Product Reviews

tk123 · 28-07-2011 11:19am #1

I thought it might be a good idea to share reviews of our animally purchases - nothing worse than forking out for a toy etc only for it to fall apart!!

I'll start with a coat I got a few weeks ago..

So when my guy was small I got him this coat from zooplus . It was a little bit big for him but he was a growing (retriever) puppy so I figured he'd grow into it. It fell to the side a lot with him running around which I thought was the size and also I felt a bit of an eejit walking him in it as it always looked wonky so it went in the dog stuff box.
Fast forward and over the last few months I had him out a good few times times in lashing rain - I was wearing waterproof jacket, trousers and shoes and he was downed beside me so I felt guilty. He needs the long walks to build up his leg so I felt guilty and decided to try out his coat since he's gotten bigger. It just fell to the side the whole time, leg straps were too long and thin and had to be tied in knots so they weren't dangling which he didn't like - it just had my heart broken.:mad:
I had a look online and decided to take a chance on an Ancol Stormguard from a seller on ebay - they raved about the coat in their listing (why wouldn't they lol) and said it didn't slip and slide. It's made to come down over the chest which is what I wanted - on a wet day or even when it's not raining and the ground is wet his legs, chest etc get wet and mucky. And the price was reasonable- around €20 for xxlarge
I've used the coat twice now - last week we were going to meet his friend for a quick play. The rain had stopped but I'd already dried him off 3 times that day so threw the coat on as I knew he'd get wet and mucky in seconds!:pac: He ran around with his friends, rolling over in the grass with them etc and the coat stayed in place and he didn't get mucky again.:D Had it on him this morning and again - no probs with him trotting around the place with it on and he just his legs, tail and head needed to be dried off when we got home.

So

Ancol Stormguard Coat
Pros:
Leg straps have poppers so you don't have to bend their legs trying to get the straps on and off - brilliant if the dog is injured/recovering and may not be able to bear full weight on one of the legs
Goes on over the head and covers most of the chest with just one velcro strap
Doesn't restrict movement/play
Machine washable

Cons:
None so far - just make sure to wipe the coat down or hang over a sink/bath etc - I threw it over the back of a chair this morning after we'd been out, looked away and then there was a lovely mucky puddle on the floor :rolleyes:

ppink · 28-07-2011 11:55am

Does this coat have straps for the back legs? it is hard to see from the pic they have on their website.

tk123 · 28-07-2011 12:12pm

ppink wrote: »

Does this coat have straps for the back legs? it is hard to see from the pic they have on their website.

Yep it does and they're much thicker and stronger than the zooplus one which were quite thin. They have poppers on them too so you can just open the popper and put it behind their legs instead of lifting up their legs and pulling the straps over - this will come in handy for us if we need the coat after he has surgery in the winter. I should have taken a pic of him in it this morning lol! I'll get some pics later

tatabubbly · 28-07-2011 12:41pm

I use the Ancol coats for my two dogs..

Oh also, when buying from pet stores, do some research before hand cos sometimes people who work there have no interest in animals! (apart from me of course!:) )

ABitofsense · 28-07-2011 1:34pm

Good thread..

I got the "dog runningegg" from zooplus cost nearly 20E and with all the good reviews from it i thought my husky would go mad with as he loves chasing anything that moves

. We gave it to him, he look at it, then at me and gave me a look like whats the point. Unfortunately that is the only time he has gone near it. Great idea but not for every dog.

tk123 · 11-08-2011 2:36pm

Pics of Bailey at the park in his cóta yesterday lol

He wouldn't stay still long enough to get some decent pics (his friend was back from holidays and they were having a play lol) but you get the idea. The coat is covered in wet cut grass because he likes to roll around on his back when he's playing so it saved (most of) him from getting soaked turning green!! :pac: :pac:

Posing

Basil Brush lol

Making a run for it after stealing a ball! :pac:

scarlet_mandy · 11-08-2011 3:12pm

Heya, good thread!

Got our Lab a Boomer Ball, the hard solid plastic ones they can't pick up in their mouths and can't bite through. Best 12 quid we ever spent on her! She keeps trying to pick it up, it slips away, she chases it, repeat until we physically have to take it away from her. Well either that or she gets it stuck under a chair

Great for keeping her entertained and a couple of months on it's still in good condition, unlike the numerous rubber balls, tennis balls, footballs, etc we have gone through

JustAThought · 14-08-2011 9:56pm

OooooH ; boomer Ball!! That sounds perfect!! What does it Look likeand where can I get one !?

