training supplies
Looking for supplies for your dog, but not sure what to get?
Here are my favorites of everything!
Supplies by category
Training treats
High value:
Sprankles: https://amzn.to/3Mpe9no
Why I love it: perfect size already for training, holds their shape well, dogs love them
Steve’s Real Food: https://amzn.to/3Mpe9no
Why I love it: treats hold their shape well, are nutritionally balanced, break easily, and dogs love them
Stella & Chewy’s Meal Mixers: https://amzn.to/3Mpe9no
Why I love it: treats hold their shape well, are nutritionally balanced, break easily, and dogs love them
Medium or high value:
Real Meat treats: https://amzn.to/3SShDAV
Why I love it: treats are moist, are nutritionally balanced, break easily, and dogs love them
Ziwi Peak treats: https://amzn.to/3g0naXR
Why I love it: treats are small so the bag lasts a long time, are nutritionally balanced, and dogs love them
Leashes/harnesses/collars
Harnesses:
Hurtta casual y-front harness: https://amzn.to/3JKIA7m
Why I love it: fits most dogs comfortably, lightweight, easiest to put on
Ruffwear Front Range harness: https://amzn.to/3AzpjC1
Why I love it: fits most dogs comfortably, extremely durable, great colors, has both a front clip and a back clip, easy to put on
Collars:
Ruffwear signature collar: https://amzn.to/3ap2XbC
Why I love it: extremely durable, great colors, reliable brand, easy to wash, easy to adjust, quick release buckle
Biothane collar: https://amzn.to/3c1abTE
Why I love it: no stink, great colors, reflective
Fancy leather collars: https://pacocollars.com/
Why I love it: lifetime guarantee, extremely durable, very pretty designs
Light up collar (for night visibility, no leash attachment): https://amzn.to/43bo1I8
Why I love it: very bright, rechargeable, cut to fit any dog
Leashes:
Nylon long line: https://amzn.to/3PcmgUo
Why I love it: lightweight, comes in fun colors and many lengths
Biothane long line: https://amzn.to/3NUuteT
Why I love it: no stink, doesn’t get muddy or soggy, doesn’t pick up stickers or plant debris
Edible chews
Short term (more interesting, but lasting 60 mins or less):
Bully sticks: https://amzn.to/3NUTJSe
Why I love it: fully digestible, single ingredient, good for teeth and gums, comes in many sizes
Beef cheek roll: https://amzn.to/3DrHiKv
Why I love it: fully digestible, single ingredient, good for teeth and gums, very very long lasting
Beef trachea: https://amzn.to/3RlaFUW
Why I love it: fully digestible, single ingredient, good for teeth and gums, comes in many sizes, less expensive than bully sticks, can be stuffed and frozen
Long term (less interesting, but lasting 60 mins or more):
Water buffalo horn: https://amzn.to/3anQHbz
Why I love it: extremely long lasting, helps clean teeth, can be stuffed and frozen
Himalayan yak chew: https://amzn.to/44b431u
Why I love it: extremely long lasting, smells good
Puzzles and activities
Brain toys:
Orbee Tuff Snoop: https://amzn.to/3PkC4Vf
Why I love it: comes in a small and large size, easy to clean, quiet, difficulty level can be adjusted
Bob-a-lot: https://amzn.to/3RknTBl
Why I love it: adjustable skill level, movement keeps dogs interested
Stuffables:
West Paw Toppl: https://amzn.to/3avr0ph
Why I love it: comes in a small and large size, easy to clean, quiet, can be stuffed with a wide variety of ingredients, easier to solve than a Kong
Kong: https://amzn.to/3PcRRW3
Why I love it: less expensive than a Toppl, quiet, comes in MANY sizes and strengths, can be used for stuffing or as a fetch toy
Stuffing options:
The Honest Kitchen dehydrated: https://amzn.to/3uDzSQN
Why I love it: many flavor options, dehydrated so takes less counter space than cans, dogs love it, very long shelf life
Nulo canned food: https://amzn.to/3fONPqk
Why I love it: many flavor options, very moist and flavorful, can be mixed with water to change texture, pate texture is easy to work with
Grooming supplies
Nail care for all dogs:
Miller’s Forge clippers: https://amzn.to/3jRoTRa
Why I love it: super sharp, cuts nails on tiny dogs to giant dogs like butter, inexpensive
Dremel 7300: https://amzn.to/3IqmaIC
Why I love it: adjustable speeds, relatively quiet, inexpensive
Medium to long rough coats:
Examples of coat type: Australian Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Bernese Mountain Dog, Great Pyrenees
Greyhound comb: https://amzn.to/3GjOZUv
