chihuahua to a litter box when we got her at 10 weeks, she was 1 pound and at 6 months is only 2 pounds. I do not like that this is a paper product, paper does not break down as well as wood pellets.

I used wood pellets, I get 40 pounds for 5.00 and it last me 5 months. When Foxy poos I clean that right out. the pee soaks right away into the wood pellets. (get wood pellets at the hardware or safeway for pellet burning stoves)..So it never goes to the bottom. I put in 2 inches. There is absolutely NO order and I change it out about every 2 weeks.

But training a dog to use a litter pan is extremely easy!!!

Read Best Reviews of Purina secondnature Dog Litter, 25 lbs. Here

I prefer dog litter to pee pads. This product works great for my pup & I love that it is more economical & not as environmmentally wasteful as pee pads. It absorbs odors extremely well & I only need to clean & replace the litter once every 7 -10 days!

Want Purina secondnature Dog Litter, 25 lbs. Discount?

I bought this nine years ago when I first got my baby before I knew if she would be prone to shredding or otherwise destroying puppy pads or some other "potty" option and have used it ever since in three residences in two states. My dog is not a shredder or destructive in any way, so if there is any way to make a mess of this, I haven't seen it and can't imagine what it would be. When new, I put her in it every morning (she was too little to crawl in by herself) and she learned very quickly. It works great and no visitor has ever admitted to being able to smell anything from it, (if it is freshly wet and you are standing right over it, you pick up a bit of an ammonia smell, but that's it) so I think I would've been told by now if that were an issue. The "pellets" are about the circumference of a pencil and the slotted scoops work just fine. You don't have to be relentless about scooping every time it is used. The only possible downside is that a bag of it is heavy. My little one is accustomed to "going" outside if she is staying somewhere that doesn't have a box, so don't let thinking you have to use this exclusively deter you from giving it a shot. We walk outside just for exercise and socialization, which is especially nice if it is snowy or raining.

Save 15% Off

Herm Sprenger Prong Collar 14 inch Lightweight

I found this "prong" or "pinch" training collar to be of very good quality, much better than other brands that you may find at your typical pet store. The tips of the prongs are rounded off so as not to dig into the skin of the pooch's neck. I actually tried this collar on myself, and found it to be NOT uncomfortable, to the contrary of many vocal dissidents against prong collars as being "barbaric" for the pet. The key to successful use of this as a training aid is to properly fit the collar high up on your dog's neck, just below the ears. Adjust it tightly enough so that it doesn't slip down, but not so tight as to pinch the dog's neck without any added pressure from the leash. You MUST measure your dog's size properly using the circumference of the neck just below the ears. The links are removable and can be added or removed to adjust the size of the collar. You will probably need to add extra links if your dog's neck is at 12" or larger, since the measured length of the Sprenger collar is 14" laid flat and doesn't account for the smaller circumference when measured from the tips of the prongs themselves. It may be more cost effective to purchase two entire collars that to buy extra links. The slip chain part goes on the side of the dog's neck, not the top. There are two ring's on the slip chain part, a larger "dead" ring, and a smaller "active" ring. Connecting the leash to he dead ring limits the tightness that can be applied to the prong collar, while use of the active ring gives a stronger and quicker correction. Correction is accomplished by a quick but gentle sideways snap of the leash. The correction is supposed to feel similar to a corrective nip that a mother dog would give to a puppy. This training collar is NOT meant to be pulled on so that the prongs constantly dig into the pooch's neck. I have this collar for training my 65 lb pit bull, and it works great. You really don't need a "stronger" collar with larger prongs unless you have a large dog that really is stubborn and pulls hard. Remember, prong collars are for training purposes only and should not be left on you pooch longer than needed for the day's training period. Use a regular collar for fashion and identification purposes.

This product is worth the weight of my dog in gold. My corgi mix is about 1 year old. She is very energetic, very willful, and she thinks its her job to walk me on the leash, not vice versa. As soon as the leash goes on, she starts pulling with all her strength. She pulls so hard she suffocates herself. So you can imagine that walking her has not been very enjoyable. I looked online for a solution and everyone recommended stopping in place whenever your dog pulls on the leash. The problem is, my dog never stops pulling. We never got past the front driveway for several weeks. Maybe this might work with a less willful and energetic dog, but it didn't work with mine.

