Dog Blog - Dog Product Reviews

I got an SSS Petcare Mattress as a gift seven years ago, when it was the Simmons Beautyrest mattress. [Editor's note: Simmons decided to stop making pet mattresses, but the company who made it for them continues to produce the exact same mattress under the name SSS Petcare Mattress).] It was a bit of a joke because my dogs were so spoiled, and the advertising for this bed  positioned it as “just as good as yours.” The individually pocketed coils, the craftsmanship, the comfort were all supposed to be idential to the human mattress.

I’ve had four dogs in my house since I got it, two that have passed away and another two who are still with me. They all love the bed. When we say, “Let’s go to bed,” the dogs sneak into the bedroom to see who will be the first to get to sleep on the good bed. When the dominant dog steps down off the bed, the other one gets up on it. I’ve tried other beds over the years when we had a puppy, convalescing dog or older dog. Some of these beds were pretty pricey. I’ve tried bumper beds where they can rest their head on the bumper. I’ve tried baffled foam beds and even an upscale bed from Land’s End. But they like their mattress best.

After seven years, it has not shown any signs of sagging in the center. I’ve replaced the fleece cover three times, but the mattress itself is in great shape. The only drawback is that you can’t throw it in the washing machine like some other fabric beds. But you can replace the cover and it is washable. I’ve been very happy with the mattress and it looks as though we’ll have plenty more years to enjoy it. - P. Zubeck, Arlington VA

Our tester for the Burrow Bed was Bonnie, a 6-year-old Whippet.

The burrow bed is an innovative idea, designed for those dogs with a drive to nestle into small spaces whether for warmth or safety. In Bonnie’s case she’s always seeking warmth since she is a short-haired dog living in New England. The burrow bed appeared to be the perfect solution to keep her out of our beds during the day. It’s basically two pillows in one that the dog can snuggle in between. It’s fleece covering is soft, warm and easy to remove for cleaning via the velcro closure.

The bed is a bit difficult for a larger dog to get used to. I still have to help Bonnie get into it. I think she is nervous about getting stuck on the way in since the pillows are secured tightly. Once inside, however, she sleeps cozy and comfortable for hours. Sometimes she prefers to sleep on top as well, when the need for warmth isn’t as strong. Either way, its a great bed. Perhaps in another version the maufacturer might allow opening on two ends so the dog doesn’t have to go in and turn around but could simply burrow under and stick her head out on the other end. - Doreen Howell, Marblehead, MA

I have a 1 year old schnauzer mix named Harley. No one is exactly sure what he is mixed with. Guesses have ranged from Deer Hound to German Wire Haired Pointer, none the less he is a spunky, energetic pooch who brings hours of joy to my home.

Along with joy comes destruction, Harley has become quite the "enthusiastic" chewer in the last few months and has shredded up slippers, carpet, quilts, socks etc.

I have spent quite a bit on toys only to bring them home and have them totally annihilated within 10 minutes. I realized after 3 stuffed sheep, 2 stuffed bones and a fabulous striped stuffed dog had been brutally decapitated and mutilated that Harley was in need of a stronger toy. Tennis balls don't last 5 minutes, nor do toys made from real fire hoses. Harley also has issues with rope bones; not only does he untie the knots, but he unravels them and then spreads the strings all over the floor.

Through all the destruction and wasted money, I did finally find one toy that has lasted Harley over 6 months, the Petstages Orka Jack, even though Harley pulled out and shredded up the rope inside it, the jack itself still remains in tact. He has chewed, gnawed and scrapped his back teeth all over it and it has stood up to a lot of punishment. He seems to love how it feels when he chews it and loves to chase after it as it bounces randomly around the room due to its unique shape. This one has definitely lasted the longest out of all toys, I have accepted now that just because I like the cute fuzzy stuffed toys doesn't mean that Harley is capable of playing with them, so now he only gets very hard, durable rubber toys and real bones to play with but his Orka is his favorite!

- Susan Raymond, Houston TX

Pill Pockets, from S&M Nutec, are made with real beef and are a nutritious supplement to a dog's regular diet. You put a pill in the opening, then press the ends together. They make medicating your dog much easier and more pleasant for the dog.

