Dog related products reviews and links?

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Nordis
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Joined: Mon Nov 12, 2012 4:04 pm
Tell us about yourself: Hello everyone!

I enjoy my online anonymity. I'm open about most everything though many parts of my private life I prefer to keep private. If I’ve not offered particular areas of information it’s usually because I don’t feel it’s relevant to the situation. I tend to quietly monitor and observe, offering input when I feel I have something important to share and if I feel strongly about something. I don’t hesitate to ask questions if I don’t understand something, regardless of how it may appear to others that I might be a simpleton. Once I get started talking though, I tend to talk a lot, so you've been warned about that!

Please do not take this as anything more than what it is, a desire for privacy. I am not intending to offend or be rude.

Much Peace to all of you, naked and furry.
Location: Currently stationed on planet Earth, Sol system.

Dog related products reviews and links?

Post by Nordis »

Hello all,

I'd like to say thanks for this forum and the wonderful people here, as well as their human companions!

I'm not sure how this will go, so I figured I'd just make the suggestion and see what happens.

I'm wondering what the thoughts on a specific section in the forum for dog related product reviews, recommendations, and links might be.

Rorhin and I are now working together as a service team and so I've been doing a lot of research on vests and dog backpack/harness combos. There are a lot of reviews out there and it's so confusing. It seems like almost every product I look at will have reviews ranging from falling apart in the first half hour to having lasted another person for six years! A few look good but have no reviews I can find at all. Eventually I'm left frustrated and I close the windows down and wait a few days before starting it all over. Each time I keep thinking maybe I should post here to see if any forum members have suggestions on a well made backpack and harness.

At one point in my searching I stumbled onto a site that one person has done comparing many different backpacks, and her info was very helpful and non biased. Reading through it I kept thinking it would be nice to share the link to her research with other people who may be looking like I am. This section I'm suggesting would be where I would post that link.

Wandering about the forum, I just came across:
alspyce wrote:Nice pup! If he likes to chew on toys, I suggest the Goughnut Ring - Maxx - Black - Extreme.
http://www.dogsgonuts.com/products.asp?cat=10

Lyric has been chewing hers for 1 1/2 years now! (Her favorite toy) They are a bit expensive, but if your dog ever chews through it the company replaces it free.
and I'd really like to thank Chris/Alspyce for posting that! Considering Rorhin will chew through a $9 toy in about 45 minutes, the dogsgonuts products are looking really good! And it seems like a great company that is standing behind their product. If it weren't for this forum, Rorhin may have gone a lot longer without a fun toy to chew and chew and chew... and chew and chew... (Thanks again Chris! That's going to save me a lot of money!)

I've come across a few other posts here in the past that have some links to different sites with different products as well, and I think having these consolidated in one place would be really helpful to people here. I can see it would be a great place for any dog related products that the experienced people could share. Everything dog related that we may be looking for; signs for dogs living at this house, toys, beds, crates, hiking and outdoors things, safety equipment, and all the work related categories of course!

I can see that this may cause a bit more work to keep product suppliers wanting to sell their wares in the Buy, Sell, Trade thread. To clarify, what I'm suggesting is a place for consumers to say, "Hey, I got this. It's a great product. It serves our (the forum members) specific needs!"

As to if you want to include breeders in this category, well, I'll leave that whole thing to your decision. Though I can say my search for a puppy and wanting to know if anyone had opinions on a specific breeder is why I joined the forum in the first place. Which leads to the thought that a breeder section would be a great place to have another posting for North American Dutch Shepherd Rescue as well. If breeders are included in a consumer reviews area, I'd like to suggest they be separate from products.

And wow, now in my mind it's getting really complicated! The working categories have so much stuff, I can see that my hunt for a durable harness and back pack combo might be the needle in the haystack of potential stuff! And that means nose work, and on a computer that's really hard, even for a DS! It's now kind of turned into a whole set of subsections in a product reviews section. Sorry if I just made a bunch of work for you! Or maybe when a member decides to post something in this section then it could be made into a subsection if it's a new category of product? Easy out is to say no!

