Canine Body Language is of utmost importance to any animal professional but also to any animal owner. Learn to speak your dog's language as he tries to learn yours. Help your pet feel more at home, know what your dog is saying, how he says it, and why.  If everyone read this book, countless injuries inflicted by dogs may be prevented, needless abandonment at shelters for behavior problems could be helped, and more animals' lives could be saved. Our canine friends will thank us for it.  I have been able, as a pet sitter, to enhance my own understanding and communication with my four legged clients.

Through a Dog's Ear is a set of CD's with music specifically optomized for the canine ear.  The book discusses the interesting study behind it. As soon as I put the CDs in I felt the whole household become calmer, all the dogs relaxed and/or fell asleep.  I play the music at various times daily but always at night as the dogs fall asleep.

I recommend this stain and odor remover because it is earth friendly which means it is also child and pet friendly. It's odor is quite plesant whereas some other similar products are not. 

The shampoo also smells pleasant as it is natural thus good for the coat and skin as well as gentle. The other product listed is a fun product to use. The pet zoom is gentle but effective and with the press of a button, it is self-cleaning.  

Another grooming tool that I recently found works wonders is the Furminator. It has a fine blade with teeth so close together so as to get out the dogs' undercoat. We have gotten so much fur out of Strider when he is shedding that we can build another dog.  However, because the blade is so fine and sharp it could harm thin, sensitive skin so be careful who you use it on. 

With all of these dogs coming and going, I am forever looking for something that will help keep my house clean.  You add water to this mug like tool and the soft bristles inside will help clean off the mud and dirt.  All you need is a towel to dry the paws after you plunge them. To see precisly how fun the plunger is you can go to http://www.pawplunger.com for a short video. (I am sure you can guess from its name what you do with it.) Make sure to get the approprite size for your canine friend.  I also use the Dog Mud Magnet which does grab dirt and mud aside from water.

Below is a link to a product that I have used daily since I got. 

I have been looking for a treat pouch or a hip bag that would enable me to play outside with the dogs without worry that I miss a call or that my camera gets dirty. This pouch has enabled me to do just that.  It is super easy to open and get the treats out but still very secure. The outside pocket holds my iPhone and my camera easily

Inside a Dog by Alexandra Horowitz is one of the most comprehensive and concise book I have come across to date that really gives a person the view inside the dog's head: what he thinks, the richness of his senses, and how he experiences life.  As someone never formally trained in  animal behavior, biology, and canine psychology I found this book to be easy to understand. For any dog owner who wishes to gain some insight into how a dog comes to view its world and ours should pick up this book.

Lixit Water Boy may be my favorite product yet! The dogs love it too! This bowl allows me to carry water out to the yard, on those really hot days, without spilling a drop. No water spills even when the dogs drink, or when it is resting on uneven ground, all the water stays where it should.  Its size allows many dogs to drink from it without having to refill it every few minutes. The best part is that when you grab the handle to hold it upright the water retracts so you can tote it around with no worry.  It has been a fun and easy product to use; now I don't lose the precious water needed by my dogs and by the earth! 

Keep checking back for other recommended products to enhance your pets' life and your pets' environment.