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Ventlock
www.ventlock.com
I was looking for solutions to keep my dogs comfortable and safe in the car while at agility training and shows and saw that Colin and Maureen had a link to Ventlock in their review ‘Keeping your dog cool’ below. I followed the link, looked at the product and placed an order for an 18” ventlock, although I was a little sceptical about how it would work universally on all cars with different boot catches. It arrived promptly and out I went to give it a go. I’m happy to say that it works a treat, is easy to fit and makes the car very secure. It means that I can leave the dogs in crates in the car with ample ventilation. A great buy!! To see how it works there is a video here.
Agility Shoes
Our agility training happens outside, all year round and pretty much whatever the weather. I've had full waterproofs for some time which have been well used this year! However, during the winter and rainy weather, I have been forced to wear my walking boots to prevent myself slipping and landing on my backside! My walking boots are very heavy and not really conducive to running at speed around an agility course. I needed to find something lighter that would give a good grip and be waterproof too.
Many agility handlers wear hockey boots – not with studs though as there is a danger that you may inadvertently step on your dog's paws! …...ouch! Value for money is important to me and an online search came up with Kookaburra Inca Hockey shoe.
I've had these shoes for a couple of weeks now and I have to say I am very happy with them. I have worn them in atrocious weather and have not slipped once. The sizes come up quite generous so I would say if you are a bit of an inbetweenie size then I would go down rather than up in size. As they are unisex they are also generous in the width.
Waterproof? No – not fully anyway. I found my feet get slightly wet along the sides ….. this is in extreme weather though and friends who have different makes of hockey shoes were much worse off with saturated feet. I would give them 8/10 – only let down by not being fully waterproof. They are fantastic for grip. Karen
Many agility handlers wear hockey boots – not with studs though as there is a danger that you may inadvertently step on your dog's paws! …...ouch! Value for money is important to me and an online search came up with Kookaburra Inca Hockey shoe.
I've had these shoes for a couple of weeks now and I have to say I am very happy with them. I have worn them in atrocious weather and have not slipped once. The sizes come up quite generous so I would say if you are a bit of an inbetweenie size then I would go down rather than up in size. As they are unisex they are also generous in the width.
Waterproof? No – not fully anyway. I found my feet get slightly wet along the sides ….. this is in extreme weather though and friends who have different makes of hockey shoes were much worse off with saturated feet. I would give them 8/10 – only let down by not being fully waterproof. They are fantastic for grip. Karen
Kong Wobbler
Lots of members on CCGB chat have recommended the Kong Wobbler Treat Dispensing Toy.
“My dog prefers to work for her food than just get it out the bowl, so today I got her a Kong Wobbler and she soon mastered the art of getting her food out, it was fun to watch and think was fun for her too.”
“I find these are great if they get bored of eating out of a bowl and want to work for their food. On days when my dog sniffs his bowl and walks away - the Kong Wobbler never fails!”
“The bottom screws off and you fill it with food or treats, there is a hole for the food to come out and it is very like a ‘Weeble’ with a weighted bottom. It is not soft like the kong which we have. I got the small size which, when I unpacked, looked rather large, but it really is not too big. It looks like it is a hit at the moment.”
“We bought one for Tonka yesterday, to keep him amused and also to slow his eating.”
“My cockapoo has one, it's quite big, about 25cm. She didn't like it at first, she used to get annoyed and bark at it but now she's older she loves it! Sometimes she has her food in it and enjoys working for it, other times she gets treats in it. I would say it's one of our best buys.”
“The Wobbler arrived today and it’s a big hit! He spent the first 10 minutes trying to roll it around the room like his treat ball, but he soon worked out what to do.”
“My dog prefers to work for her food than just get it out the bowl, so today I got her a Kong Wobbler and she soon mastered the art of getting her food out, it was fun to watch and think was fun for her too.”
“I find these are great if they get bored of eating out of a bowl and want to work for their food. On days when my dog sniffs his bowl and walks away - the Kong Wobbler never fails!”
“The bottom screws off and you fill it with food or treats, there is a hole for the food to come out and it is very like a ‘Weeble’ with a weighted bottom. It is not soft like the kong which we have. I got the small size which, when I unpacked, looked rather large, but it really is not too big. It looks like it is a hit at the moment.”