So just a thought! Hope you are all well!

Much Peace.
Nordis & Rorhin!
Honoring my brothers in fur, passed and present.

“I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive.” ~ Gilda Radner
leih merigian
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Tell us about yourself: Had a GSD, am getting a DS puppy in a few weeks. Compete in agility, obedience, and cross train in tons of stuff. Found out about this site from the DS Rescue yahoo list.

Re: Dog related products reviews and links?

Post by leih merigian »

I think one general section for any kind of product review is a great idea. I don't think it would need a lot of subsections. Then again, there's always the search function :mrgreen: . If you enter "backpack" or "harness" or "toys," you'll end up with all the posts that mention those things. But, I guess, if there were a section, then that may spark folks to even think of posting about things like that.

I don't think it would be much use for breeder recommendations, tho, with the exception of the absolutely horrid kennels that everyone agrees on. There's too much political crap going on in most forums for those who have anything but positive opinions to say so. JMO :mrgreen:
leih merigian
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johninny
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Tell us about yourself: DS and Mal foster newly approved aug'12 by NADSR and ABMCR. high-functioning Autistic in nyc/hamptons in my 60's. Rescued the smartest dog i had ever seen off nyc street in 2000. Tracedog's intelligence exceeded by multiples my judgement that day. My first [and only as of 10/2012] dog turned out to be a DS, perhaps with a touch of something else, but attention to detail, behavioral traits, and physical habits, movement, and skill identical to DS. But MUCH more intellectual ability. supremely confident in all settings, fearless, very outgoing and social with people and friendly with dogs. Seldom apart in over 12 years, Trace Dog was the most important relationship of my adult life; he was my partner. He died july17,2012. i am dying without him. www.youtube.com/tracesobaka www.dogster.com/dogs/637612
Location: NH/hamptons/nyc

Re: Dog related products reviews and links?

Post by johninny »

I like the idea too. it is such a good idea because we all know there are some great, knowledgeable, and/or conscientious people on this site [ i.e., we get to know who's who ] so relating of things found helpful in day-to-day life means something. it is true, as Leih points out, that it happens already and it probably would continue to happen in a distributed way [ in various conversations going on elsewhere as now], but a separate category might get things re-posted to it and would encourage simple posting of 'new-finds' where someone does not necessarily want to start a whole thread of conversation - thus references to things that might not have appeared in other natural conversations.
John & DS rscus TRACE DOG,99-12; fstr7yoCain,8-9/12; Xander(3/12)11/12-2/13; SAKIMA (b.4/12)from11/12; TxXANDER (b.2/13)from5/13; direct from CherCar: TRACER (b.5/4/13). http://www.youtube.com/sakimadoggy http://www.youtube.com/tracesobaka
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LyonsFamily
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Elli 5 years
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Re: Dog related products reviews and links?

Post by LyonsFamily »

I think this would be a great idea because there are so many products that a DS will use differently anyway. I've had so many people recommend "indestructible" toys that Odin destroys faster than a bowl of food. Even though I say he's an aggressive chewer, they must picture a beagle or something.
Stephanie
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'Elli' Drawing Our Own Constellations RL1 CGC CGCA
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icvanstra
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Re: Dog related products reviews and links?

