5 Things You Need When You Have a Dog

Lots of people talk about things you must have when you have a baby. But no one really talks about what accessories are must haves for dogs! I remember when we first got Boomer we bought a lot of things that were totally unnecessary and we ended up going back over time to find things that would really work for us. So I thought I would do a post of the top 5 things that we use for Boomer. And, yes, I realize he is totally spoiled!! Ha!

1. The most important thing you can have on your dog is a collar with his home information on it. Even though we have a secure fence and leashes, Boomer has managed to escape several times and it's critical if he's lost that someone be able to return him or contact us. And a cute collar to hang it from is an added bonus!

2. The other item that we COULDN'T live without is our collapsible crate. We have it tucked in the corner of our bedroom and he sleeps in here about 50% of the time. He loves his crate and often times when he's tired and we're still up he will put himself to bed by going into his crate and falling asleep! Since it collapses we travel with it and he always has a routine place to sleep where ever we are.

3. Kong toys. If I had all the money back that we spent on other toys I'd be a rich woman! Ha! Kong toys are the only brand that are indestructible to Boomer's teeth. Everything else. EVERYTHING else he can shred in a matter of minutes. This one is his favorite because we put chewy treats in the holes on the end and he loves to dig them out.

4. A food placemat has been really nice to have for us. His food tray doesn't slide everywhere and I think it makes his corner look a little nicer. Ours is personalized, it was a Christmas gift :)

5. A retractable leash. We went several years without a retractable leash and the minute we got one I felt like a fool. They make walks so much better and you can control the "pulling" a lot easier with retractable leashes!

Dog owners: what are your must have items??