Happy Friday Favorites – Dash Edition!

Our best buddy Dash, is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. We adopted him here in August of 2010 when he was a wee pup – 13 weeks to be exact. He was quite possibly the cutest thing you ever saw. Seriously, when I saw his picture on their website, I thought he was a stuffed animal and knew he had to be mine – all that was left to do was convince the hubs. 😉

Who would honestly need convincing with that face?

Because he is our best friend, we take great panes to give him the best products available within our budget. There are a few that are our favorites and there are some that are his favorites.

Ours

1. PediPaws nail trimmer. I hated trying to trim his nails with those regular nail trimmers because I was so afraid of cutting too low and he was so squirmy it was impossible to be careful with them. So this thing has been a life saver and a money saver (no trips to the groomer to be trimmed). Most dogs hate the sound of a nail dremel, but we trained Dash to love this thing. The instant we brought it home, we started giving him treats to acclimate him to the sight and sound of it. We did not even trim his nails with it for a few weeks until he had adjusted. Now he might squirm a bit, but he pretty much knows that if he lays there and let’s us shave down his nails, then there is a big ol treat on the other end of that bargain.

2. The FURminator. Corgis shed. A LOT. They actually have two coats – an undercoat that is soft and a coarse topcoat that is water resistant (yeah, really great for bath time). There have been times when we’ve brushed an entire dog off of him! This brush gets down to that undercoat and really pulls out all of the loose hair. If you have a dog that sheds at all, buy this thing now. Do it! I’m not joking!

3. Charlee Bear Treats. Corgis have a propensity to overeat and become overweight if their food intake is not properly monitored. We love these treats because they are low in calories – only 3 per treat. They have no preservatives, artificial flavors or colors. (Hey, if we aren’t gonna feed ourselves crap, why feed our dog crap?) They are small enough to fit a handful in your pocket. And Dash loves them! So we can use them regularly to train him, keep his mind sharp, reward him for going potty, etc.

4. Buster Cube. Corgis are incredibly intelligent and need lots of mental stimulation. They also like to herd. Enter the Buster Cube. It comes with 3 difficulty settings, and even though he bested them all within a week, it will still keep him busy for a good 15 minutes. Fill it with some treats or a portion of his dinner and he’s happy as a clam.

 

Dash’s

1. Kong Lounger Pet Bed. He’s a lounger, so this bed is perfect. Dash stays in his crate mostly during the day, but at night he sleeps on his own bed in our bedroom floor. When he sleeps on it, he props his head on the side like a pillow. He actually picked it out himself. We took him to Petsmart one day and let him choose his new bed – this is the one he refused to leave. The great thing about this bed is that all of the interior pillows can be removed so that the case can be washed. Sadly, after two years, it’s starting t0 fall apart. One of the zippers broke off. Not sure how we are going to replace it without him knowing.

2. Chuckit! Ultra Ball. What dog doesn’t love a good game of fetch? These things are great. They’re orange, so they don’t blend in with the grass. They are lightweight and can go super far. They are virtually indestructible, and the best part…you can just bring them in, rinse them off and put them away. No more lugging around nasty, slobber coated tennis balls.

3. Nylabone Durachew Textured Ring. Small and cute as Corgis may be, they are world champion chewers. Seriously. Buying size appropriate chew toys for a Corgi is a huge mistake. They have iron jaws and will decimate pretty much anything. And they love to chew to satisfy their boredom. (no matter how much stimulation they get, they still get bored). Nylabone makes some heavy duty chew tows. This thing is ring shaped which makes it a challenge to hold onto, and textured for cleaning the chompers. He carries this thing around everywhere he goes.

4. Jolly Ball. How do you satisfy a herding dogs instincts? Set him loose on a herd of sheep. But, since we don’t have a place to do that, and we often get tired of him trying to herd us by nipping at our heels, something had to be done. After Dash went berserk over Rem’s basketball in the driveway one day, a light bulb went off. Get him a GIANT ball and just let the herding ensue. It’s too big for him to pick up with his mouth, so he ends up dropping it and chasing it as it rolls across the house. So, while it may not be the exact same thing as herding, it still satisfies his urge to try and make the ball go where he wants it to go. Besides, he loves the bejeebus out of this thing. When he gets going on it…just sit back and watch the show. Also, it’s virtually indestructible as well (catching a theme here?)

Happy Friday! What are some of your pup’s favorite things?