Post by icvanstra »

Thanks for the idea. It is on my to-do list the next time I have a chance to make major updates to the board.
Eric
  • - Cino vom Foxtal
    - Abigail NORML de Weijer (over the bridge)
    - Hannah the DS wanna be (over the bridge)
johninny
Working Dog
Posts: 1326
Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2012 6:22 am
Tell us about yourself: DS and Mal foster newly approved aug'12 by NADSR and ABMCR. high-functioning Autistic in nyc/hamptons in my 60's. Rescued the smartest dog i had ever seen off nyc street in 2000. Tracedog's intelligence exceeded by multiples my judgement that day. My first [and only as of 10/2012] dog turned out to be a DS, perhaps with a touch of something else, but attention to detail, behavioral traits, and physical habits, movement, and skill identical to DS. But MUCH more intellectual ability. supremely confident in all settings, fearless, very outgoing and social with people and friendly with dogs. Seldom apart in over 12 years, Trace Dog was the most important relationship of my adult life; he was my partner. He died july17,2012. i am dying without him. www.youtube.com/tracesobaka www.dogster.com/dogs/637612
Location: NH/hamptons/nyc

Re: Dog related products reviews and links?

Post by johninny »

thank you; so nice of you. and, BTW, this is an amazing place you have created. I am not a participatory sort of person and would never have believed a site/forum on any topic would be so engaging, valuable and worthwhile that it would get me really involved.
John & DS rscus TRACE DOG,99-12; fstr7yoCain,8-9/12; Xander(3/12)11/12-2/13; SAKIMA (b.4/12)from11/12; TxXANDER (b.2/13)from5/13; direct from CherCar: TRACER (b.5/4/13). http://www.youtube.com/sakimadoggy http://www.youtube.com/tracesobaka
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anniewang83
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Tell us about yourself: Annie & Nick, first time owners of a dutch shepherd, named Amber, rescue from North American Dutch Shepherd Rescue (NADSR), fostered and trained by Kim Futch. Amber's favorite things to do are eating, chasing balls, chasing frisbees and napping with us in bed.
Location: New York City

Re: Dog related products reviews and links?

Post by anniewang83 »

Since you asked, here are two AWESOME products, in my opinion.

Amber uses the Ruff Wear Palisades dog backpack. She's uses the medium. Amazing backpack. Super well designed and comfortable for her. The backpack detaches from the harness so it's easy to load and unload. The backpack also includes two 1L water bladders. Now she carries everything (balls, tug, frisbees, our gloves) to the dog park and carries them back. She loves to carry the stuff because it gives her a sense of purpose. When we get to the park, we simply detach the bags from the harness and she runs around and does her exercises and training in her harness, which doesn't constrict her at all. She also looks super tactical in her harness. I'm slowly increasing the weight and pretty soon she'll be able to carry my groceries too. We look forward to hiking and camping with her when the weather gets a little warmer.
http://www.ruffwear.com/Palisades-Pack_2

The other product I'm in love with in the Booda Tail Spin Flyer frisbee. We've been experimenting with several types of frisbees and our favorite is the Booda Tail Spin Flyer, 10 inch. it's soft, light, flies very far and easy for the dog to pick up. We played with Amber so much that her mouth would bleed (from catching the hard frisbees) and we felt very bad about it, so we searched far and wide for a soft frisbee that flies very well. It's also extremely durable and flies well even in the wind. We bought two frisbees so that as soon as she returns with the first frisbee, we give her the "out" command and she drops the first frisbee to catch the second frisbee. We almost always play "two frisbee" with her so she never has a chance to chew on the frisbees. But we did play at a dog park once, and some other dogs caught the frisbee by accident, and even their chewing (though brief) did no damge.
http://www.amazon.com/Tail-Spin-Flyer-F ... spin+flyer
Nick & Annie (humans)
Amber (Dutchie)
currently living in New York City
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anniewang83
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Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2012 6:03 am
Tell us about yourself: Annie & Nick, first time owners of a dutch shepherd, named Amber, rescue from North American Dutch Shepherd Rescue (NADSR), fostered and trained by Kim Futch. Amber's favorite things to do are eating, chasing balls, chasing frisbees and napping with us in bed.
Location: New York City

Re: Dog related products reviews and links?

