Dogs aren’t just our pets, they’re our favorite companions. When you are bringing home a new dog, you should make sure that your new companion fits into your home perfectly. The transition from their previous homes to a new home should be successful.
With the right accessories in hand, you can make the entire transition easier. When you already have necessary dog accessories, you can easily tackle unpleasant situations. Pet accessories or pet essentials are assorted items that you will need at the beginning, middle, and end of your canine’s journey. So make sure you have them.
Here is the list of ten essential dog accessories that every pet owner should have. Most of these pet products are easily available to buy from Amazon at a reasonable price.
Table of Contents
10 Top Dog Accessories you must have
If you don’t yet have these accessories, you should consider adding them to your next shopping list. However, if you have many of these, we’ll tell you how to best use them.
1. Leash/Harness
Owning a leash is very important to make sure that your pet stays with you at all times when you go out for a walk. A leash can be handy in many different situations such as when you’re out on a walk, when walking on the busy street when there are other dogs or small animals around, or when you’re in a park. A six-foot-long leash is the least you can have to keep your dog just at the right distance from you.
Many people compare a dog leash with a harness and a seat belt. Harness basically wraps your dog’s torso and connects to a leash that gives you better control over them. However, the heavy-duty harness is only effective with large sizes of breeds such as German shepherd, Great Dane, Labrador retriever, etc. who often sprint over with a great strength that they often pull along their owners with them. For small sizes of dogs and pups, a leash works best. Most harnesses won’t fit the small-sized dogs anyway.
A longline or long leash comes with long links that work best when you take your dog out in the park or near forests. This will allow your dog to wander off up to a distance without being pulled by a short leash. It will also prevent your dog from running off into the forest or bushes. Make sure to buy a machine-washable leash.
2. Pet First-Aid Kit
Pet First Aid Kit is a kitbag that features essential medical supplies and tools needed to administer first-aid on dogs. This item is the most essential dog accessory that you must have when you first bring your dog until it passes away. Owning and being able to use the first-aid kit can prove to be a life-saver! And, you should always have one around your house, office, or car.
You can purchase a ready-made pet first aid kit which is slightly cheaper than building out your kit. However, with a custom-built first aid kit, you can tailor the contents to your need or preference.
The necessary medical supplies and tools you must-have in your first-aid kit include;
Absorbent gauze pads, Adhesive tape, Cotton balls or swabs, Fresh 3% hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting, Ice pack (Replaceable), Disposable gloves, Scissors with the blunt end, Tweezers, OTC antibiotic ointment, Oral syringe or turkey baster, Liquid dishwashing detergent (for bathing), Towels, Small flashlight, Alcohol wipes, Styptic powder, Saline eye solution, Artificial tear gel, and Phone number, clinic name, address of your veterinarian.
3. Flea Treatment
Did you know the soft and cushion-like fur of your pet is a haven for flea and ticks? Yes, flea and ticks which are most prevalent during spring and summer often jump inside your dog’s fur and start infesting. Flea and tick are parasites that feed on your pet’s blood. This can cause severe health problems including allergic reactions, dry patches, and shedding on dogs with sensitive skin.
Fleas can easily sneak into the home and can easily be transmitted to humans.
Own a store-bought flea treatment that works throughout the year. These easily available flea treatments, flea shampoo, and tick collar can help to remedy your home from flea infestation.
To prevent tick-borne diseases, you can use special canine skin treatments, tick shampoo, and tick collar that prevents tick infestation on dogs.
Flea infection becomes common during spring and summer.
4. Food/Water Bowls
You wouldn’t want your furry companion to eat on a plate or dishes that you often use in the kitchen. The best option is to purchase two separate bowls; a food bowl and a water bowl.
Be wary about using plastic bowls. After extensive use, the cracks start forming in the plastic bowl which later becomes home to different allergens and bacteria which can easily pass into their digestive system. Moreover, they can easily break or toppled. Additionally, some dogs may develop an allergy to plastic dishes, resulting in a mild skin reaction on the chin or face.
Use stainless steel bowls instead. They’re dishwasher safe and unbreakable. Also, ensure to often fill their bowl with cold water during summer to prevent dehydration.
5. Pet Stain Remover
Don’t forget to buy pet odor remover to prevent stubborn urine and poop smells from hovering inside your house. Along with removing odor, they also remove any underlying pheromones. Pheromones are markers used by dogs to return to relieve themselves.
