Our testing team really enjoyed them as well. “My dogs loved them.” The team liked that they were small - so you don’t have to break them up for smaller dogs, and portable - great for travel. “Our pups loved them all, and even tried to get the one that rolled under the fridge!” He gets an ‘A’ for effort!

The flavors we tested included Carob Snackers, Peanut Butter Snackers, Cranberry Snackers, Cheddar Snackers and Pumpkin Spice Snackers with the most popular being the Peanut Butter and Carob. All testers said they would buy more or similar products from Sammy Snacks.

Editors comments: The people at Sammy Snacks were wonderful to work with and really have a tasty, healthy product. They have also ‘gone green’ utilizing brown bags and a limited amount of ink. So go to their website www.SammySnacks.com and pick up yours  - just be sure to share.

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Direct from their website it explains, ‘Stella & Chewy’s is an all-natural, raw, frozen-fresh and freeze-dried petfood, made exclusively from human-grade free-range meats, ground bones, and fresh organic vegetables.’

Although the idea of ‘freeze dried’ is not terribly appealing, it is a fantastic product made from just one ingredient; free range chicken or beef. They are great for traveling and good for dogs who may need to lose a few pounds (no grains included). With all the crazy dog food recalls out there, it is nice to find a manufacturer dedicated to making safe (and tasty) products for our pets.

Henry and Jess go absolutely crazy for them (they almost dance around the kitchen when I take them out) - and Henry can be quite fussy about his treats. All Henry’s testers were wild about Stella & Chewy’s carnivore kisses so we had to give them a five out of five.

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In our endeavour to find environmentally friendly products for our pets, we came across www.poopbags.com. 100% biodegradable plastic bags (manufactured to the ASTM D6400 specification - which means they will degrade at a rate similar to an apple!). With some frightening stats on their site about dog waste and pollutants, it is really worth the time and effort to pick up after our dogs and utilize biodegradable bags.

Here’s what our River City Westie testers had to say, “No bones about it…this is one “terrier-ific” poop bag!  We were introduced to PoopBags by one of our Westie Mums.  In fact, she liked them so much that she contacted PoopBags.com and asked them to consider supporting our 3rd Annual Virginia Westie Walk with a donation of PoopBags…and, they jumped at the opportunity!  The poop bags were a big hit at the event, and many of our Westie Mums & Dads now use them too! 

As a club that promotes and supports a healthier and cleaner environment for our four-legged friends, we are proud to now offer PoopBags at our monthly Meetups and events.  Thanks PoopBags.com for helping these Westies go green, and to further reduce their poop-print on the planet!”

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Walking two dogs can sometimes be a nightmare. Especially when they are constantly crossing each other and the leads get all tangled up. I found a product called Pet Walker Plus who have a solution - a patented swivel design allowing dogs to walk over and under each other without tangling. Separate leads allow pet owners to control and correct each dog and it can be used on both large and small dogs. Here’s what one of our reviewers, Matt, had to say:

‘I rank this Pet Walker Plus leash a 4 out of 5. It is very easy to use and there was no tangling of the leads. It is easy to put on, it looks nice and it is very sturdy. With my two dogs who have the pulling power of 200 lbs there was no danger of it breaking - it’s obviously very well made. I would not only buy other products from this manufacturer, I would feel comfortable being on their mailing list.’

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Created by competitive disc world champions, these discs (frisbees) are puncture resistent and easy to fly. We have tested other durable discs but our testers found them too heavy and walked away. The Jawz Disc is lightweight and there are a few sizes - perfect for any size dog. The Hyperflite Disc was ranked a perfect five out of five in Henry’s Lab. It’s worth the investment.

Please note - we recommend selecting a color besides green as it can easily get lost in the grass.

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First and foremost, I needed a way to share some water with my dog when we go to the park without having to drag a water bowl around (which I did when they were pups). I found some nice collapsible bowls but they never really lasted very long and got kind of gunky. I then stumbled upon the pet top while searching for an answer.

