We get a lot of our favorite gear & supplies off Amazon, so I thought I’d finally share some of our essentials. I created a list of all our Amazon picks that you can shop here. It’s a work in progress, so check back for new additions to come! In the meantime, keep reading for a few of our must-haves.
Note: None of these are paid ads or sponsors, we actually just love and use these products so I wanted to share! They are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Thanks so much for reading and for your support!
This is hands down my favorite gadget from Amazon. I recommend it all the time, and it has come in handy too many times to count. It’s small and easily portable but should have enough water to last your dog through whatever outing you’re taking them on.
Where it beats any other portable water bowl is in its ability to tilt the water back into the water bottle if you don’t use it. If you’re on a hike, sure, you might not need this functionality. But if you’re in a plane, car, or other indoor area where you can’t just dump the unused water out on the ground? This allows you to easily press the button and put the water right back into the bottle for next time.
In addition, it locks to become leak-proof, and it’s super durable. Having this bottle is my number one tip that I give for people flying with their pups. Just make sure you don’t put the colored bowl piece of the water bottle in the dishwasher - I did that once and had to get a replacement because it broke it.
This is one of Polly’s favorite toys! I work from home with Polly about half the week, so I’m always looking for toys that are great for stimulating her mind, keeping her engaged for long periods of time, and letting her have fun on her own.
We love the Kong, but it usually just ends up in about 10-15 minutes of licking peanut butter until she gives up on it. This toy, that we call the treat ball, will keep her running around the house and playing for anywhere from 20 minutes up to an hour!
Another great thing is it somehow tricks her into thinking her food is treats. I usually put a handful of kibble in it with a few treats, and she eats both equally excitedly when she knocks them out of the ball. So if you're having trouble getting your pup to eat their dry food, this toy is for you.
A couple forewarnings: First, it is loud. It’s hard plastic, so it bangs around the house pretty constantly while she’s playing with it, but I’m fine with it because to me it’s the sound of Polly having fun, and nothing’s better than that. :)
Second, it can get caught in small spaces around the house that she can’t get the ball out of, so it can end in us searching around the house for it. She's learned to lead me to it sometimes though, which is super cute.
Third, she recently discovered how to open the ball and then proceeds to chew on the ball pieces. She still plays with it fine, but if 10 minutes of silence go by and the banging noise has stopped, I have to go check on her because that usually means she’s figured out how to get it open. This usually just happens if she’s already been playing with it for a while - it’s only happened a couple times. Overall, I highly recommend this one if you need something to occupy their time.
These are our favorite bones. They’re on the pricey side, but super long lasting and very healthy. We try to avoid giving Polly animal parts as bones because of risk of contamination. (There is no right or wrong answer there, that’s just the decision we’ve come to!)
We found out that these Himalayan Yak milk chews are a great alternative to bones while also not being made of plastic. They are hard, not chewy, so they last super long, and Polly LOVES them.
The problem with the yak milk chews is that they can have a pretty strong and yucky bonfire-type smell. We tried a few brands and this one called Yak Snacks by Jim Hodges Dog Training somehow hardly has any odor, much better than other brands we tried!
The backstory on this: I had this little faux fur rug for a couple year before getting Polly. I think I originally got it from Ikea, but it’s identical to this one. It’s kind of small, about Polly’s size, and I just had it in my bedroom laying in front of my dresser as decor. Little did I know this would become her favorite toy.
Polly has claimed this rug as her own since day 1 and is OBSESSED with playing with it. If we’re playing with a stuffed animal or rope or some other toy, she will often ditch those toys and try to get us to play with the rug instead.
Honestly, I think she likes it because it reminds her of a dead animal or something and it brings out her inner wolf...either way, it’s super cute to watch her thrash around and wrestle this rug. And as a bonus, it’s one toy that will actually look good laying on your living room floor.
If you live somewhere with cold weather or snow, you need these boots. I feel like the price is really reasonable because they are extremely durable and I’m not sure that we’ll ever need another pair. I did a lot of research before picking this brand, and I’m glad this is the one I went with.
Not only do they protect her little paws from the freezing cold ground in the winter, but also the harsh chemicals used to treat the snow and ice on the roads. The soles are made with a thick thermoplastic material and are anti-skid so they have great traction on any surface.
They’re pretty easy to put on because they open up wide, and then they close with velcro straps that wrap around the ankles. The main thing to remember is to pull the velcro straps tight. It might seem too tight because their fluff makes them look thicker, but remember how skinny their legs really are! They’re padded on the inside around where their ankles go so it won’t hurt when you pull them snug. Once I started putting them on tight enough, they haven’t fallen off once even when she has serious zoomies at the dog park!
When they start getting dirty, just throw them in the wash and air dry after. Even if they try, they won’t be able to fling these boots off. Polly’s always a little unsure for the first few steps when we put them on, but after that she’s totally fine. We actually think they make her feel more confident and fearless when she has these on in the winter. A bonus: the noise the boots make on the ground during a walk is the cutest thing ever.
I hope you liked these products, let me know how you like them if you try any of them out! Do you guys want me to do this again and feature more of our favorite products that we use? Let me know in the comments! In the meantime, shop all our favorite Amazon stuff here. Thanks for reading! Xo