Extreme Kong

This is, without a doubt, the very best toy we've ever given Puddy. He chews the stuffing out of everything else, and he can't make a dent in the Extreme Kong. Because it's made of hard rubber, it's really bouncy. Because of its unusual shape, it bounces crazily. And because of Puddy's nature, it drives him crazy. He can't get enough of the thing, pouncing on it, tossing it, skittering around the house with it, and when he lays down to really give it a workout, he can't inflict any damage on it. Put a little treat inside of it, and you've got an hour or two's entertainment to look forward to. You've got to try it.

Petsafe Classic Pet Door

Puddy sleeps A LOT. He needs to, because when he's awake, he's a lunatic. He races around the house, knocking over plants, terrorizing the cat, sending blankets flying on the beds, careening into furniture, skidding across tile and wood floors, and so forth. And when he takes a moment to look out the window, he invariably sees something to which he must address himself NOW. At this point, he launches himself off whatever piece of furniture on which he's been perched, and sprints for the door, skidding to a stop a little too late to avoid crashing into it. But we changed all that last week with the introduction of a Petsafe Classic Pet Door. Now, Puddy's not terribly bright and it took him awhile to get the point. He'd still keep skidding to a stop at the door, not realizing that the new pet door allows him to go right through. We had to physically introduce him to the concept, over and over. But then something clicked and he now jets through that thing like a hot knife through butter. Woe be to the unfortunate soul standing just outside at one of these moments - they haven't a chance.

Nutro Natural Choice Tartar Control

I may have mentioned before that our lab, Puddy, has horrible, absolutely intolerably bad breath. We've tried a lot of different things, including the aforementioned Greenies Smart Biscuits, and we think we've got a handle on things. But adding these Nutro Tartar Control biscuits to the mix has really helped. We give him a couple over the course of a day and we've found that they, taken together with the Greenies biscuits, are equal to the considerable challenge of keeping Puddy's breath in check.

Gentle Leader Head Collar

Our Puddy is a gigantic beast of a lab, and he really pulls when we head out on walks. He's very good natured, but he's got a lot of energy, a lot of strength, and he's not shy about laying into a lead when we're attempting a leisurely stroll. Generally, I have to let my husband manage him because after a while, it's exhausting. But all this has changed with the introduction of the "Gentle Leader" to our regimen. While this does go around the his snout, it's not really a "muzzle" - and the pressure is applied to the back of the neck instead of the front of the throat. This is quite a bit more humane, and the psychological effect on Puddy is to ratchet back his pulling quite a bit.

Greenies Smart Biscuit

These things are WONDERFUL. They contain eucalyptus oil and chlorophyll, and as a result, they freshen pooch's breath with every chew. Before we gave these to Puddy, his breath was, well, let's just say that it was a little rough being up close with him. Quite rough, in fact. I don't know if he was getting into something in the yard, or if he had some sort of genetic predisposition, but his breath was bad enough to clear a room. Then, our vet recommended that we check out these biscuits, and they've made all the difference. Greenies Smart Biscuits are a little on the expensive side, but if you've ever had a problem pooch like Puddy, you'll consider it money well spent.