I bought one of those hollow solid plastic balls with a hole to put treats into. I put her dry dog food small pellets into it and she LOVES it; keeps her well happy til she worries them all out! Got it as part of a cheap doggy kit but you can buy them separately. Get the small tennis ball size one and not the big ones you have to buy expensive special shaped treats for. Hours of entertainment!

Boomer Ball!!...where please!
( on behalf of the ball chomper)

Chris_Heilong · 14-08-2011 11:15pm

I had originally bought the normal furminator for a small Pomeranian but it fell short when trying to use it on my Alaskan Malamute, on my trip to China I ended up going to a dog fair and buying a undercoat rake which was very handy for removing undercoat but I longed for the ease of use I had with using the furminator on my Pom, I heard there was a new version of the furminator for long coated breeds and this sparked my interest, found it for a great price at http://www.hollywoodshop.co.uk/furminator-c-32.html
I went with the one for giant breeds as better to go too big than too small.

so

FURminator for Giant long coated breeds

Pros: its for long coated breeds, Like the regular furminator, comes with an extra button which pushes the fur off the brush teeth, nice handle and good price

Cons: Must use the plastic cover that comes with it to keep it in good condition, if teeth get broken it becomes useless as it will tear at the dogs fur

scarlet_mandy · 15-08-2011 8:33am

JustAThought wrote: »

OooooH ; boomer Ball!! That sounds perfect!! What does it Look likeand where can I get one !?

I bought one of those hollow solid plastic balls with a hole to put treats into. I put her dry dog food small pellets into it and she LOVES it; keeps her well happy til she worries them all out! Got it as part of a cheap doggy kit but you can buy them separately. Get the small tennis ball size one and not the big ones you have to buy expensive special shaped treats for. Hours of entertainment!

Boomer Ball!!...where please!
( on behalf of the ball chomper)

He he he he yeah best investment we ever made anyway! You can see a pic here http://www.amazon.co.uk/Boomer-Ball-Company-Animals-Size/dp/B004W7802C/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1313393454&sr=8-2 but we got it in PetWorld in Omni shopping centre, or PetMania in Gullivers Retail Park Santry, can't remember which one but I will double check with the OH

tk123 · 15-08-2011 11:35am

Pet Querks Babble Ball(Animal Sounds)

(I was going to hold off until later and do a review of a toy that I have confiscated - the Kong Wobbler and compare to a Buster Cube so I could get videos of both..then I remembered a toy that has annoyed me even more that I already have a video of lol!! :pac:)

Linky - http://www.petqwerks.com/babbleballs.php

Ok so we got this as a present from a friend of ours - luckily I took their advise and kept the little plastic tab that goes between the batteries and contact as there is no on/off button. This is a plastic ball that makes LOUD animal sounds when you move the ball. It's very very sensitive - like if you walk beside it that's enough to set it off. It makes tons of animal sounds - barking dog, cat miowing, horse, lion, elephant etc etc

I'm trying to be diplomatic here but this has got to be one of the most annoying things in the world. :mad::mad::pac: It's been banished since I made the video lol.

I gave it to my baba after he'd been to hydro and then had a run around with his buddies for about 15 mins (so we could meet and collect the present) so he was a bit tired. Also he has some fear issues and can be a bit of a scaredy dog so he's not really into noise making toys - he likes his plush toys that quack or squeak or squeaky kong balls etc so this would be the last toy I'd buy for him.

Pet Querks Babble Ball(Animal Sounds)
Pros:
It's loud and makes lots of different noises so if dogs are into that kind of thing they'll be amused
It seems strong enough
It's very sensitive - in the video his breath sets it off a few times

Cons
It's loud
There is no off switch!!!!!!!

Here's Bailey wondering what to make of it lol. Normally he'll pick a ball up and bring it back to me for a treat so I set it up and told him to get the ball - he didn't know what to do! I love when he goes HUH?!?! with his head to one side :pac::pac:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mw8G_fk4um0

scarlet_mandy · 15-08-2011 1:42pm

Ha ha ha yeah Juno had that a friend of ours bought so we can't throw it out!! Very often in the middle of the night you hear it go off in the next room (where it's been banished to) for no apparent reason! Scares the bejaysus outta ya when you walk by the room

Juno just tends to bark at it when she does get a hold of it!

Zapperzy · 15-08-2011 2:25pm

Oh didn't realise the babble ball came in animal noises! I had the blue talking one, it was too big for him to carry around in his mouth so I put a sock over it so he could carry it around. It never used to bother me too much. Must keep an eye out for the animal noises one, not sure how he'd react to it, he usually barks at animals on the tv!