Our testers were Luna Bell (1year old), Lady (2 years old) and Ike (2.5 years old), all Jack Russe Terriers from Slidell, LA.

They love them. Each Pill Pocket is soft and molds around the pill, so it won’t fall out. The dogs have never spit another pill out. Pill Pockets come in 3 sizes. It is the easiest , quickest, and cleanest way to get pills in your dog, and the manufacturer says that unlike using table scraps, Pill Pockets do not promote begging.

Luna has allergies and takes Benadryl Daily. She has a Pill Pocket first thing every morning  when we get up. Even during Hurricane Katrina we packed her pill pockets and she didn’t miss a dose. Ike usually can’t be fooled by much, but he even falls for the pill pockets. He doesn’t need medicine every day, but cries to have his pill pocket treat when Luna gets hers. I just give him an empty one.  They come in a bag that can be resealed and one bag has about a month's worth of treats for us. I sometimes get the large size and break them into pieces to make them last longer. They cost about six dollars a bag, depending where you get them.  

I  felt it was so cruel to shove pills down my dogs throat , only to have them spit it out soon after. It was upsetting to my dogs and stressed me out.
It also is quicker and much cleaner than using a fattening treat to bury it in. Lady has weight issues and should not eat extra  fattening human  treats. No mess—NO stress. My dogs love it and cry for it as a treat. They still have not caught on that it has a pill in it. Thank God for Pill Pockets!

- Kelly Stein

Dogswell LLC manufactures Happy Hips with glucosamine and Breathies treats for, well, dog breath. Our tester was Sapoo, a 14-year-old Toy Poodle from Grass Valley, CA. Sapoo has been using these treats for 8 years.

She can't get enough of these treats, and she's extremely finicky. We're especially pleased because treats low in fat — for dogs with pancreitis — are hard to find.

These work as promised, and are fantastic, especially for dogs with pancreatitis – these are safe!

- Shawna Fritzler

The fountain is the best water delivery system I’ve found for my dogs.  My tester dogs are Chelsea, Apollo, Lacey, Sabrina, Noble, Whidbey, Jake and Clancy, ranging in age from 18 mos to 11 years and in size from 25 to 160 pounds.

None of them is very interested in drinking water that has been standing for more than a few hours, and I’ve seen them walk away from a water bowl that was filled in the morning. 

I’ve tried the water systems that have a large filler bottle that dispenses water as it becomes low in the bowl. But that doesn’t solve the standing water problem and it’s more cumbersome to refill every few hours.  With the Drinkwell Fountain, I know my dogs are getting fresh, cool, filtered water all day and night.  As advertised, they drink more frequently and for longer periods of time.  I’m planning to buy a second one to keep upstairs! 

Cleaning the fountain is easy (although having to pick up the entire unit to clean it is a bit cumbersome).  All parts are easily accessible.  AND, none of my dogs have tried to chew on it or carry it off!  It’s attractive enough to put in any room and the gentle flow of the water is great as an indoor water feature!

My little guy, GW (Geroge Washington) received this musical  birthday cake on February 22 from a friend in Texas for his second birthday.  He just absolutely loved it as you can see. 

Once he hit the noisemaker that played the birthday song (and it plays through TWICE),  he got spooked and left the toy alone for a while. He then went back to it and had a ball playing with the candles, but he stayed away from the cake part. He is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. He does not usually play very long with any toy, but the candles kept him busy for quite a while.

Muriel Pontbriant, Webster, MA

The Pawzzle Ball is a hard plastic 10-inch ball with large holes in it. Inside, there’s a smaller ball made of a softer material, which dispenses treats.

The Pawzzle Ball was tested by two German Shepherd Dogs, 83 lbs and 71 lbs. They are indoor dogs, but play outside at least an hour a day.

We left the ball outside and they enjoyed playing with it. It’s one of the few toys that they can play with together, so I would recommend it for people who have two or more dogs. It’s big enough that one dog can’t “hog” the toy by lying on it or keeping it in his mouth. The holes in the ball provide grips for dog mouths or human hands.