So I started looking for a prong collar. I wasn't very optimistic, because if my dog doesn't mind choking herself on the leash, what's a few prongs in the neck after all? The Herm Sprenger collar came highly recommended so I ordered one for her. I put on the collar, leashed my dog up, and we set out. It was like I had a new dog. She started pulling like she usually does, but immediately stopped when the collar tightened. She gave a small yelp, but since then, she has stopped pulling completely. Our walks are so much more enjoyable.

The collar itself is well constructed. You have to undo one of the links to wrap get it around the dog's neck. After you do it a few times it gets easier, but it can be a little difficult if your dog is squirming around. But the design does allow you to expand the collar if your dog grows or you want to use it on another dog. It's a tradeoff. The collar tightens very fluidly when your dog pulls, which is nice to see. The collar seems very sturdy, and I don't have any fear of it breaking or coming apart on our walks.

Overall, this is the best item I have ever purchased for my dog. It's allowed us to go on more walks, and I don't have to dread taking her out on the leash. I'm hoping after a year of using this collar, I'll be able to stop using it, but we will see how that goes.

Buy Herm Sprenger Prong Collar 14 inch Lightweight Now

I ordered from the vendor "Happy Dog Place, Inc" with Amazon Prime delivery. Unfortunately this is not a legit Herm Sprenger prong. I own 3 genuine Herm Sprenger prongs, and needed one more as a backup. What I was sent was a cheap, poorly-made knockoff version. For starters, the prongs pull part too easily. You barely have to squeeze them to open the collar, and if this was fitted too loosely, it would likely fall right off a dog's neck. The prongs themselves are sharp...dangerously sharp. So sharp in fact, that this collar comes with black rubber covers that fit over the individual prongs. Unfortunately the covers are also cheap & poorly sized, and slip off very easily. I spent quite some time trying to find them all so I could return this shoddy knock-off. VERY disappointing, but then again I should have known by the price. If something looks to good to be true, it probably is. I should've read the reviews more closely before ordering, as I see I'm not the only one who had this experience.

Read Best Reviews of Herm Sprenger Prong Collar 14 inch Lightweight Here

Immediate control without harm to my very spirited hunting dog. No pulling or sudden bursts of pulling. He accepts the collor without fuss when putting it on and taking it off. Very well made.

Want Herm Sprenger Prong Collar 14 inch Lightweight Discount?

I purchased this and what I received was NOT a Herm Sprenger Prong collar. It was an inferior prong collar that has black plastic nubs on the tips (the tips are unfinished, rough, and not rounded) of the prongs and does not say Herm Sprenger anywhere on the collar. I purchased a second one a few weeks later and such a peculiar thing happened... I received an actual Herm Sprenger collar. So, please beware of this seller. You may not get what is described. Will not buy from again.

Pet Buddies PB1715 Googlie Rocky Rabbit Large Toy

I love this toy. My dog was so determined to destroy it as she has all her other toys. She chewed on the thing until she fell asleep. On day two after great effort, she was finally able to gnaw off a leg (but that's it!) It is definitely durable and I doubt it will end up in the trash any time soon. It was definitely worth the $8.37 I paid for it.

This toy is great for larger breed dogs with strong jaws. It takes a fairly good "bite" and "chomp" to get the squeaker to make any sound. Very durable and a great gum massage for the pup who can get their mouth around it. The first thing to get chewed off are the little stumpy legs and the ends of the ears. Otherwise this toy has survived the test of puppy hood! I love the comic quality of it.

Buy Pet Buddies PB1715 Googlie Rocky Rabbit Large Toy Now

I've bought a few of these Googlie toys now and my dog, Frank, LOVES them! I'm not sure if it's the squeaking or the texture of the toy, but he absolutely loves these toys!

I'm not sure how long this toy is going to last, but given how much Frank loves it, I don't care!

You can check out a smaller version of this toy here Pet Buddies PB1716 Googlie Ricky Rabbit Medium Toy

Read Best Reviews of Pet Buddies PB1715 Googlie Rocky Rabbit Large Toy Here

WACKYwalk'r Urban Dog Leash - X-Large - Orange

Thought it would stop my dog from pulling me but it doesn't. I was hopin ghtis would be my easy answer. Unfortunately the only thing that has worked is a full body harness which is a pain to put on.