Social distancing may be hard on us, but our beloved pets have never had it better. My dogs, Avery and Sophie, are truly loving life right now. So for my fellow pet owners, I thought I would share a few of Avery and Sophie’s favorite things.
Sophie (left) and Avery are my shadows. They follow me throughout the house like baby ducklings. Sophie, who was Kyle’s dog, is 11. Avery is. almost five, and is as much of a puppy today as the day that I brought her home. But keeping them entertained during the workday can be a challenge.
My friend, Virginia, bought me this Treat Dispensing Ball when Avery was a pup and it is a lifesaver. I fill it with Zuke’s mini-treats and it will keep her occupied for at least a short conference call. This Idepet Treat Teaser ball is another good option that makes less noise on hardwood floors.
This tree filled with small squirrels is another great toy that keeps Avery busy. She’ll spend an afternoon pulling out each squirrel, or just dragging the tree stump around. It’s the only toy that I’ve ever needed to replace from use.
Avery and Sophie love their monthly Bark Box. I splurged on it to help a friend who earned a commission from new subscriptions, and I have never looked back. The treats are great, the themed-toys are really fun, and it’s adorable how excited the dogs get when the box arrives. The Bark Box dumpling toy is one of Avery’s favorites as well.
Walking two dogs at once can be a challenge, especially when those two dogs have very different opinions about the purpose of a walk. A hydra attachment let’s me put two dogs on one leash while giving them both their own space. I like this one from Mighty Paw because it doesn’t tangle.
Avery and Sophie don’t care what poo bags I use on our walks, but these ones from Earth Rated are the best. They’re made from recycled materials, and they never leak. Which, I discovered during a trip to the dog park, is very, very important.
Sophie has one great love, tennis balls. She used to carry a full-size tennis ball around all day in her tiny jaws. Luckily, I found these appropriately sized 1.5″ tennis balls for her. I call them her pacifiers. If she has one, she’s just so much more relaxed. You can usually find them piled on her bed with her lying on top of them, just like a dragon with an egg.
As for how to store all of these dog toys, I keep them organized in a Goodpick Cotton Rope basket. It’s soft-sided, so Avery can pull it over to go looking for toys. And it’s deep enough to hold all of her stuffed toys and other assorted playthings. Plus, it looks stylish enough to have sitting out.
If you have pets and have some product recommendations or other tips to share, please leave them in the comments.
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The link for the basket is going to small tennis balls. I’m interested in the basket.
Apologies. Here is the correct link. https://amzn.to/3b8m7NY
What a cute picture of the pups.
The link for the treat ball goes to the wrong site as well.
Sorry guys, it was a 2:00AM blogging session. https://shopstyle.it/l/bfTbw
My 8yo terrier mixes love the treat ball and the squirrel toys, too!
Our pup loves all of those toys! The only thing better than the regular treat call is the weighted treat ball—it doesn’t roll under the couch! We fill it with small pieces of hotdog and she is occupied for 30 min.
https://www.chewy.com/starmark-treat-dispensing-bob-lot-dog/dp/45492
I’m very intrigued by the squirrels…thanks for the rec for the pups! How is Sophie doing? I remember you saying she wasn’t well last year. She and Avery are so cute together!
We’ve kept up with her prescriptions, but she is slowly getting worse. We’re hoping for one more good summer. Thank you for asking.
Aww, sweet girl. Sorry to hear it Abra. It looks like she’s living a great life and will love the time she has with you. It’s so hard having a sick pup, and it’s good to have short term goals. Maybe she’ll surprise you! We recently lost a family dog that was 14, but she had health complications for the last 7-8 years. She lived a great life even with the setbacks and surprised us all. Regardless, she has a great home and family who loves takes care of her. That’s the best we can do!
Chiming in here to also wish you and the pups the best! Life in all stages is intrinsically valuable – we are lucky to have time we do with the animals who mean so much to us.
My dog has some toys from westpaw. She especially loves her tizzi. They are very durable (she’s a chewer) and the company will replace them if they do get destroyed. They’re made in the US! She also has a stuffed bunny from Go Dog that she carries around. When we’re outside she loves to chase tennis balls and I have a Chuck-it so my hands don’t get all slimy.
Your dogs are absolutely adorable!
Here for this post!!
Just here to say that for more aggressive chewers I’ve tried both Bullymake and Kong box for similar subscription toys/treats and they’re both fantastic for my staffy/boxer/bulldog mix!! Also the Babble ball for outdoor playtime has been hilariously entertaining. Lastly, Himalayan chews are a GODSEND to keep pups entertained for hours.