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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Dog life hacks

37 replies

tinselvestsparklepants · 23/01/2022 23:03

I've had ddog for 8 months now and am learning through trial and error. I have a spare lead/poo bags in the car. I keep wet wipes in the poo-bag bag. Today I learned that gardening gloves are great for a walk because they keep my hands warm but are better at dealing with muddy sticks etc than wool gloves. What other dog hacks am I missing?

OP posts:
Shannith · 24/01/2022 20:15

Just one. Nappy bags instead of poo bags. Sainsbury's were 9p for 100. Good enough for weaned babies and nappies / more than cope with a labs poo Grin

Bebeschitt · 25/01/2022 10:35

We take a small plastic tub with a good lid on long walks with us.
She always has a poo miles away from anywhere and I hate carrying poo bags. I don't like having it on the hook things either. She's big, her poo is big. Having a big sack o shite swinging about 🤢
Poo in bag. Bag in tub. Tub in (DH) rucksack. Just don't forget it when you get home!

MaryLennoxsScowl · 25/01/2022 12:37

Fingerless mittens are good for being able to open poo bags without freezing. Some horror chewed mine so I need new ones.
Chopped carrots mixed with better treats - healthier and creates lottery effect as to what he’s going to get. Also extremely cheap.
Boot liner to keep car clean.

sillysmiles · 25/01/2022 13:06

If your dog is a swimmer, throw and old tshirt on them getting back into the car - stops the shake wrecking the inside of the car.
I leave him wet because he swims in the summer to cool down.

perimenofertility · 25/01/2022 18:44

@MaryLennoxsScowl Mine loves carrot, he goes crazy for it!

SirSniffsAlot · 26/01/2022 09:12

If you are likely to do early morning walks in the winter (or evening ones) then a head torch so you can see the poos but still have free hands to pick them up.

Use any cardboard boxes/packaging (amazon brown paper especially good for this) to sprinkle a few treats in and become your home made dog treat snuffle toy. Bonus points if the dog then tears it up so it fits more easily into the recycling bin.

Train him to accept a muzzle (soft and basket) now - it makes for a good 'game' and may come in useful later in life for things like tricky vet visits.

At 8 months old, it may soon be time to say goodbye to your puppy and a 'see you on the other side' to a teenage pita - hopefully your own will sail through adolescence like a breeze but if he doesn't, just know he will likely come good again when he grows up.

If you've a tendancy to 'waste' your recall word by using it even when he's not going to recall immediately, think about introducing a whistle and work to establish an immediate recall using it. It's harder to misuse it at the wrong time.

Do not feed every meat under the sun. Keep some slightly unusual but easy to buy meats back just in case of allergies and intolerences. I would keep back things like kangaroo, duck, venison as reserve proteins.

Add a spare collar (and tag) to that lead in the car.

Lots of handling practice, when handling is not needed. Things like rolling over so you can see his belly. Paw handling. Eye handling, Ear handling. Mouth handling. Go slow and make it fun. All will be invaluable if you need them in the future. (e.g. I once had to convince the dog to stay rock still while I took a tick off his willy - it was tiny and took a few attempts; our previous belly practice really helped).

Frost is your friend. It makes muddy walks suddenly clean ones and makes it far easier to pick up frozen poos in the garden. Never put anything off because it's frosty!

I also agree with treats everywhere, the dressing robe (e.g. ruff n tumble), wet wipes in the car, crocs by the back door and poo bags in every single pocket of every single coat.

Take photos and videos ALL THE TIME. You can never have enough of these - especially from the early years.

Sweetleftfood · 26/01/2022 10:32

Spare lead in the car is excellent! One of our first road trip to France with dog ended up being rather stressful as (of course it was me) I left the harness and lead beside the car after leaving the campsite. A very stressful drive to find a Decathlon but managed in the end Smile, driving in busy big Frenchy city with trams was not on the agenda!!

lostoldname · 26/01/2022 16:25

After wearing through several pairs or walking shoes I have found some cheap fleece line wellies. They are great.
Wish we had taught our dog to be less reactive to noise . Great advice on here recently about training which I will be following.

sparklystar333 · 26/01/2022 20:45

Dickie bag for full poo bags, expensive but well made and I've used mine lots as I;m a dog walker and it's still as good as new.
Snowpea boot dryers for wet boots, dries them quickly ready for the next walk.
Hand sanitiser for dirty/muddy hands and great for using to get poo bags open.
Sealskin waterproof socks.
If your dog is crated in the car then put a sheet over some/all of the crate to keep your car clean when they shake.
9V car washer/mud daddy/hozelock portable shower to clean dirty dogs before they get back in the car.

Gherkingreen · 26/01/2022 21:03

I have a pair of calf length leather 'paddock boots' that are perfect for dog walks in the field or woods over winter.
No laces so no early morning faff, totally waterproof, warm and comfortable enough for long walks.
B&M for dog beds/toys/treats. Their scooby doo squeaky balls are brilliant, cheap and indestructible even by terrier standards.
Rechargeable light up armbands for winter walks.
I have a lead with a normal handle, and a second handle half way down the lead which is a game-changer for those days when Gherkindog is in a pully mood.

EdithStourton · 26/01/2022 21:29

Rechargeable light-up collars - great for dark pre-work winter walks. They come in different colours so you can tell which dog is the one heading the wrong way.

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