Dog bags are an unfortunate part of taking your dog out for a walk. Every pet owner has a responsibility to not inflict their pet’s mess on other people, and while leaving dog waste is, from one perspective at least, not quite as bad as littering, stepping on their waste is a pretty grotesque experience.

One of the worst things that can happen when you are picking up your dog’s waste is to have your bag break, so one of the most important things to look for when buying your dog bags is durability.

That being said, we have an unfortunate situation where dog bags are often sent directly towards landfills, and when they aren’t biodegradable that can be a problem. We have the option to purchase biodegradable bags, which is yet another way for dog owners to be responsible owners.

The two main types of dog handling equipment for a dog owner are the leash and collar, and the leash and harness. Each of these tools have their pros and cons from the standpoint of a pet owner, of which we’ve laid out a few for each:

Collars;

Leashes can be attached to both leashes and harnesses with relative ease, so that doesn’t really come into the equation. Where it does come into is what happens once the leash has been removed; a harness will continue to restrict movement, whereas a collar can sit more comfortably on a dog’s neck.

When the leash is still attached to the collar, dogs can often pull against the leash and hurt themselves through choking, as most dog owners will have experienced.

Harnesses;

Harnesses have a lot of advantages over a collar, as they can provide far greater control over your pet and do so more safely for their health as well. This is particularly important for larger dogs that can potentially overpower their owners.

Grooming your own dog, when for them it isn’t exactly enjoyable, can be quite tricky, so many prefer to give the task to a professional who does it day in and day out. If you’re one of those dog owners who likes to do it themselves though, you need to make sure that you have the right tools for the job.

These tools depend in large part upon the type of hair that your dog has. A Cocker Spaniel for instance, has hair which is severely at risk of getting matted, so you need to have a few different tools; a bristle brush to get rid of tangles, a comb to smooth it all out, a hair-dryer, and an adjustable shower-head. If you have a pit-bull, you won’t really need to do any grooming other than the occasional bath.

If you’re dog’s nails aren’t being worn down fast enough on their walks, you may need to clip their nails too. This is particularly tricky and best left to a professional, but if you get shown how to cut them by a professional that may be enough.