JustAThought · 15-08-2011 8:14pm

That video is so funny and ANNOyInG; my yoke jumped off the couch and eyeballed the phone when I played it!!! Not for me I think! Good to know!

I used to buy my dog those parrot toys ( I know) with all the knots in bits of rope and bits of stick in them; uses to be great joy in them before she figured out to eat the sticks! Can go to the park for them for free but for a long while they were the big hit toy of rhe moment!!!

Sigma Force · 15-08-2011 11:03pm

I don't know the name of it but Tesco had a red colourdey ball with a hole to put bits of food in, hard plastic, it makes a noise when the dog moves it around. They were €6.00 at the time was kicking myself a few weeks later when they were selling them off for €3.00. Suitable for smaller dogs, my lads a big chewer and so is my parents dog but neither seem to want to chew it not sure why. They both get loads of fun out of it.

Do empty 7up bottles count as a product for product review? We fill it with dog food and the papillon absolutley loves it, noisey but he doesn't chew the bottle for some reason.

Nyla bones are handy too we get them in various places as well as the white filled bones.

zooplus bird perches, the wooden forked ones are great they screw on to. The cage as well as the zooplus http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/birds/bird_cages_and_accessories/large_parakeet_cages/montana/40967 perfect for 2 budgies or a cockatiel or two. Handy to move around, easy to put together and you don't need the extra wire tray at the bottom too hard on feet but if you remove it it gives the cage more height again. Can't fault it for the price as well. Although the dome part on the top is a bit pointless for lazy cockatiels, budgies might climb around on it more. But the reason I got one with a dome was because there's a section on it you can open flat so the bird can climb in and out of the cage easily.

On Mollys.ie they have leather collars with hearts..various colours, we got the baby blue one and it's cute and hardwearing but soft enough on more delicate dogs necks.

Got this toy free http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/dogs/dog_toys_dog_training/flying_dog_toys/frisbees/35741 from zooplus when I bought some dog food, need to replace it now because parents dog took the squeeker out but it's still intact otherwise thinking about it might not replace it coz she'll only do it again. If you're dogs not a massive chewer and loves to chase frisbees or balls it's perfect, it's two toys in one and softer on the teeth. Collie does get her teeth stuck in the little holes sometimes so it's supervise play only type of toy.

Kong squeeky tennis balls were great too..again parents dog wrecked them but again handy for dogs who like to look after their toys. :rolleyes:

tk123 · 16-08-2011 9:34am

I might try the furminator for longer hair - I have a normal one but I had read or heard somewhere that it can cut their coat so I got a bit put off by it.

JustAThought · 16-08-2011 10:58am

For all dog ball eaters; mine found a sloithar ( Hurley ball!) in the park; has had it for months and hasn't managed to wreck it yet! Great virtual investment!!!

tk123 · 16-08-2011 11:29am

One of the destroyers in the group wrecked a sloithar and then my guy ATE the skin!!

axle108 · 16-08-2011 2:37pm

i asked my dog trainer about this furminator as pet store said it would be great on my german shepherd. trainer showed me side of a german shepherd that had this comb used on it. pulled out hair leaving patches. these brushes are not cheap!!!!!

moving_home · 16-08-2011 7:04pm

have so say the Kong wobbler was one of the best things we ever bought our dog. It's a treat ball so we give her the breakfast in it.

Zapperzy · 16-08-2011 10:41pm

Drinkwell water fountain
http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/cats/cat_bowls_feeders/cat_fountains/127520

Would definitely recommend it if your cat loves playing with the water out of the tap. It holds 1.8L. It's not completely silent, has a quiet hum, I put it on a piece of towel as it's a bit louder when placed directly on the wooden floor. Once you keep it topped up with water it's quieter also. You don't hear a constant trickle of water unless you fill it right up to the top and turn the flow up to the max.

My cat loves it anyways! If you watch it on zooplus it goes down in price every so often. Also it leads you to think you need to buy filters but you don't, the filters help freshen up the water but they are not necessary.

Chris_Heilong · 16-08-2011 11:48pm

axle108 wrote: »

i asked my dog trainer about this furminator as pet store said it would be great on my german shepherd. trainer showed me side of a german shepherd that had this comb used on it. pulled out hair leaving patches. these brushes are not cheap!!!!!

