“Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens. Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens…these are a few of my favorite things.” This time of the year conjures up memories of this incredible song, which was, I’m assuming, the inspiration for Oprah Winfrey’s “Favorite Things” segment on her television show. In that spirit, I thought I would share with you, some of my dog related favorites for the holiday season. All of these items are available at Play All Day, for your shopping convenience.
- My FAVORITE of My Favorite Things is the incredible toy line “Fluff & Tuff”. These toys are so deceivingly sweet and cuddly, yet are the toughest I’ve found. I watch people pick them up in the retail shop, cuddle them, ooh and ahh over them, and then put them back on the shelf, saying “My dog would destroy that in 5 seconds”. After a little encouragement, they purchase one and come back a week later raving about how it has endured the wrath of their little Cujo. The secret is in the construction. They toys feel like stuffed toys without a lot of stuffing. The stuffing is the payoff when dogs destroy toys. When they finally do make a hole in a Fluff & Tuff and do not find the stuffing, their drive to eviscerate dissipates and they move on to just playing with it, rather than attempting to destroy it. My Davey is a master eviscerator and all of our Fluff & Tuffs are still intact, some over 18 months old. This is a great woman-led company with a great product. http://www.fluffandtuff.com/
- Next on the list of Favorites are a few products from Dog Gone Smart.
- The Dog Gone Smart rugs are fabulous for catching wet paws at the door. They are highly absorbent and wick the wet from your dog’s paws with a simple 5-second wait on the rug. A bonus of the rug is that dogs love to lay on them. They are preferred, sometimes over beds, as the place to hang out. And for those of you into dog training, the smaller rugs are a great “Go to your Place” mat, and are very portable.
- My new favorite thing this year is the Dog Gone Smart Shammy. The towel is made of the same great wicking material as the rugs, but come with a place to put your hands as you dry your dog. Cygnus is a very hairy 65# Golden Retriever with a dense coat. Towel drying him usually involves 2-3 towels. With just one shammy towel, he is drier than 2-3 normal towels. It is absolutely amazing. We are keeping one in our car at all times for those hikes when the creek is just too irresistible. Seriously, you must try this product. http://dgspetproducts.com/pages/dirty-dog-shammy
- We’ve all heard and know that rawhide chews just aren’t good for our dogs. But they love them so much. Is there a better alternative? Yep! Earth Animal No-Hide Chews. These are rawhide-like chews made from muscle meats and not hides. And dogs love them. Willow gives them 2-paws up. https://www.earthanimal.com/c/for-dogs/dog-treats/no-hide-dog-chews/
- My new favorite dog training treat is the Bixbi Pocket Trainers. When you are training, you want soft, small treats. And when you are training new behaviors that require a lot of repetition, you want really small treats. The Bixbi Pocket Trainers are small to begin with, but their softness allows you to break them into even smaller pieces, without crumbling. Love them for dog training! And if you are looking for smaller treats because you are watching your dog’s weight, this is a great option. http://shop.bixbipet.com/products/pocket-trainers?variant=971421817
- Dogs love a good chew that will last and last. For this, I love the Primal Raw Marrow Bones. Dogs love the little bits of meat and fat that are attached to the sides and getting the marrow from the bone will keep them occupied for quite a while. I use these bones as a special treat for times when my dog needs a distraction. I do not leave them out all the time. In between chews, I place in a baggie and put in the freezer. Disclaimers on high value, hard treats: High value treats such as marrow bones can cause fights in a multi-dog home. Supervise closely or better yet, separate while chewing. 2. Hard chews such as marrow bones, bully horns, and antlers can cause tooth damage in dogs that chew extra vigorously. Monitor your dog’s chewing with items like this.
- A few years ago my friend Mary bought my boys a new toy on the market called Tuggo toy. They loved it. But they don’t love it nearly as much as some other dogs I have seen. If you have a boisterous rough and tumble player that loves to tug and shake their toys, this is The One. It is tough and durable and irresistible to dogs who love rough and tumble play. https://tuggodogtoys.com/
- I have used Dog Tag Art I.D. tags for many years. They are a web-based company that makes unique I.D. tags. You can upload any image or picture and put it on your dog’s I.D. tag. They are fun, affordable, and durable. Love them! You can purchase a card in our store that will allow you to design and order your tag online. Shipping is included. You can save a little bit by buying cards from us rather than direct shopping on their site.
- Lastly, one of my very Favorite Things during the holiday season is the TAPS Angel Tree. Play All Day will have a tree again this year. The tree will have ornaments that have a picture of a TAPS dog or cat, and a shopping list for that dog/cat. Once you shop for your dog/cat, you can bring your goods to Play All Day and we will get them to TAPS in time for the holidays. Thanks to the generosity of some of our vendors this year, we will have another way for you to give to TAPS. Donated items will be placed into shopping bags. You can buy the bags and the contents will be donated to TAPS dogs and cats. And 100% of the purchase price will be donated to TAPS. A win/win for sure.
I hope you have enjoyed this post about My Favorite Things and possibly gained some shopping ideas for that special pet in your life.
