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One of my most recent adventures I have taken on is fostering dogs. Each time I meet the new dog parents, they always ask for my gear recommendations. So I thought I’d put it on my blog this morning.
The Basics
Kennel – I like a kennel with two doors – so I have flexibility as to where to put it in my house. Our foster dog Max taught us to put a carabiner on the doors for dogs who are insistent on getting out. However, dogs that have had proper kennel training (and Max did learn, by the way) see this space as their space. It’s ideal for traveling – whether staying at an AirBnB or a friend’s house, it is awesome to tell them that you know your dog won’t destroy or damage anything while you are away.
Collar – We really liked this brand for dog collars with our last foster! We love the Martingale collars because they are designed for dogs to not be able to back out of them. Fosters (and dogs in a new environment in general) are likely to try to get out of their collar – and this prevents that.
Don’t forget a name tag with your phone number; mine just reads “I’m lost, call Mom xxx-xxx-xxxx”. This is perfect if you don’t know what name the pup will have after you adopt him/her!
An alternative would be a collar with the info engraved on the clip, like this one:
We are currently loving this leash – it’s comfortable to hold and at a reasonable price.
I really like these poop bags – I know, I know… no one wants to talk about that. But they are a must-have. And I really like to use this holder for them; this way they are handy on the leash and I don’t have to worry about having pockets.
Last essential: a Kong. We fill ours with any peanut butter (chunky or smooth) – just check for no xylitol in the ingredients – and put it in the freezer. Perfect to have ready when you need a break!
Above and beyond
Bed for kennel: Once you know the dog a bit better – specifically his/her chewing habits, you may think about adding a soft bed into their crate. We put a dog bed in Olly’s crate and all of a sudden he wants to be in there. The best way to test this is to start out with old bedding or towels that you don’t care about. If they don’t get shredded, then your dog likely won’t shred the bed either. 🙂
Dog bed – We have multiple dog beds throughout the house – one in each office, the living room, and our bedroom with us. Our pups seem to like the one we have with the bolster (or sides) more than just a flat bed. TJ Maxx has awesome dog beds (and toys) for really good prices, but here are some good options on Amazon:
Doo loop – These are awesome! Holds the poop bag so you don’t have to while you walk. But definitely an extra!
Dog Brush: The name brand for my favorite style of brush is the Furminator but I have this knockoff one and it works great!
Furbo: We love our Furbo dog camera and even bring it with us when we travel. So nice to be able to keep an eye on them!
Tell me in the comments what you can’t live without! Every dog and owner are different – so we all have different preferences 🙂
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