The pet shop are making a killing on them all right, there are fake ones going around also but and I do mean but the product I linked to in my last post is real and works just the same as my last furminator, I bought my first one at full price and it was great on my Pomeranian until some of the teeth got damaged and then it started pulling fur, I read online that you should keep it in the plastic protector that comes with it as if it is even a little damaged it is useless. I think your trainer either got a fake one or brushed too aggressively as my Malamutes coat now looks very conformed and not in bits.

axle108 · 17-08-2011 12:04am

Chris_Heilong wrote: »

The pet shop are making a killing on them all right, there are fake ones going around also but and I do mean but the product I linked to in my last post is real and works just the same as my last furminator, I bought my first one at full price and it was great on my Pomeranian until some of the teeth got damaged and then it started pulling fur, I read online that you should keep it in the plastic protector that comes with it as if it is even a little damaged it is useless. I think your trainer either got a fake one or brushed too aggressively as my Malamutes coat now looks very conformed and not in bits.

thanks for the reply, pet shop making a killing is right. popular shop showed it to me , i asked how much. over 50 euro , needless to say i dont have one from there. must ask breeder more about brush, but she knows her stuff. on reflection on your post again, ill mention about teeth being broken and fur getting pulled out to her. kinda would expect her to notice that though.

anyways ta.

Zapperzy · 23-08-2011 12:25am

http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dog_toys_dog_training/intelligence_games/151988

Got this today. Good idea, kept himself happy and waggy tailed while working out how to get to the liver cake. Definitely only suitable for small dogs, mine is about 12" to the shoulder and I wouldn't recommend it for a dog bigger than him, probably more suited to even smaller dogs than him. The little lids are only about 2" tall and 1" in diameter and could easily be swallowed by a bigger dog, I'm even weary of him playing with it, not a hope am I leaving him alone with it just in case. Also only very small treats fit into the holes. Nevertheless I got it using my zooplus reward points so happy enough with it.

http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/cats/cat_toys/catnip_toys/cat_toys/127504

Also got this today. Very happy with it. Spent a good 10 minutes just rolling all over it and chewing it when she got it first. My cat usually gets so stimulated by catnip she gets hyper and aggressive, this thing just makes her really really happy. Thought it would be bigger but I guess I should've read the description.

ferretone · 23-08-2011 4:07pm

axle108 wrote: »

thanks for the reply, pet shop making a killing is right. popular shop showed it to me , i asked how much. over 50 euro , needless to say i dont have one from there. must ask breeder more about brush, but she knows her stuff. on reflection on your post again, ill mention about teeth being broken and fur getting pulled out to her. kinda would expect her to notice that though.

anyways ta.

It's not just the shops falling over themselves to sell these Furminator things. I used to work in a petshop, and one day the rep for one of the suppliers came in, and was trying to persuade me we should stock them. I told her the owner had already told me she wasn't interested in the product, but she kept on about it.

Finally she offered to demonstrate it on my dog Lola, who was lying in her bed in the shop. Told me it would do a lovely job removing her dead undercoat. Twas with grave difficulty I kept a straight face while informing her, "Errm, sorry, Dobermanns don't have an undercoat!" :pac:

ryan84 · 23-08-2011 4:21pm

furminators are fantastic. I use it on my cat. never any bald patches. but bought it on amazon (i think) way cheaper than the petshops

andreac · 23-08-2011 4:31pm

If you want a Furminator, buy it on Ebay or Amazon, much cheaper. I got mine, postage included for less than 20euro.

are you serious · 23-08-2011 5:03pm

andreac wrote: »

If you want a Furminator, buy it on Ebay or Amazon, much cheaper. I got mine, postage included for less than 20euro.

Which one did you get andrea? I was thinking of getting one for buddy, wasnt sure which one to buy though.

ppink · 26-08-2011 1:29pm

I got a pet carrier from Lidl. cant see it on their website now to link it.

It is canvas with a metal frame.......76 x 48 x 50cm

i only just got it but so far it is the fastest carrier to put up and most sturdy canvas one I have used. 2 seconds and it is all folded away again.
it comes with little tabs and pegs to secure to the ground if camping i assume.
Has pocket for leads etc and opens front side and top.

Everyone likes it so far anyway:)

It cost €50

JustAThought · 29-08-2011 8:51pm

Thisus a bit of a cheapskate one but my dog LOVES it ! She's used to trying to shake treats out of a crushed small coke or orange bottle, but I've been on a healthy binge for ages do didn't gave any. I put two ( only!) treats into a large ( used!) Yop yoghurt container and I swear she spent about twenty minutes mad with excitement trying to shake them out!!! The big Yops are much deeper than fizzy or water bottles so she has to work a lot harder! Played put the treat in it a few times fir her; happy dog snoring on couch! Unbelievable!
And I got to drink the yop! Cheap date dog!!! : )

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