“We bought one for Tonka yesterday, to keep him amused and also to slow his eating.”
“My cockapoo has one, it's quite big, about 25cm. She didn't like it at first, she used to get annoyed and bark at it but now she's older she loves it! Sometimes she has her food in it and enjoys working for it, other times she gets treats in it. I would say it's one of our best buys.”
“The Wobbler arrived today and it’s a big hit! He spent the first 10 minutes trying to roll it around the room like his treat ball, but he soon worked out what to do.”
Outwell Cool Box
www.gooutdoors.co.uk
We take Natural Instinct complete raw dog food on holiday with us in an electric cool box that plugs into the auxiliary power socket in the car, it also runs on mains electricity. We divide the Natural Instinct into meal size portions, pop them in the box with a couple of freezer packs - it works great. Colin and Maureen
Keeping your dog cool
We use and would recommend the following items will help to keep your dog(s) cool in the car or when out and about. Colin and Maureen
Blue and Silver Tarpaulin - In the car we use a reflective tarpaulin with a silver side out to cover the crate or over the outside of the car when parked to help keep the temperature down
Reflective Screen Shades - Most motorist accessory shops sell these
Ventlock - This device lets you lock your cars tailgate but allows ventilation
Cage Fan - Battery powered cooling fan for cages or in the car
Cooling Coat - To cool the dogs down after a run on hot days
Blue and Silver Tarpaulin - In the car we use a reflective tarpaulin with a silver side out to cover the crate or over the outside of the car when parked to help keep the temperature down
Reflective Screen Shades - Most motorist accessory shops sell these
Ventlock - This device lets you lock your cars tailgate but allows ventilation
Cage Fan - Battery powered cooling fan for cages or in the car
Cooling Coat - To cool the dogs down after a run on hot days
Hurtta Pro Waterproof Overalls
www.camddwrcanine.co.uk
Living in beautiful North Wales, we get our fair share of rain. To protect Callie's coat, I recently purchased some Hurtta Pro Waterproof Overalls from Cammdwr Canine. The design of these overalls is amazing, so much thought has gone in to them. They are available in four colours with reflective piping for those dark evening walks. Callie is fully protected from the mud and rain and is free to run around wet fields to her hearts content. For added warmth during the colder months, Callie also has a Climate Changer (polartec fleece) made by Ruffwear and also available from Cammdwr Canine. Tracey
Equafleece
We bought an Equafleece dog suit for Luna to keep her both warm and dry on her winter walks. With her long hair, drying her off takes a long time so we thought the dog suit with its 4 leg “sleeves” would be perfect and it is. After a walk in long wet grass, all we have to do is dry her feet, head and tail – the rest of her body is bone dry and still fluffy after we take the fleece off. Putting the suit on and taking it off doesn’t take much practice, even for the most wriggly of puppies. All in all, a great buy – does the job and looks good too. Dave and Harri
Gencon Head Collar
www.gencon-allin1.co.uk
Despite weekly puppy training classes and consistent heel training whilst walking, Luna started to pull when walking on the lead. We tried all the techniques learned at training to no avail and the walks were no longer relaxing. Having heard positive comments from others about the Gencon products, we decided to try one out.
Gencon produce the “All-in-1” which is a head collar with the lead built in but we chose their simple head collar so we could attach our own leads. Delivery from Gencon was very quick and right from the first walk with the collar, the pulling stopped and our walks have become fun again. We strongly recommend this if your dog pulls. Dave and Harri
Gencon produce the “All-in-1” which is a head collar with the lead built in but we chose their simple head collar so we could attach our own leads. Delivery from Gencon was very quick and right from the first walk with the collar, the pulling stopped and our walks have become fun again. We strongly recommend this if your dog pulls. Dave and Harri
Muck Boots
www.muckbootco.co.uk
When the weather is colder and wetter, keeping your feet dry and warm on your walks in the fields or on the beach is a challenge. This will be my third year wearing Muck Boots. These boots are constructed from 5mm thick neoprene, the same material used for professional diving suits, so they are very comfortable, warm, and waterproof. They are also breathable so no more damp cold feet. I have seen other boots of the same construction lately but not with the same thickness of neoprene, but about the same price. If I ever wear them out, my next pair will be with the camouflage pattern. A link for the website is included here but do google as well as prices do vary a lot. Colin
