Primo Pads - The Closest Thing To An Indestructible Dog Bed

If it's one thing that I've constantly struggled with its finding a durable, well padded bed for my dog’s crate that won't break the bank.  Jumping on the information superhighway, and doing a quick Google search, you'll find just about everyone makes an “indestructible” dog bed for hundreds of dollars.  Now, if you are anything like me, I like to see and feel a product before buying it. Especially if I'm about to spend a decent amount of money.

Being frustrated with my Google search results, I decided to jump in the truck and head to one of my favorite pet stores; Especially for Pets.  For those of you in New England, Especially For Pets has several locations throughout Massachusetts.  They have a terrific selection of quality pet products, and a very knowledgeable, friendly staff.  For those of you out of state, you'll just have to come visit New England for the fall foliage, and take a trip to Especially for Pets.

As I was wondering around the store, looking for that perfect indestructible dog bed, I was approached by one of the Especially for Pets staff members, Heather.  Heather explained to me that she also shared the struggle of finding an indestructible dog bed for her Doberman who has a history of destroying dog beds.  As I was looking through the shelves, Heather asked me if I've ever heard of a Primo Pad?  To which I replied, this was the first I've ever heard of them. Unfortunately, Especially for Pets doesn't sell Primo Pads, but, they do use them for their day school kennels.  Heather was happy to grab one from their kennels to show me exactly what a Primo Pad was.

After seeing a Primo Pad’s construction, durability, and padding, it had me sold.  The best part of a Primo Pad is that they are made to custom fit your dog’s crate.  The Primo Pad will firmly fit in the bottom of the crate, after removing the plastic tray, to help eliminate the pad sliding around and being destroyed.  Primo Pads also offer a “Lock Down System” free of charge if you happen to have an aggressive chewer (think of it as reusable zip ties with dedicated loopholes in the seam of the pad).

I’ve had my Primo Pad for a little over 17 months now, and it’s still holding up to daily usage by my less-than-graceful GSD.  I’ll also mention that it helps reduce the noise from pups who tend to plop themselves on the ground when laying down.

Until next time, keep your head up, and wag on.

Prong Collars - Keeping It Simple

I’m going to start this post by saying I’m not looking for an argument against prong collars, nor do I need to explain my reasoning.  That said, Nitro K-9 has already done a wonderful write-up explaining the benefits of a prong collar, so no need to rehash those same benefits here.  Anyone looking for the complaints department can simply hit the back button, and continue on your merry journey along the information superhighway.

I've been a prong collar advocate for some time now, but the one thing that has always bothered me about them is the ease of putting them on and taking them off.  I remember my first prong collar having nothing more than the chain loop and the prongs links. The only way to put it on, and make sure it fit properly, was via the prong links. For anyone who has ever needed to resize a prong collar knows what a challenge it can be to remove a prong link. Image trying to attach a prong collar using this method with a dog who's overly excited to go on a walk.  It's simply inadequate and frustrating.

With those pain points in mind, I headed to one of the pet stores in my area to do a bit of research, and see what other options there were.  Lo and behold, someone else must of shared my dissatisfaction with the “traditional” style and developed the nylon prong collar with a plastic buckle.

One of the main reasons I enjoy PetSmart’s Top Paw® Training Dog Collar is because it comes in several different prong sizes, and all with the same ease of use design.  You simply unbuckle the nylon strap, slip it over the dog's head, and rebuckle (after sizing correctly of course).  Easy!

Doing a bit more research online, I also stumbled upon Coastal Pet Product’s Titan® Easy-On Dog Prong Training Collar with Buckle.  Now, I haven’t purchased this prong collar from Coastal Pet, I simply wanted to make you aware of another option in case you are not a fan of the big box stores.

Others may argue that because it’s nylon, and not chain, that the sound of the chain slipping through loop may not resonate with the dog as its first warning that pressure is about to be applied.  This particular design really comes down to personal preference.  I don’t believe having chain over nylon is as important because once the dog has felt the pressure of the prong collar, they quickly go from being reactive, to being proactive, and anticipating the pressure.

Like I mentioned in the beginning, I’m just here to give you my honest feedback on products I’ve tried, liked, and worked for me.  Be mindful that what works for me, may not work for you.  My goal is to provide some guidance into the unknown before breaking the bank.

Until next time, keep your head up, and wag on.