What to do: use this to line comb, which helps release dead coat, reduce shedding in the house, and prevent impaction
Kong zoom groom: https://amzn.to/3i6Zp1O
What to do: rub on your dog’s fur in circles, as well as “brushing” like normal. Helps release loose/dead coat
Pin brush: https://amzn.to/3X6otEN
What to do: use this over the whole body, especially on longer areas of the coat, to catch and remove shed fur
Isle of Dogs volume shampoo: https://amzn.to/3VN7LcD
What to do: helps medium to long coats look shiny and luxurious, and smell/feel clean for weeks
Brush coats and longer smooth coats:
Examples of coat type: Siberian Huskies, Shiba Inus, Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds
Kong zoom groom: https://amzn.to/3i6Zp1O
What to do: rub on your dog’s fur in circles, as well as “brushing” like normal. Helps release loose/dead coat
Curly low- or non-shed coats:
Examples of coat type: Poodles, Portuguese Water Dogs, Doodles
What to do: placeholder
Book resources
Books for all dogs:
The Other End of the Leash: https://amzn.to/3WVWicd
Why I love it: easy to read, personable way to understand why our dogs feel the way they do
The Culture Clash: https://amzn.to/3IhWvlc
Why I love it: great breakdown of why miscommunications happen between humans and dogs, and how to communicate and understand your dog more clearly
Don’t Shoot the Dog: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1860542387/
Why I love it: very clear system for determining the best approach to solving any behavior problem
Control Unleashed: https://amzn.to/3Gc0qNT
Why I love it: full of excellent games and training exercises to teach your dog to focus on you no matter what
Puppy-specific:
The Puppy Primer: https://amzn.to/3VI7JT4
Why I love it: this is the how-to manual that I wish came with every puppy! Makes the process of raising a puppy clear, predictable, and easy
Social, Civil, and Savvy: https://amzn.to/3G3hqG4
Why I love it: socialization is one of the easiest things to miss with puppies… but the most important things to having a well adjusted adult dog! This book makes the socialization process a breeze
Fearful dogs:
The Cautious Canine: https://amzn.to/3IiSjlt
Why I love it: breaks down fear in dogs and how to address it
Reactive dogs:
Fired Up, Frantic, and Freaked Out: https://amzn.to/3vxDC6l
Why I love it: excellent guide to what reactivity is, what your dog is feeling, and how to change those feelings
Control Unleashed – Reactive to Relaxed: https://amzn.to/3vxDC6l
Why I love it: clear guide to getting a calmer, more focused dog around triggers
Supplies by dog
New puppy essentials
Training treats for puppies:
Sprankles: https://amzn.to/3Mpe9no
Why I love it: perfect size already for training, holds their shape well, dogs love them
Wellness Soft Puppy Bites: https://amzn.to/3CcYZxs
Why I love it: soft texture is easy to chew, tears easily into different sizes depending on the size of your puppy
Stella & Chewy’s Meal Mixers: https://amzn.to/3Mpe9no
Why I love it: can be torn into smaller sizes easily (especially the beef, chicken, and duck flavors), are nutritionally balanced, break easily, and dogs love them
Ziwi Peak treats: https://amzn.to/3g0naXR
Why I love it: treats are small so great puppy size, are nutritionally balanced, and break easily into smaller sizes
Tug toys for puppies:
Floppy fleece: https://amzn.to/3VGmm9r
Why I love it: lots of exciting floppy bits for puppies to bite, bungee to provide fun feedback for pups while tugging
Real fur: https://amzn.to/3WRe0wU
Why I love it: real fur smells and looks enticing to puppies and gives a good outlet for prey drive, bungee to provide fun feedback for pups while tugging
Fake fur: https://amzn.to/3G40b7z
Why I love it: fake fur looks enticing to puppies and gives a good outlet for prey drive, bungee to provide fun feedback for pups while tugging
Keep your puppy busy:
West Paw Toppl: https://amzn.to/3avr0ph
Why I love it: comes in multiple sizes, easy enough for puppies to solve with minimal frustration
Kong: https://amzn.to/3PcRRW3
Why I love it: less expensive than a Toppl, quiet, comes in MANY sizes and strengths, can be used for stuffing or as a fetch toy
Nap time success:
2 door crate: https://amzn.to/3vegslh
Why I love it: wire crates are easy to fold and transport when needed, and come with a divider to expand space as your puppy grows. Two doors can make room configurations easier, plus can help make training go faster
