Category: Dog Products
We decided to get Mocha an Easy Brush
for his dental needs. And along with some Petrodex Enzymatic Toothpaste
, he seems to love it.
I apply a bit of toothpaste to the bristles of the Easy Brush, then set it down for him. He’ll generally lick most of the toothpaste off before getting down to business. Then it’s about five minutes of quiet chewing. Easy peasy one-two-threesy.
We’ve been using this for a couple of months now. While Mocha still likes to chew the Brush, he seems to be growing bored of it. I used to give it to him once every other day. Now I’m giving it to him once a week, hopefully to maintain some of the novelty of the Easy Brush.
We examined his teeth yesterday and they looked okay. There’s some tartar buildup in his back teeth despite a regime of Easy Brush, rawhide chews, dental chews, and rope bones. So we may need to brush using a dog toothbrush or finger brush one of these days. Otherwise, the Easy Brush seems to be doing a fair job.
P.S. I was dying to write, “And Mocha says, ‘I chew-chew-chews you, Easy Brush!’, but couldn’t find a good place to put it. So here it is. Heh.
We woke up this morning to a wet surprise. Mocha peed on the rug.
Since we’ve had him, he’s had only two indoor accidents: a poop in the bedroom and this pee in the hallway. We’re really thankful that’s all he’s had; we know how incredibly lucky we are to have rescued a dog that was already housebroken.
With that said, it always sucks to walk on wet pee.
So to clean the mess, I pulled out the highly-rated Fresh ‘n Clean Pet Odor & Stain Eliminator
and Bissell Spotlifter 2X Handheld Deep Cleaner. I found these items after a ton of research. Both worked as expected.
The Fresh ‘n Clean is good for cleaning the mess, removing the stain, and deodorizering the rug. We didn’t have much of a stain, but the deodorizer is really important. If your dog has urinated on your rug, he is more apt to urinate there again because he’ll detect delectable pee odors and regard that spot forever as The Bathroom.
And if you’re like me, you don’t want The Bathroom to be on your rug. You want it to be outside in the grass. Perhaps in your annoying neighbor’s grass.
After applying the Fresh ‘n Clean, the Bissell Spotlifter sucked up the soapy juices so we wouldn’t have a wet, moldy carpet. It’s reputed to be a great wet vac, although I didn’t think it was all that. It did a fair job though, after 20-30 passes or so. I had to push the vac into the rug to get at the deeper juices though.
And after that, the rug was nice & fresh again. No pee odors in this house!
After a month of trying the Gentle Leader Headcollar, we decided to try our luck with the Gentle Leader Easy Walk Black Harness instead. The headcollar was frustrating Mocha too much, with little evidence of acclimation. The Easy Walk Harness was much better.
As advertised, the harness slipped on to Mocha easily and without resistance. It was surprising how little he cared about it. He just stood there while we fumbled with the straps. The harness isn’t difficult to put on, though it may take a few tries at first.
During our walks, Mocha didn’t pull much at all. And when he did, the harness stopped his forward momentum. It was pretty awesome.
Letting him go potty was a bit tricky though. He sometimes likes to pace for a while before getting down to business. The harness seemed to distract him from his, er, duties (no pun intended). He even seems to be compensating in an odd manner – by walking diagonally as he’s searching for the golden spot. We were afraid the harness was going to teach him to walk diagonally indefinitely, but nah. He walks normally once the harness is off.
We also discovered a side benefit. Normally, the harness straps on such that the leash is attached to his chest. However, it’s possible to outfit the harness so the leash is at his back. That means this can double as a regular, non-training harness.
Why is that a benefit? When we take Mocha for our runs, a traditional neck collar chokes him. And the standard Easy Walk Harness configuration makes him run diagonally. But with this new arrangement, he’s able to run without restriction. It’s pretty cool.
Our Assessment
- The Gentle Leader Easy Walk harness is a great alternative to the headcollar, especially for Mocha.
- It actually works! Mocha’s pull has been cut down significantly on our walks.
- Flipping it around, the harness doubles as an effective way to run with Mocha.
Final Verdict
We’re impressed, even after a couple of weeks of use. I think we’ll be using the Easy Walk harness exclusively now. It’s a great product and I think even Mocha would highly recommend it, when he’s not walking diagonally to pee.
