Golly Gear Review and #Giveaway

Good gear is paramount. It's an added plus if said gear is stylish. Mr. N goes for walks every single day or he's pretty unbearable to live with. He always wears a harness due to small dogs being prone to collapsing trachea.

His regular walking harness is getting worn and shabby. So it was opportune that Golly Gear offered us a harness to review. They are a family-run business that specializes in small dog gear and ten percent of their profit goes towards small dog rescues. The store has all sorts of paraphernalia for small dogs including toys, clothes, beds, treats, harnesses and leashes. Shipping is free over $49 to the US and they have a 30 day return and exchange policy.

Shipping was speedy and the package came with a small bag of bone-shaped dog treats that Mr. N snubbed initially because he's a snob but Sage gobbled down. He did later decide if Sage was eating them, he wanted one too.

Golly Gear specializes in harnesses and they offer a lot of thoughtful advice on how to pick the right one. You can either try their DIY harness picker or fill out a questionnaire for a customized consult. They steered me away from a harness I originally was looking at, saying it would not hold up to what I wanted it to do. I decided on the Choke-Free Shoulder Collar Harness because the color would go with his leash, I prefer leather and the design wouldn't irritate his trachea.

Shopping for small dogs can be a pain sometimes because often things are way too big or I can't find anything in his size. I've ordered toys for Mr. N several times that have turned out to be enormous. I really should order with a ruler in hand... We have a stash of things that are too big for Mr. N that I give away or donate. So I'm glad there's a store that serves this niche.

Shipping was speedy and the package came with a small bag of bone-shaped dog treats that Mr. N snubbed initially because he's a snob but Sage gobbled down. He did later decide if Sage was eating them, he wanted one too.

Golly Gear specializes in harnesses and they offer a lot of thoughtful advice on how to pick the right one. You can either try their DIY harness picker or fill out a questionnaire for a customized consult. They steered me away from a harness I originally was looking at, saying it would not hold up to what I wanted it to do. I decided on the Choke-Free Shoulder Collar Harness because the color would go with his leash, I prefer leather and the design wouldn't irritate his trachea.

The harness suits Mr. N's coloring very well and he has good range of motion while wearing the harness and seems to find it comfortable. I would definitely recommend the website (and retail store in IL) if you have a small dog. 

Golly Gear has also generously offered to give away a gift certificate to one lucky reader. You can enter to win a gift certificate below.

This post was sponsored by Golly Gear. They are not responsible for the contents of this article. All opinions expressed are our own. 

Visiting the Old Mill District Sculpture in Bend

Conquering a Nemesis

There's a goose that lives a few blocks away from us. Mr. N likes to glare as menacingly as a six-pound dog can through the fence at her and she in turn will flap her wings and hiss at Mr. N. The last couple of times we've seen her, Mr. N has managed to creep up on the goose and startle her. And then she runs away, flapping her wings. Mr. N is very proud of himself.

A pictorial description.

Complicated Canine Stick Rituals

When a terrier and a Border Collie get together, they can use their powers for evil. Or for good. They mostly use them for good. On their most recent beach trip, they decided to share a stick. Sage gnawed chunks off one end and Mr. N chewed on the other. 

That is until Mr. N decided he had enough of sharing and dragged the stick away. Sage will take back the stick when Mr.N gets tired of it. Until he steals it back again. 

Do your dogs play games with their friends? 

Sneak Attack

Back to School Activities + Training Goals

Mr. N plans on being a jock this school year. He's thinking about trying out for the track team or soccer. Drama club is also an option. He does love being the center of attention. 

Dog activity-wise, he's starting up therapy dog visits again and next month, he'll be testing for his novice trick dog title. We might also try for the Urban Canine Good Citizen title if I can find a test. Next year, I'd also like to get him into a nose work ORT. There are a couple tricks like rebounds and weaving through legs I'd like him to finish learning and some other old tricks that could use some polishing like "spin." His favorite sport, lure coursing is on hiatus until the summer. But I think he'll have plenty to do until then. 

Which school activity would your dog want to do? 

Welcome to First Monday's Positive Pet Training Blog Hop hosted by Cascadian Nomads, Tenacious Little Terrier and Rubicon Days. Please share your responsible pet owner positive pet training tips by linking a blog post or leaving a comment below. Any positive reinforcement training posts or comments are also always welcome. The Positive Pet Training Blog Hop goes all week long. Our next hop will begin Monday, Oct. 5th and continues for a week. 

Canine Running Style

Mr. N is part bunny so when he runs, he bunny hops.

Soaring is also a viable option.

How does your dog run? Do they trot or gallop or sprint?

Hiking Tumalo Falls

Dog Tag Taglines

Mr. N's new tag from Fetching Tags (that he won in a contest) arrived last week and I think it suits him perfectly.

Props to anyone who can guess the origin of the tagline!

Does your dog's tag have a tagline? If not, what would it be?

Rocco & Roxie Supply Company Jerky Review

The dogs set off for the beach armed with a bag of turkey jerky from Rocco & Roxie Supply Co (provided by Chewy.com). The seven-inch jerky sticks are made in the USA and has a savory meaty smell. Mr. N approves and he fancies himself a gourmand.

Mr. N and the pile of jerky. The sticks are scored and can be torn into smaller pieces fresh out of the bag but if it sits overnight, it hardens and becomes difficult. The first ingredient is meat with some small amounts of  salt, sugar and garlic powder. The jerky sticks are not greasy and don't leave residue on the hands.

Mr. N thinks they're a just reward for a speedy recall.

Sage thought it was desperately unfair that Mr. N was posing with treats and being rewarded and was drooling next to him for most of the shots. She got to participate in the end and gobbled down part of a jerky stick.

This post was sponsored by Chewy. They are not responsible for the contents of this article. All opinions expressed are our own. 

Tug-of-war over Sticks

Mr. N is not normally into tug but he loves stealing Sage's sticks. He runs away with them and then Sage's human has to go get them back because Sage won't. 

He is very fierce about maintaining his grip on the stick. On occasion, Ann will pick up the stick with Mr. N still clinging to it, four paws off the ground. She always threatens to throw Mr. N into the water along with the stick. So far that hasn't happened.

Do your dogs like to play tug?