Because Tucumcari is a small town, clients sometimes have trouble sourcing the equipment they need for training their dogs. My usual workaround is to order what I need from Amazon. Below is a list of stuff I recommend.
Unless otherwise noted, these are items I have personally used and liked. (NOTE: I do not receive a commission from anything you buy, because Amazon decided I didn’t have enough followers to give me a cut of the action, so this page is strictly a convenience for clients who are having difficulty sourcing items. If you can find stuff somewhere else, please do. Jeff Bezos is a jerk.)
First, the essentials:
Slip lead
I consider a good British slip lead to be the most useful piece of training equipment in my toolbox. I’ve owned at least four or five different brands of slip leads over the years, but this one is my favorite because it’s a good length; well-made; reasonably priced; and made of reflective material that enhances visibility during nighttime training sessions.
Treat pouch
A good treat pouch will make your life much easier when you’re tethering and hand-feeding your dog during the early stages of training. There are all kinds of treat pouches on the market, but in my experience, the ones that work best have a magnetic catch that you can open and close easily with one hand instead of having to faff about with drawstrings and zippers while your dog forgets why you’re giving him a treat in the first place. I bought this one from Amazon a couple of years ago and use it often, and I also have this silicone model, which is easy to clean and sanitize, but Chewy — which has better customer service and tends to treat its employees better than Amazon — offers this smaller one that looks promising; I’ll try to buy one in the near future and update with a review after I’ve tried it.
Other stuff that’s not absolutely necessary but is nice to have:
Check cord, a.k.a. “long line” or “tracking lead”
For training, a 25-foot check cord is a godsend, because it helps keep your dog safe while you’re teaching recall and proofing commands from a distance. There is a bit of a learning curve, but for safety reasons, I like check cords much better than retractable leashes, and using one regularly will improve your leash-handling skills. I bought mine from the guy who taught me to train dogs 25 years ago, but this one is similar.
Kong
If your dog has separation anxiety, a Kong toy full of frozen peanut butter and other high-value treats will go a long way toward calming him down. It’s also a good tool for training a dog who likes to chew; you simply correct him when he chews on an inappropriate item, then redirect him onto the Kong. I recommend buying two so you always have one in the freezer, ready to use when you need it. I’m not big on expensive enrichment toys, but Kongs are generally worth the investment.
Lamb Chop
I don’t know why, but Marley and Burrito Dog fell in love with the small Lamb Chop plushie I picked up while standing in line at the dollar store one day. Lamb Chop is the only plushie the Burrito cares about. Marley has a whole basket full of toys, but Lamb Chop is her absolute favorite. I have no idea what makes her so special, but clearly, she is important. If your dog likes plushies, Marley and Pearl highly recommend this one. (Just don’t let your dog play with Lamb Chop — or any other plushie — without supervision, as stuffed toys can cause intestinal blockages if a dog gets carried away and eats one.)
Tucumcari Dog Training 