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Product Recommendations
The right tools for each job with expert explanations.
Introduction - Read This First!
At Snoot we understand that adopting a new dog can be more expensive than you thought. That's why in addition to free video content to quickly solve your most common problems, we've gathered this shopping list of the most effective tools for dog ownership. These tools will help ensure your dog is happy, healthy, and well-behaved, saving you time, money, and frustration.Ā
Health Insuranceā
Health Insurance may seem like an unnecessary cost at this point. Your dog may be healthy, young, and not have any problems, but this is the best time to invest in keeping them that way. The benefits of having insurance help with the health costs for your furry friend are:
Keeps you accountable for keeping up with vet visits
Helps reduce costs for checkups to confirm your pup is healthy when you’re not sureĀ Ā
Greatly reduces costs for large unforeseen problems
Dog Food Quick-Guideā
Overview
Dog foods can be a very tricky topic, but as long as you choose a high-quality brand and the specific line of food for your dog’s age, size, and weight/activity level, you should be fine. Some of our recommended options are:Ā
Puppy Foods
Puppy foods will sometime be made of smaller kibbles for small mouths, but most importantly should be high protein and low calcium. High protein will help support the fast growth of a young dog, and keeping calciumĀ low while bones are growing will help avoid issues like hip dysplasia. You can keep feeding these foods until well into adulthood to be safe.Ā
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All Size Puppies
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All Size Puppies
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Small Breed Puppies
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Medium Size Puppies
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Large Breed Puppies
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All Sizes and Ages
Large Breed Foods
Foods designed for large breed dogs tend to contain more calories and supplements for joint support, like chondroitin, glucosamine, and omega-3’s. For adult large breed dogs, these are a must. For large breed puppies (up to 24 months!), you’ll need specific foods with less calcium, as too much can hip issues in developing bones. Make sure to choose appropriately!
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All Size Puppies
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Large Breeds All Ages
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Large Breeds All Ages
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All Size Puppies
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All Size Puppies
Small Breed Foods
Foods designed specifically for small breed dogs (less than 20 pounds) will be made of smaller kibbles and have more calories per cup than other foods, since smaller dogs have faster metabolisms relative to their weight.Ā
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Small Breed Adults
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Small Adults and Puppies - Grain Free
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Small Breed Adults - With Grains
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Small Breed Adults
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Small Breed Adults - Wet
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Small Adults and Puppies
Potty Training Starter Packā
Overview
Potty training comes down to encouraging your dog to go outside, with treats and praise, and discouraging them from going inside their crate (their own room!) when they’re at risk for pottying. For that you’ll need the following:
Crates
The type of crate you’ll want to use will depend on what your dog finds most comfortable. Double-door crates are easier for training, while some dogs prefer a cozier travel-style crate. Many crates have a removable flooring for easier cleaning and are collapsible for easier transport. Choose wisely, and don’t skimp on this dog training necessity!
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Best Overall
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For Comfort
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More "Den" Like
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Cozy, Double-Door
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For Big Strong Dogs
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For Dogs Who Don't Like Crates
Odor Eliminators
If your dog already knows how to go potty outside but still goes inside in specific spots, it may be because that spot already smells like a toilet to them. You might not be able to smell it, but they sure can! In these cases, an enzymatic spray can break down the odor and help your dog stop going there.Ā Ā
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Spray
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Foam
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For Large Areas
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Where To Go Instead
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Washable Rugs
Indoor Grass Alternatives
If you don’t have a yard – you live in an apartment or condo or maybe it’s too cold outside – you may need to find creative ways to help your dog learn where to potty. Grass pieces (sod), fake grass (turf), or wee-wee pads are all good options options to help your dog when you can’t get to walk outside or to a grassy area. But if you can, the best option is always REAL GRASS!
Chewing Starter Packā
Overview
Teaching your dog not to bite on you or the furniture is one thing, but you should also take care of their need to chew and teeth on things. The following options are the best value for the amount of time they take your dog to finish.Ā
Low Hardness
These options are smaller and softer versions of the chews for adult dogs. Perfect for puppies with sharp little teeth! Make sure to supervise your puppy the first whenever you give them anything new.Ā
Medium Hardness
These options are best for the average adult dog. They’re made of harder materials and can take your dog a while to finish them. The best options for dogs to chew are the texture of wood (somewhat hard) and are fully digestible when consumed. Use these as a nice snack or to burn off some extra energy if your dog hasn’t been able to exercise as much.Ā
Very Hard
These options are ideal for very strong dogs with powerful jaws and a lot of energy to let out. These can work for most adult dogs, but may be too difficult for many. Recommended for big and powerful dogs!
Training Starter Packā
When doing basic obedience training, you’re going to want to have treats (appropriate VALUE for the difficulty of the training) somewhere to keep the treats, and a few other appropriate tools like a good mat for “place”.Ā
Leash Walking Starter Packā
Loose-leash walking gets its own section because it’s a big problem for so many dogs, and there’s a lot of ways to get it wrong. The tools you need are pretty basic, and there are a lot of options out there that can actually make things worse. So for leash-walking, keep it simple.
All About Treats
Overview
Remember that for treats you want to use the appropriate treats for the situation. Low-value if you’re inside the house, and high-value if you’re somewhere very distracting or doing any training related to fears.Ā
Low-Value Treats
When training in your house, it’s a good idea to use your dogs kibbles as treats. Low value treats like the ones below will also be a good option for times when there are not many distractions around. This is important for not spoiling your dog, and for having options left when training something very difficult.Ā
Medium-Value Treats
Medium value treats are the typical treats you buys at the pet store. These treats are usually smelly and have some fillers, but are good for normal training if your dog is tired of kibbles. As a general rule, try not to use too much of these treats as they may be too much for your dogs stomach and cause diarrhea!Ā
High-Value Treats
Here are some examples of treats that most dogs would consider “High Value” treats. These are often made from real meats and are super stinky and tasty. Only use these when you really need to, like when you’re working around a lot of distractions or on overcoming fears.Ā
Play Time Toys And Gamesā
Every dog needs to relax and have some fun, chew on something, rip apart some toys, or play games with you or treat toys. Here are some fun “enrichment” options for you and your dog.Ā
Help With Fast Eaters And Sloppy Drinkersā
Some dogs may need to avoid eating too fast as it may make them sick, while some other dogs have long beards or just drink very sloppy. Both issues are very annoying and can be solved pretty easily with the right tools.Ā
Still Have Questions?