I didn’t see my dogs reaching their nose or paw into the outer ball to play with the inner ball very much, although I suspect smaller dogs would do this. But they seemed to enjoy the inner ball, because when they carried the ball in their mouths, they would shake it back and forth. They most often carried it by putting their lower teeth into a top hole, so the ball hung down in front of their necks.

The ball has held up very well. I’ve left it in the yard, and it has not become bleached or faded by the sun. There is not one crack in the ball, although eventually, they managed to the get smaller ball out. You’re supposed to put kibble in it. I think that’s what made them tear it out of the larger ball. (Before it was removed, I also had fun filling the inner ball with water and letting them play in the back yard with hit.) Still, both dogs love the Pawzzle Ball and head straight for it whenever I let them out into the back yard. Trixie, my female, loves to roll on top of it, splaying all four legs and presing her chest and tummy down onto the ball.

After a few weeks, the rough play resulted in some scratching of the surface, but the ball is intact and actually, the roughed-up plastic adds texture that may be helpful in cleaning teeth. You just have to watch it if you play tug-of-war with it; the rough texture can be hard on hands.

We are very pleased with the ball and would recommend it to anyone with high-energy dogs. It is safe to leave at home with your dog when you leave the house (if you think your dog will remove the inner ball, do so before leaving him alone with hit unsupervised). It’s a great toy for giving hyper dogs an outlet for their energy.

Submitted by Karen Altman, Dover, DE

This non-stick cake pan works very well. It’s advisable to spray Pam or another non-stick cooking spray on it the first few times you use it. I did that, and the cake popped out just fine. It slid out of the pan as I was turning it over.

I was impressed at how much the cake actually did look like a bone.

I baked two layers and made a layer cake, so the cake began to crack when I frosted it. But if you’re making a single layer, it should be fine.

Cleanup was super-easy. Good as new after I’d cleaned it with just a paper towel.

P. Charles Morrissey, Frisco, TX

Product Name: TreatStik

Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price: $14.99

Tester: Six-year-old Labrador Retriever, Boudin, who can and has destroyed every other toy she’s ever had, except for natural femur bones.

Reviewer’s Comments: The manufacturer created the TreatStik for large dogs who were tough on other toys. It’s an interactive toy that you load up with treats. It can be a fetch toy or treat-dispensing toy and is made to stand up to the toughest dog. I was skeptical, because other tough toys have ended up in the trash at my house. My Lab is an aggressive chewer, who uses her back teeth to grind hard on any toy. She pops tennis balls in minutes, shreds Rhino Bones and Tough Kongs, and chomps down “tough” chews that are meant to last for days and weeks.

I gave her the TreatStik, loaded up with treats and she went to town. She pushed it all over the house to get the treats out, and when they were gone, she sat down to give it a good chew. She gave it a dedicated try day after day for months, and although it’s scratched up and catches carpet fuzz now, she has not been able to destroy it. She hooked her long canine tooth into the treat-dispense hole and went to town. It’s frayed and slightly larger, but it held. She ground her teeth all over the top and length of the TreatStik and it has held together with nary a crack.

It’s a great toy to leave with your dog when you go to work, because it keeps them busy and interested. You can load it with beef jerky as well as kibble. When the kibble’s gone, the jerky still smells good and keeps the dog’s interest. If you’re worried about your dog’s weight, you can load it with low-cal kibble or treats, cubed carrots, or Cherios.

The only reason we need to get another one now is that she has learned to unscrew the top. I am not kidding. I thought it was a fluke the first time or two when I came home and found the top off. But the last five times I’ve given it to her, I’ve come home and the top has been off, so I guess she really has figured it out. Who knew? I will say that even when she took the top off and chewed the crap out of the threads, I was still able to screw the top back on. This plastic they use is TOUGH!

I’ve heard the company is planning a smaller size, for smaller dogs, which is great, because I’ve talked to small dog owners whose dogs need toys for aggressive chewers, but the toys that are out there are too big. Can’t wait! Meantime, I’m going to get another TreatStik and see if I can thwart Boudin’s attempts to open it.

Lisa Woody, Lake Dallas, TX