Very well made, small and convenient, the Pet Top portable drinking device screws on to most water bottles (Evian, Dasani, Aquafina, etc.) – although you may need to purchase an adaptor for some of the newer bottle styles. It works like a rabbit feeder whereby there is a small ball at the bottom. You screw it on and turn the bottle upside down (no spillage) and as the dog licks the end, the ball rolls and the water dispenses out. See a video of it here, in action at You Tube.

Our testing team loved the Pet Top and really found it handy to keep in the car for those jaunts out at the park, walking trails, outdoor summer events, etc. One of our testers commented that her dogs “loved the adapter, drank like large gerbils!” The only negative comment I have is the comment I saw on You Tube where someone had trouble receiving it after ordering it.

Convenient and compact, this is a great product for those outdoor pups – it’s still hot here in Virginia and we need to keep ‘em hydrated!

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I really had high hopes for this product. It was hard to find but I love the concept. They are bells you hang on a door and teach your dog to ring them when he has to go out. Great looking – comes in lots of different styles and comes with a sweet dog bone keychain – and easy to use – just hang on your door handle. The training is a little more difficult. In theory, every time your dog waits by the door or scratches the door to go out you shake the bells and say a command like ‘outside’ so they associate the bell ringing with going outside. It should take a few weeks for you dog to grasp the concept and start ringing the bell when they want to go out. The lovely Christmas bell sound is loud enough to hear around the house but not obnoxious that you’d like to destroy it.

Now, I have tested it in my house for 6 weeks and to date Henry and Jess have rang the bell about 5 times combined. That’s not to say it doesn’t work, there could be a few reasons for the delay – laziness (on my part and theirs), old age (theirs, not mine! although they are really middle aged), not enough time to get the idea, etc. They really are smart dogs but they do have their shortcomings. My testers found similar reactions although the ones with younger dogs had some really good success.

So, as a reviewer, I have to give this a two out of five stars as most of our team I didn’t have a lot of luck but we’re not giving up yet. Check back in a few months for an update! 

By all means, please try it yourself – the Poochie Bells company are lovely people - and come back and let us know how it worked for you. It’s worth a try – much cheaper than new doors.

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Convincing my dog, Henry that taking a glucosamine and chondroitin tablet will be beneficial to his health was really futile. Upon my vet’s recommendation, I was to give my labs, Henry and Jess pills to promote flexible joints and seeing as labs are notorious for having hip dysplasia, I obliged. I searched for supplements that would be easy for them to eat - powder, perhaps? I found gel caps and time-release ones but no powder. I finally tried GNC and they had tablets but they also had something called a tablet splitter or crusher. For $5.99 you can split a pill in half or crush it completely. Place the pill in the top half to cut in half (watch out for the open razor). Unscrew the top half, put the pill in and screw it back on for crushing. Storage is in the bottom.

After extensive testing in Henry’s Lab, we found this to be a fantastic product (just don’t let the kids get a hold of it because of the razor). it even has a chamber to store the tablets if you need to take them on vacation. An excellent product with a great price and widely available.

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Here’s what Boo Boo & Lily’s Mom had to say about testing out Happytails Dry Dog Instant Clean spray - it is just like it sounds - a “dry shampoo” for your pup:

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“We tried the Doggie Instant Clean on our dogs, Boo Boo & Lily and it was great. It made their coats very shiny and great smelling, but for a deep cleaning all the way to the skin, I would still do a full blown bath with shampoo and water. The Instant Clean was great for a quick spruce-up job, like when you don’t have time for a regular bath, have company coming, and your dogs smell “less than wonderful”. I even had someone comment on how shiny their coats looked after using the Instant Clean, which was very nice. The scent is great too. We all highly reccommend it!”

Boo Boo & Lily’s Mom, Lora.

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In my research I found a new dog bowl from Dog Pause. It’s really well made - very sturdy plastic with a cute dog in the middle. The food is split into four sections forcing your dog to slow down after each one so we tested it in Henry’s Lab.

Our Lab testers showed this bowl slowed down fast eaters and average of 20-40%. Although we didn’t have as great a success as the dog in the video on their site, It is still an impressive product with good results.

Henry’s Backyard recommend this product especially for those with overweight dogs or dogs with digestive problems. There are now similar bowls on the market but this one is the best we have seen. www.dogpausebowl.com

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