Post by anniewang83 »

oh, and one more thing: my go-to website for training related items is hallmark K9 (thank you to Ms. Futch for recommending this).
http://www.hallmarkk9.com/

I use their leads, their rubber balls, their tugs and their prong collar.
The Gappay ball on string - large, are my favorite because they're super durable, she can't chew it or swallow the pieces and it's unique. We do take Amber to the dog park and we've trained her such that she only recognizes her balls by shape and scent so that she doesn't play with any other balls but her balls. That's one way in which she will only focus on us and ignore anyone else who is throwing balls and whatnot at the park.
Nick & Annie (humans)
Amber (Dutchie)
currently living in New York City
User avatar
Nordis
Puppy
Posts: 56
Joined: Mon Nov 12, 2012 4:04 pm
Tell us about yourself: Hello everyone!

I enjoy my online anonymity. I'm open about most everything though many parts of my private life I prefer to keep private. If I’ve not offered particular areas of information it’s usually because I don’t feel it’s relevant to the situation. I tend to quietly monitor and observe, offering input when I feel I have something important to share and if I feel strongly about something. I don’t hesitate to ask questions if I don’t understand something, regardless of how it may appear to others that I might be a simpleton. Once I get started talking though, I tend to talk a lot, so you've been warned about that!

Please do not take this as anything more than what it is, a desire for privacy. I am not intending to offend or be rude.

Much Peace to all of you, naked and furry.
Location: Currently stationed on planet Earth, Sol system.

Re: Dog related products reviews and links?

Post by Nordis »

leih merigian wrote:I don't think it would be much use for breeder recommendations, tho, with the exception of the absolutely horrid kennels that everyone agrees on. There's too much political crap going on in most forums for those who have anything but positive opinions to say so. JMO :mrgreen:
I agree about this. It has the potential to be a very volatile area. I've seen a little of what comes of this stuff! I think it best to keep responses to "What about this breeder?" pirvate. That's what I've done usually. Though it's kind of sad too. Doesn't matter now. I'm a proud rescuer!

LyonsFamily wrote:I've had so many people recommend "indestructible" toys that Odin destroys faster than a bowl of food.
:lol: Thanks for the laugh Stephanie and Odin :lol:

icvanstra wrote:Thanks for the idea. It is on my to-do list the next time I have a chance to make major updates to the board.
Yea! I'm sure you're busy, and no rush as far as I'm concerned. And sorry I've made more work for you. Not really though. But I am. But I'm not. But sorry.

johninny wrote:thank you; so nice of you. and, BTW, this is an amazing place you have created. I am not a participatory sort of person and would never have believed a site/forum on any topic would be so engaging, valuable and worthwhile that it would get me really involved.
This :wtg: and This :wtg: and This! :wtg: I so agree! Thanks from us as well! I've found a lot of help here. Thank you! Thank you!
Nordis & Rorhin!
Honoring my brothers in fur, passed and present.

“I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive.” ~ Gilda Radner
User avatar
Nordis
Puppy
Posts: 56
Joined: Mon Nov 12, 2012 4:04 pm
Tell us about yourself: Hello everyone!

I enjoy my online anonymity. I'm open about most everything though many parts of my private life I prefer to keep private. If I’ve not offered particular areas of information it’s usually because I don’t feel it’s relevant to the situation. I tend to quietly monitor and observe, offering input when I feel I have something important to share and if I feel strongly about something. I don’t hesitate to ask questions if I don’t understand something, regardless of how it may appear to others that I might be a simpleton. Once I get started talking though, I tend to talk a lot, so you've been warned about that!

Please do not take this as anything more than what it is, a desire for privacy. I am not intending to offend or be rude.

Much Peace to all of you, naked and furry.
Location: Currently stationed on planet Earth, Sol system.

Re: Dog related products reviews and links?

Post by Nordis »

anniewang83 wrote:Since you asked, here are two AWESOME products, in my opinion.