With pet stain remover, you can easily remove the stubborn urine and poop residue from the carpets or hardwood floors. Stain remover comes with a special agent that quickly removes the stain, unlike carpet cleaner or vinegar which only does half the work. Also, the carpet cleaner won’t take the smell off.
The market is flooded with 100% eco-friendly stain and odor remover that can easily rid of the stain and odor without harming the eco-system. Don’t forget to buy poop bags from the store or better yet from Amazon at a cheaper price!
6. Toys
Pet toys aren’t just for fun; they can help keep your pets engaged while you’re away for work or travel trips. Many interactive pet toys like ball launchers and tennis balls with different colors are designed to keep your dog engaged while preventing them from developing isolation, boredom, or stress.
Providing toys, stuffed animals, and puzzles will satiate dogs that “need a job.” Some dog breeds have a problem-solving mindset and will find favorite toys and puzzles very satisfying and engaging.
Puppies love to chew toys. Buying rubber toys or chew toys can help keep them engaged most of the time.
7. Grooming Supplies
Don’t forget to buy grooming brushes for your new furry friend. The kind of brushes will depend on pet hair. Nonetheless, it will ensure that you can groom them at home often.
Dogs with a double coat and thick fur often need grooming to prevent issues of matted fur. Regular grooming is linked to a balanced mental and physical state. It also helps to keep them stress-free and comfortable.
It’s a great idea to have different grooming brushes in your home so that you can save some money on professional grooming. When picking up brushes, consider these options.
- A slicker brush helps to get rid of any debris, loose hair, and mats/knots.
- A pin brush is made for dogs with longer and silkier coat types.
- A bristle brush is well suited for dogs with short or wiry coats.
- The undercoat rake is designed to get deep into double and heavy coats of dogs.
Along with a hairbrush, consider getting nail clippers so you can clip and trim their nails at home. If you happen to have a golden retriever, we have published an article on grooming retrievers recently.
8. Collar, ID Tags & Microchip
Having a collar and ID Tag on your pet ensures that people will spot/find them and return them to you if they ever wander off.
ID Tags are one of the easiest ways to identify a dog and its owner. The ID tag contains the name, address, and contact number of the pet owner. In case they wander off or fall in some accident, bystanders can identify them and contact you.
Microchipping is another great way to keep track of your dog; however, you’d need a microchip reader to read the surgically installed microchip. ID tag and flat collar can be the best and easiest way to identify a dog.
Along with using ID Tag, you should consider microchipping your pet. This can be helpful to locate dogs who are lured away by people. They often remove the ID tag from the dog. In many cases, pet owners were able to find their dogs that accidentally ended up in shelter homes –all thanks to microchipping.
9. Healthy Dog Treats
Keep healthy dog treats in your home at all times. Using healthy treats ensure that your dog doesn’t end up eating from a dumpster or eat unhealthy food items that can lead to obesity.
A study concluded that obesity accounted for more than 1.3 million nationwide pet insurance claims in the US. It can also lead to an obesity-related condition such as Osteoarthritis, Cystitis, Hypothyroidism, Diabetes, etc.
You can choose to buy healthy pounds of kibble from the market or Amazon. Even better, you can prepare one yourself at home.
Frozen DIY Treats with different colors are easy to prepare and many dogs love to chew on them to keep themselves cooler in summer.
- Frozen broth cubes – Pour beef or chicken broth with no salt in the ice-cube tray and freeze them overnight.
- Frozen yogurt – Choose to buy lactose-free yogurt and freeze it in an ice-cube tray for a few hours.
- Frozen Kong – You can use oven-baked traditional kibbles and spread some peanut butter or cream cheese and freeze it.
- Peanut Butter Popsicles – Mix peanut butter, mashed bananas, and plain yogurt and freeze it in an ice-cube tray.
10. Dog Diapers
Dog diapers can be useful for dogs with incontinence issues. It can also become an essential product at different points of time in the life of dogs like when you’re first potty training your pup or when they’re older and unable to hold their bladder.
You can find different sizes of diapers for different ages of dogs. Diapers are handy in preventing leakages. They also prevent germs from entering the urethra and causing a Urinary tract infection in dogs.
Don’t forget to buy dog diapers in bulk so you always have a spare around. Ensure to change their diapers frequently. Just like children, dogs need to feel fresh and clean at all times.
Being a responsible dog owner requires a lot of dedication and care. When you have the right dog accessories, you can make sure that your dog stays fit, healthy, and sound at all times.