Exercise pen (xpen): https://amzn.to/3WDqRmg
Why I love it: xpens provide more space than crates, which is great for when you want your puppy contained but they aren’t ready for a nap. Can be used as a pen, or as a way to block off rooms/areas of the house
Edible chews:
Bully sticks: https://amzn.to/3NUTJSe
Why I love it: fully digestible, single ingredient, good for teeth and gums, comes in many sizes
Beef cheek roll: https://amzn.to/3DrHiKv
Why I love it: fully digestible, single ingredient, good for teeth and gums, very very long lasting
No hide sticks: https://amzn.to/3HY69JN
Why I love it: puppy sized, super tasty, easy to chew. Appropriate for puppies under 20 lbs
Books:
The Puppy Primer: https://amzn.to/3VI7JT4
Why I love it: this is the how-to manual that I wish came with every puppy! Makes the process of raising a puppy clear, predictable, and easy
Social, Civil, and Savvy: https://amzn.to/3G3hqG4
Why I love it: socialization is one of the easiest things to miss with puppies… but the most important things to having a well adjusted adult dog! This book makes the socialization process a breeze
Control Unleashed – Puppy Version: https://amzn.to/3GBla3c
Why I love it: easy puppy-friendly exercises to make focusing and listening around distractions a breeze
Power chewers & destructo dogs
Tug toys:
West Paw Bumi: https://amzn.to/3hXw9Kv
Why I love it: durable, has some spring to cushion during tug
Kong tug: https://amzn.to/3VuUncS
Why I love it: durable, inexpensive
Edible chews:
Beef cheek roll: https://amzn.to/3DrHiKv
Why I love it: fully digestible, single ingredient, good for teeth and gums, very very long lasting
Water buffalo horn: https://amzn.to/3anQHbz
Why I love it: extremely long lasting, helps clean teeth, can be stuffed and frozen
Stuffable toys:
Black Kong: https://amzn.to/3PY3VMy
Why I love it: more durable than a standard kong, comes in many sizes, can use as a fetch toy or fill with canned food and freeze for entertainment
West Paw Tux: https://amzn.to/3HZCTSZ
Why I love it: more durable than the WP Toppl but still can be stuffed and frozen for a long lasting treat
West Paw Qwizl: https://amzn.to/3Wtmg6s
Why I love it: more durable than the WP Toppl but still can be stuffed and frozen for a long lasting treat
Reactive rovers
High value snacks:
Steve’s Real Food: https://amzn.to/3Mpe9no
Why I love it: treats hold their shape well, are nutritionally balanced, break easily, and dogs love them
Stella & Chewy’s Meal Mixers: https://amzn.to/3Mpe9no
Why I love it: treats hold their shape well, are nutritionally balanced, break easily, and dogs love them
Treat pouches:
My favorite pouch: https://muttruk.com/products/pennychangertreatpouch
Why I love it: can clip onto pants or use the included waist strap. Has side by side pockets for different treat values. Holds a lot of food, plus poop bags. Internal liner for food zips out for easy cleaning. Design is the most comfortable and durable of any treat pouch I’ve used.
Smaller pouch: https://amzn.to/3hRKKHm
Why I love it: clips onto waistband or threads through a belt, lightweight, magnetic closure for easy access while keeping prying noses out, won’t pull down sweatpants/yoga pants
Larger pouch: https://amzn.to/3WZHQQ3
Why I love it: clips onto waistband or threads through a belt, magnetic closure for easy access while keeping prying noses out, can hold keys and poop bags plus tons of treats
Comfortable harnesses:
Ruffwear Front Range harness: https://amzn.to/3AzpjC1
Why I love it: fits most dogs comfortably, extremely durable, great colors, has both a front clip and a back clip, easy to put on
Ruffwear Webmaster harness: https://amzn.to/3hJCN7m
Why I love it: fits most dogs comfortably, extremely durable, difficult to escape, handle on the back for extra control
Training props:
Fake dog: https://amzn.to/3i2Dski
Why I love it: a handy trigger dog that can be set up anywhere, won’t do anything unexpected, and has a perfect stay
Books:
Fired Up, Frantic, and Freaked Out: https://amzn.to/3vxDC6l
Why I love it: excellent guide to what reactivity is, what your dog is feeling, and how to change those feelings
Control Unleashed – Reactive to Relaxed: https://amzn.to/3vxDC6l
Why I love it: clear guide to getting a calmer, more focused dog around triggers