Dog Gear

A small local dog collar company based in Vermont. We love their collars and harnesses.

No jingle, no jangle, no dingle, no dangle. A quiet way to fit all of my contact info on Nico’s collar that won’t get caught on anything or fall off. I highly recommend these.

This is a wonderful e-collar that has 127 levels of stimulation plus a strong vibration. The stimulation is subtle allowing for low-level conditioning and boost mode offers a quick way to give a correction. The e-collar has given Nico so much off-leash freedom.

I often refer to this as the “good boy” pouch. Nico knows when I have it on and recognizes when I reach for a treat. It practically lives on my hip. I like the magnetic snap closure and poop bag storage.

I’ve used Ruffwear gear with my dogs for over a decade. This is my favorite everyday harness. It has attachment points at the front and between the shoulders. The front attachment can help with pulling while on a leash.

We don’t have a photo of it on him but this has been my go-to leash for over a decade. Instead of putting it around my waist I put it over my shoulder. This keeps the lead free of Nico’s feet and lets me walk without having to hold onto the leash.

This bed is kept in Shelly’s office for Nico to nap on while she works. He loves to snuggle into it. The bed is high and fluffy allowing him to bury himself into it.

There’s no hiding it, Nico has sticky breath, even despite regular brushing. Our hopes were high for a dental chew, but these have freshened Nico’s breath right up. We give one a day after dinner, and the days of horrible dog breath are now behind us.

Most dog crates are ugly, this one looks like a nice piece of furniture. The solid top creates a stable shelf to display or store items on.

Playing tug with your dog is a great way to bond and can be used as a reward when training. This tug toy is super tough, ensuring it will last through many tug sessions.

There are lots of different versions of dog training dummies out there. I don’t recommend a specific one but these are great for fetching, jumping, tugging, etc. They are also very durable.

Just big enough for kicking and throwing, but also hard enough to pick up that its hilarious watching Nico try to grab it.

Benebone’s are Nico’s favorite hard chew toy. We’ve tried other things like Nylabone’s or antlers, some he likes more, others less, but these are the perfect balance between safety and his desire to chew. We find the Zaggler lasts longer than the other versions.

Free and they provide hydration! What better combination could you ask for. Plus, they magically disappear when they hit a snow covered surface providing minutes of entertainment with each throw.

These are relatively durable stuffed squeak toys. Nico likes to gnaw tails and tags off so we typically cut them off before letting him play with them.

Sorry, this one isn’t for sale and is one of a kind. But a good dog friend to romp around with is worth their weight in gold.

A rubber dog bone that floats. We typically use this for playing fetch in the water.

These are very durable squeaky toys that don’t have any stuffing inside. They are tough enough to tug and lightly chew on.

This is how we figured out what type of mutt Nico is. We also connected with two of his siblings because their rescue family tested one of them. We subsequently connected with his mother through his siblings. This is more than worth it if you rescued a dog and want to know what breed they are.

Nico has thin fur, so staying warm during Adirondack winters can be challenging. This jacket has plenty of insulation and keeps him nice and toasty on chilly winter days.

Skijoring is a great way to enjoy the outdoors with your dog. It burns off tons of their energy while keeping you on your toes!

Nico loves going out on the stand-up paddleboard. The Red Paddle Co boards are some of the best inflatable boards you can buy. They inflate to higher PSI than other boards, making them more rigid and efficient in the water.

These are absolutely the best dog life jackets you can find. They have floatation around the sides and under the torso, as well as under the neck strap. Life jackets with flotation only on the back will do nothing for a dog that is in distress in the water.

I cut this sleeping pad down into two pieces; one for me to sit on when out hiking and another that is just the right size for Nico to lay out. It is a great piece of gear to have around camp.

An e-collar isn’t for everyone or every dog but it allows us to safely bring Nico to many places. We primarily use the vibrate function for recall purposes. It has a long-range, good battery life, and the lights are great when walking at night or camping.