I have always been a dog person. I grew up with a Portuguese Water Dog, my Gracie, and Bella, who is also a cockapoo. Getting Murray has been the best thing ever for Jake and I, and over the course of the last 9 months I think I have found the dog products that work best for him!
Murray’s Dog Essential Items:
Sleep:
First, this bed is Murray’s absolute favorite. When he was smaller he didn’t use it as regularly, but now that he’s (almost) full grown, I think he has realized that it is just the perfect size for him. We keep it in our bedroom and he sleeps in it every single night. I love how much he loves it and knows that it’s for him! Right now the blue is sold out, but I’m honestly loving the neutrals they have available right now. If I had the room, I’d buy him a second one, he loves it so much!
Walking and Car Rides:
I also purchased this Wild One Harness for Murray pretty early on. Although we no longer use a harness every time we go outside (he’s a pretty good walker now!), I like having a harness on Murray when we put him in the car and then I attach it to this dog seatbelt. That way I know, if we were to ever get in an accident, he’s as safe as possible without choking himself or flying forward. Speaking of, we always put down this L.L.Bean dog blanket that my parents got for us when we brought home Murray. It’s embroidered with his name, which is so sweet, but it also washes really well and he uses it whenever he needs to be in the car. It really was the perfect welcome home gift for him (and us!)
Can you tell I went with a blue theme? I also purchased the Foggy Dog leash you see above in “Ocean Marine”, paired with their Foggy Dog Rifle Paper Co. Poop bag dispenser. Obviously, these two are our “every day” items but, even after 9 months of consistent use, they’ve both held up well and I’d absolutely buy again in a heartbeat. I’m head over heels for The Foggy Dog, and would definitely buy from them again (I mean, the bandanas are so cute!)
In addition to his leash and poop bag dispenser, we also ordered a basic navy collar. I love this one because it is easily adjustable and has really grown with him as he has gotten bigger. One of my favorite things I decided to do was get a custom dog tag from him from Wag Tag Design on Etsy. I absolutely love it and am so glad we got it. It does not have any scratches on it, and he looks so cute and proud when you can clearly see “Murray” on the tag as he is sitting. The shop was so helpful in making sure the tag looked exactly as we wanted it. I went for the silver medium, with no symbol and more than one phone number. We seriously could not be happier with it and I highly recommend going with them if you’re looking for a custom tag!
Food:
As for his dog bowls, I knew I wanted something simple that would blend in with our kitchen space. I opted to go with these dog bowls in the 4 cup size (in white) and they are perfect! They have held up, are easy to clean, and Murray clearly prefers them best. (For some reason, when we go other places, it takes him time to warm up to bowls that aren’t his! He’s too funny!) Additionally, one of the first things we bought was this navy mat for the dog bowls from L.L.Bean. I seriously love the blues when it comes to Mr. Murray! But really, the mat is easy to clean and these two bowls fit on it perfectly. If you’re curious, Murray eats Fromm Dog food, (and occasionally gets some fresh pet sprinkled on top!) but I would consult with your vet on what is best for your pup! For chews, Murray loves this brand of bully sticks, mainly because I think it smells the least, and loves both the sticks and the braided kind.
Also, if you’ve followed Murray on Instagram, you may have noticed I was doing weekly “Murray Bag” photos when we first got him. I knew I wanted an L.L. Bean tote for that first bag shot before we even brought him home – but what I didn’t realize is how often we would use the “Murray bag.” It’s my go-to storage for his “travel” stuff, and we use it every time we go see our families. It’s the perfect size for his toys, food, chews and extra poop bags. We use these ones regularly by the way—they work great and are thick enough! Although we also think the wild one dog poop bags might be the best ones we’ve ever used. Who knew we’d have an opinion on that?!
Toys:
I’ll start this section by saying Murray is a chewer. Not of our things (thankfully) but of his stuffed toys. He totally goes at them 100% and does not want to stop until he feels they are properly destroyed. As much as he loves the stuffed toys, I’m not longer really buying them out of fear that he will ingest something. But, through the process, I have found some non-stuffed toys that definitely last longer. For example, this West Paw toy has lasted over a month so far, as has this Nylabone faux bully stick. He also loves his Kongs, especially this large kong bone.
Tech:
Lastly, and our newest addition, my sister Katie got us the Furbo dog camera for Christmas this year! I love how sleek it looks in the apartment. If you didn’t already know what it was, you wouldn’t think anything of it! It dispenses dog treat when you want it to (we use these ones because they are small and dispense easily), you can talk to your pup, and you get a live feed of your dog at home. Murray has struggled with staying home alone throughout this puppyhood. He used to cry and howl quite a bit! Although that isn’t as much of an issue anymore at our apartment, having the Furbo gives us peace of mind when we our out.
What works best for your own pup? Let me know if any of these items help you out with your doggo!