We got Mocha a Ruff Wear Approach Dog Pack
today, so he can carry his own stuff (water, food, treats, etc) on long walks and hikes. A friend suggested this product. I’ve also seen dog backpacks in general recommended by the Dog Whisperer too, as a means of exercise and giving your dog a sense of purpose (“I will carry this stuff; it is my duty!”). So since Cesar said so, it must be a good idea.
So far, we’re pleased. Mocha seems to like it. The backpack fit on him well and he didn’t fuss as we put it on. Perhaps because it felt like a harness, he acted like we were ready to take him out – see his tail wagging so fast it’s a blur? He’s looking at me and going, “C’mon Daddy, put down the damn camera and let’s go out!”
Each pouch has plenty of room for a water bottle, some dog food & treats, and a collapsible dog bowl. Each. Not to shabby, huh?
For the collapsible dog bowls, we purchased two Ruff Wear Quencher Dog Bowls
, one for food and one for water. They fold up nicely and look easy to wash.
The materials look & feel sturdy. They are waterproof and hopefully pee-proof – which is our one fear. The back bottom strap seems a bit close to Mocha’s, you know, deflated prune sack. We’re really hoping it doesn’t get soaked in pee.
We’ve been using the Gentle Leader Headcollar
on Mocha these last few days. (The photo above obviously isn’t Mocha.)
On a regular leash, he’s a locomotive – he’s crazy (loco) and always wants to be on the go (motive). In other words, he pulls so fricken hard that he hacks & chokes. A friend recommended the Gentle Leader headcollar because he had heard it worked well. The reviews online looked favorable too.
I’m not so sure Mocha agrees. With the headcollar on, he does follow obediently. But as soon as we stop moving, he goes into Ahh-spider-on-my-shoulder! mode. His paws are all over his face, desperately trying to pull it off. He is usually able to remove it too.
According to the instructional video, you can acclimate your dog to the headcollar by rubbing his muzzle and giving him treats. I’ve been trying that and it hasn’t helped yet. To be fair, we just started using it a few days ago.
The instructional video also explains that if your dog can remove the headcollar, it isn’t on tight enough. So I tightened it to the point where he can barely open his mouth – which the video warns against as well. Maybe Mocha has an oddly-shaped head or something, but it seems like tightening it doesn’t work, nor loosening it up.
After a few hours of returning home and relieving Mocha of the restraint, he suddenly goes nuts. He darts back and forth at top speed, like he’s chasing something or being chased. Like the vacuum cleaner has come alive and is chasing him, ready to suck away his doggie soul.
We this this crazy behavior is Mocha’s way of throwing a temper tantrum. He’s been doing this every night since using the headcollar. I guess he really, really hates it. So we’re going to stop using it for a while to see what happens.
Our Assessment
- While we are walking Mocha with the Gentle Leader headcollar on, it works like a charm. He follows obediently without playing the choking game to himself.
- As soon as we pause, he’s all paws, frantically trying to tear it off his face.
- Putting it on too loose means Mocha is able to tear it off. Putting it on too tight means Mocha can’t open his mouth.
- A few hours after removing it, Mocha throws a crazy temper tantrum.
Final Verdict
We’re still uncertain about the Gentle Leader headcollar. Perhaps Mocha’s head is shaped funny and this product just doesn’t fit him. Or perhaps I’m doing something wrong when I place it on. I dunno. After a few more days, we are going to continue the treats and muzzle rubs. If he still continues to act up after a month of training, I’ll give up on this product.
Rowr woof rowr! Woof woof woof. Bark woof woof. Woof woof woof. Woof woof woof. Woof woof woof. Rowr rowr rowr!
Translated from Dog:
Oh, how I love my FURminator
! Daddy used it on me today. At first, I was scared. But once he started combing it through my fur, I fell in love. The long strokes scratched all of my itches, unhooked the knots in my hair, and gave me a nice massage. I even fell asleep while Daddy was using it. Oh I love it so!
It’s amazing how quickly Mocha has begun warming up to us and his new home. Maybe it’s the medication wearing off. Maybe it’s all the love and attention he’s getting. Or maybe it’s his emancipation. Whatever it is, he’s already playing around like he’s been here forever.
Treats in a Kong work pretty well, it seems. Unfortunately, he seems to get frustrated once he’s gotten the easy stuff out, then leaves the Kong along.
He just loves this rope bone. Mocha will grab it and toss it around, then roll on the ground and hold it above his face with his front paws. The rope bone is soggy with doggie saliva by the time he’s done with it. Gross.
Lookit him, chillin’ like a villain with his new toys. Dawww.