Amber uses the Ruff Wear Palisades dog backpack. She's uses the medium. Amazing backpack. Super well designed and comfortable for her. I'm slowly increasing the weight and pretty soon she'll be able to carry my groceries too. We look forward to hiking and camping with her when the weather gets a little warmer.
http://www.ruffwear.com/Palisades-Pack_2

The other product I'm in love with in the Booda Tail Spin Flyer frisbee. ...we did play at a dog park once, and some other dogs caught the frisbee by accident, and even their chewing (though brief) did no damge.
http://www.amazon.com/Tail-Spin-Flyer-F ... spin+flyer
Thanks so much Nick & Annie (humans) and Amber (Dutchie)! The Palisades is what I've been continually returning too. Despite the price it seems the best option. And I've learned from experience to buy quality rather than having to replace less than quality multiple times. I'll not be using the water bladders. My intent is to freeze a couple of 1 liter bottles of water and put them in the bags to help keep Rorhin cool in the too hot summer months on the days we have to go out into that mess. I'm hoping that will help him a bit. And yes, he'll be carrying the eggs and the cases of beer and soda. (Kidding!) I've spoken with a Ruff Wear employee who uses one and read a couple of reviews that tell of the harness resulting in the dog recognizing s/he is working, walking with the person, and being less prone to distractions. That's definitely what I'm hoping for. And fancy that! Rorhin is a medium size as well! When Amber is done with hers if she would like to send it to us we're ok with that! :o

If they made the Approach or even the Singletrack bags removable as well I certainly would opt for those. The Palisades looks very bulky to me and we do a bit of fitting into small areas. At the same time this makes the compression system very appealing. I suppose I'll be able to manage. As well I'm hoping to be able to velcro some patches onto the harness that can be moved to the packs if I decide that the patches are actually needed and the harness itself doesn't make things obvious to people. Thanks for your input. I really appreciate it.

I hope you all have a great time on your hiking and camping trips!

I'll look into the frisbee as well. It sounds semi durable, which is a good thing! Actually, last night was a milestone for us. Rorhin finally brought something to me and handed it to me! That's huge for both of us! Lots of wagging and happiness ensued!

anniewang83 wrote:oh, and one more thing: my go-to website for training related items is hallmark K9 (thank you to Ms. Futch for recommending this).
http://www.hallmarkk9.com/

I use their leads, their rubber balls, their tugs and their prong collar.
The Gappay ball on string - large, are my favorite because they're super durable, she can't chew it or swallow the pieces and it's unique. We do take Amber to the dog park and we've trained her such that she only recognizes her balls by shape and scent so that she doesn't play with any other balls but her balls. That's one way in which she will only focus on us and ignore anyone else who is throwing balls and whatnot at the park.

I'll look into this as well. We've just replaced a leash that someone chewed into two pieces in less than three minutes while he was behind me and I was thinking there was nothing he could get into back there! I guess he didn't like the color. The ball sounds great, and Amber sounds like she's simply awesome!

There is a local bird store that also sells quality dog and cat foods. I've purchased a new leash there as well as a large red rubber ball (which someone has lost here somewhere) and later found that both were actually cheaper at the store than I can find them for online! That was kind of surprising. But I'll have a look at what Hallmark K9 has to offer for sure. And yes, thanks to both you Nick & Annie (humans) and Amber (Dutchie) as well as to Ms. Futch from us as well.

Rorhin says it wasn't him. Image He thinks the "someone" was probably one of the cats.

Much Peace
Nordis & Rorhin!
Honoring my brothers in fur, passed and present.

“I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive.” ~ Gilda Radner
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icvanstra
Working Dog
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Joined: Fri Aug 22, 2008 1:33 am
Tell us about yourself: .
Location: Broad Ripple - the coolest part of Indianapolis - sometimes Amersfoort

Re: Dog related products reviews and links?

Post by icvanstra »

This has been done.

General > Product Reviews

I didn't break it down to sub-forums. The search function should help find anything withing the given forum.

closing request.
Eric
  • - Cino vom Foxtal
    - Abigail NORML de Weijer (over the bridge)
    - Hannah the DS wanna be (over the bridge)
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