Basic Dog Equipment

Dog bowls: Provide your dog with two bowls; one for his food and the other for his water. Make sure that the water bowl is always full of clean fresh water and at easy reach. It's best to place the dog's bowl in a place where people will not accidentally kick at it. You should put a rubber mat underneath the dog's bowls to avoid water from splashing on the floor and food from staining or messing up your house. There are many stores and online sites where you can find many different types of dog bowls in all the sizes and colors. The best option for dog bowls are the stainless steel ones because they are easy to clean and bacteria does not stay on them like on the plastic ones. There are also bowls that have raised edges to avoid the long ears of some dogs from ending up in their food.

Dog toys: While adult dogs enjoy toys that they can chew, younger pups do well with fleece toys. Make sure that whatever toy your pet has, it cannot be swallowed nor become lodged in his mouth or throat. Don't give your dog real bones as they splinter and can cause internal injury. Under no circumstances give your pet household items, old shoes, clothes or your kids old toys as this will lead to confusion as to what is correct to chew and what is off limits.
Specially designed dog toys are the best and safest but you should avoid your dog playing with only one toy all the time as this can lead to problems with possessiveness. Don't give your dog any toy that he could swallow or that is fragile. Choosing the right kind of toys is often a matter of the size of your dog and its mouth. Toys that could be swallowed or become lodged in your dog's throat should never be given. Rubber balls, chewing (synthetic) bones, chewing toys, Frisbees etc… are some of the best toys you can give your dog. If your canine is particularly destructive it is best to give it chewable toys as this allows your dog to take out its frustrations and boredom without damaging your household items. Teething puppies can be given rawhide chewing bones to relieve the pain and urge to chew associated with this period of its life.