Favorite Dog Brands
When you first get a dog it can be overwhelming to choose the right products for your pup. I always want the best for my furbaby and have done a lot of research to find some of my favorite brands that i've consistently enjoyed buying from.
There's no one like Sora who loves unboxing things!
Collars, Harnesses, Bandanas, & Leashes
I have to break these down into separate categories because it really depends on the environment and what you're doing!
- Everyday/Fashionable: My favorite brand for good looking collars is Banded Pines! These are also extremely durable, water-resistant, and overall great quality. They are on the pricey side, but their designs are absolutely beautiful!
- Reactivity & Recall: I use the Mini Educator E-Collar that my dog trainer recommended. E-collars are extremely useful for controlling your dog's reactivity, but only recommended under instruction of a professional trainer.
- Everyday Walking & Heel: I use the classic Herm Sprenger prong collar. Contrary to what others may believe, these tools do not harm your dog and are the only collar that won't damage their trachea. I use a carabiner to safety clip this to her Banded Pines collar in case it snaps off. This collar was a game-changer for me in terms of being able to keep Sora safe and less reactive while walking in heavy traffic areas. This collar should be trained with the "heel" command. Don't make the mistake and use it incorrectly for months because then you'll have to reset your training with it. I like the harbor hound leashes for running, since they have a loop clip to go around your waist.
- Hiking Harness: For hiking, I opt for the Black Ruffwear harness (I used to have orange, but it became too flashy and distracting in my photos). When i'm hiking, I actually want Sora to pull me up the mountain, so this makes a lot more sense. I still keep the e-collar on for any potential reactivity that I may need to correct though. If you have a less primitive dog breed, you can use the e-collar (after proper training) for off-leash hiking, if it's allowed on that trail. I NEVER walk Sora on this harness in high traffic areas, unless I want to pull a shoulder muscle or potentially risk having her run away.
- Life Jacket: Ruffwear makes the most adorable lifevests and they're very durable in terms of wear and tear. I've tested Sora's multiple times while swimming and kayaking.
- Bandanas: My go-to online store for bandanas is Native Instincts. I like the softness of the fabric and the easy clip-on clasp. The designs are also cute and unique.
- Long-line Leash: My trainer recommended this biothane long line for practicing heel and recall.
- Dog Tags: I love Canine Habits for customized dog tags! The founder of the brand also owns Shikoku, so that was just icing on the top!
Food
- Everyday Breakfast & Dinner: Since Sora is a primitive breed, she requires a raw-fed diet. To keep things convenient (and a brand that she will actually eat) I use Stella & Chewy's freeze-dried raw. She has panosteititis, so I only feed her the Chicken flavor since the protein is more lean and better to prevent fast growth of her bones.
- Dental Treats: This is by far the best-smelling dental treats. I get them off amazon and give them to her sometimes after her breakfast or before guests arrive.
- Chews: I've experimented with almost all the different chew toy options out there, besides rawhide for obvious reasons. I also have bully sticks that I give Sora a few times a week when I need some time to myself.
Dog Crate
I have the Impact Collapsible Dog Crate. These are extremely durable, flight compliant, and can collapse down flat, which make it super easy to travel with when you have a small car like me. I'm not a fan of the locks on these crates, so I do recommend getting additional carabiners or zipties if you don't want your dog to learn how to pick the lock or break out of the crate like mine.
