Our Essentials for Dog Ownership

These are some of our everyday essentials for our dogs, we highly recommend these products and stand behind them. We are not sponsored or affiliated with any of these brands, and do not get any kind of kick-back from them. We simply promote these products because we feel they offer great benefits to the dogs and we love the results we see with them. Every dog is different but in our years of experience - this is what works for us! 

Food, Treats, & Bones

Our food recommendation is Purina Pro Plan 30/20 Chicken and Rice. While sometimes different foods work for different dogs, this is our baseline recommendation for all our dogs. We highly recommend this food and stand behind it fully. It is sold at many retailers and can easily be bought at a store or ordered online. 
​High Value Treats
​There are many options for what we refer to as 'high value' treats, these are treats that are of high incentive value to your dog. We save these for training sessions or rewarding the dogs in important situations.  
Biscuits
​Our dogs LOVE biscuits of many varieties including Milk Bone, Mother Hubbard, Bil Jac, Bocce's and more. We use these as a more everyday style treat or special snack for the dogs.
Bones
There are many options on the market for bones, we recommend natural bones, we NEVER give rawhide products as they can be harmful, we also do not recommend pig/cow ears. Our dogs love filled bones, bully sticks, and hooves especially. 

Supplements

Platinum Performance Canine 
​Canine Omega-3 Wellness & Performance Formula 
This supplement supports your dogs digestion, joints, skin, coat and more. We love the results we see with this formula use adding it into our daily feeding routine. We highly recommend all of the Platinum Performance products.
Purina Pro Plan
FortiFlora
Cosequin 
Joint Supplement
FortiFlora is a great essential to keep in your cupboard for a probiotic supplement for your dog. This supplement helps promote a strong immune system and comes in powder satchels or chewable pills. Anytime you want to give your dog's system a boost, or help support your dog's stomach we recommend this product.
This joint supplement is a great addition for all senior dogs to keep them moving and strong for years to come. It comes in both chewable tablet and soft chewable pill forms. We love Cosequin products and they have a wide variety of products that can promote the health of your dog.  ​

Crates

Your Southern pointer will have already been started on crate training, and we highly recommend including regular crating as a part of your dog's life. Even if you don't need it, your dog may at some point need to be crated whether it be in an emergency, for travel, or for its own safety. We recommend also feeding your dog in a crate to keep it focused on its meal. Dogs being comfortable crated provides them their own safe place within your home, and lets them always have their own space. 
Ruffland Kennels
These impact tested kennels are some of our favorites when it comes to travel kennels. They are safe, they don't rattle in the car, and they can safely keep your dog contained in the car. These crates offer handles and lots of holes for plenty of ventilation. They also come in a variety of colors. You can order directly from the company or find them from various retailers. We recommend the Large or X-Large size depending on the size of dog.
Vari Kennels
These dog crates are tried and true when it comes to dog kennels. They work both in the house and in the car. We recommend a 36" size as a minimum crate, but if you are going to use this as an everyday in the house crate would recommend a 40" or 42" size so your dog has more room to stretch out. You can buy these at many retailers and also easily find used ones available for sale. 
Wire Kennels
We keep our dogs in wire crates when at home as wire kennels offer lots of ventilation, daylight, and provide a large amount of space for the dogs to stretch out in. Our dogs stay at home in 42" or 48" kennels as this allows them to fully stretch out, stand up, and move around. These crates will do in a car, but do not offer much in form of safety in case of a crash. 
Other style kennels such as Impact, East Coast Crate, Gunner, and Dakota kennels also are great and offer extreme safety for your dog. We also encourage these style of kennels for the car or any kind of airline travel. 

Collars & Leads

A well fitted collar can save your dog's life and is essential in everyday life, having the proper lead is equally important. We do not promote the use of harnesses, gentle leaders, or any type of walking lead that is not a collar around the neck style. These styles of restraints restrain the dog's natural gait and not only inhibit their natural movement but in the long run - change their structure. Studies have proven that harnesses will change a dog's physical development over time in an effort to restrain the dog. Proper training to correctly teach your dog to walk on a lead is essential for every dog. There are many resources available to aid in this along with joining a local training class or kennel club to teach your dog manners. For us, walking nicely on a lead is non-negotiable and all of our dogs must do it. 
Martingale Collar
Classic Style Collar