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Being a parent of young kids and having dogs at the same time can make for a very busy and full life schedule. As a parent who has dogs myself, I have found that there are many useful dog products out there that can actually be used for both dogs and kids.
After I began my research for this article, I also came across some fun dog products (but not essential) for families with children and canines that are completely safe for kids to use with dogs, so I will list those here as well.
What follows is a list that I gathered of some of the most fun, interesting, and best dog products that I have used with my own family and kids. Let's see if some of these can appeal to you, your dog, or your family.
Dog Products for Dog Owners with Kids
Backseat Organizer
If you often find that your car turns into one big garbage can after a few trips to the store because – you know – kids, then this Backseat Organizer is a really handy product to have. It is the perfect organizer that can store your child’s toys, accessories, gadgets, snacks, water bottles, whatever you wish to have in a car, placed neatly where it's supposed to be rather than lying under the seat or on the floor.
The product also works great at organizing your dog's accessories, whether you're going on a trip with kids or not! I'm having a great time because I'm able to stick anything from dog leashes and waste bags to collapsible car dog seats and dog toys. Backseat Organizer allows for a better-looking, cleaner vehicle and provides easy access to all the “useful” stuff you always need to take with you on car trips.
At least now everyone knows where everything is when they need it, and there will be less crying in the car from kids and dogs alike.
Regalo Easy Step Walk-thru Gate
If you have areas in the house that are off-limits for kids and dogs because they are unsafe or for any other reasons, then you might get a kick out of this Regalo Easy Step Walk-thru Gate; it's a crucial tool to have in your home in this type of cases. You can always find a more expensive item if you wish, especially those pet gates that turn into dog playpens and such, but if you're strapped for cash, this is a great budget option that's tough to beat.
RELATED: How to choose the right dog gates
I've bought two of these dog gates in the past – one for us, and one for our parents. We still have one of these at home. Usually, I'll move it around between two locations (although having a second one would be better). The gate is either at the top of the stairs as a safety precaution because we have a toddler in the house, or it will be placed downstairs to prevent access to the kitchen when I am cooking.
My dog can really get in the way in our small kitchen, so this gate is often a life time-saver! What I especially love about these pet gates is the ease of assembling them and applying them to doorways and hall openings within seconds. Once you figure out the technique (it took me a few tries and scanning reviews on Amazon), it's a piece of cake. Putting it up is easy enough for an adult to unlock the safety lock to go through but difficult enough for a kid (or a dog, duh) to be confused by the “super-intelligent” system and simply turn around.
Puppies: Puppy Book For Kids!
My kids really enjoyed this book!
Puppies book helped them understand how to care for a dog, how to look after, love, and behave around our dog and this specific breed. What's great about the book is that it is full of pictures that are all adorable. My kids even tried reading the book to the dog; needless to say, Fido was not amused.
RELATED: 25 best dog books every owner should read
This book was a fun read with a lot of easy-to-understand information. It also provides guidance on teaching, involving, and informing kids on the responsibilities of owning a dog, what is okay to do, and what isn't around your canine. I highly recommend this dog book if your family is planning to adopt a pooch soon or has just adopted a puppy recently. Even your older kids will find a lot of interesting information here and will definitely enjoy it if they adore dogs.
Hide-A-Squirrel Puzzle Toy for Dogs
You'd think that this is simply yet another dog toy, one of the millions available for purchase out there, but surprisingly, that is not the case. Hide a Squirrel is THE toy for dogs! But that's not the only reason I prefer this one over some of Kong's popular dog toys.
I actually bought this fun and amusing entertainer for my Fido quite a while ago and just recently noticed that my toddler enjoyed it just as much as our dog. There were times when they even worked as a team. My kid would hide the squirrels in the openings of the tree trunk, and our dog would try to retrieve them. This would go on for hours.
Outward Hound alone is responsible for providing me with a much-needed opportunity to get things done around the house while our little one and the dog were both occupied. The pet toy is made of plush so it is safe for both of them, and there are three squirrels in total to play with. I believe this to be a great way to beat boredom and keep both your kids and dogs occupied. The fact that these squirrels squeak is just gravy on top.
Honorable mention: Kong Rubber Flyer
While we're on the subject of dog toys, we might as well mention another great tool to keep both your kids and dogs occupied. This one is from the popular dog company Kong, and it's their Rubber Flyer.
RELATED: 25 best puppy toys for active chewers
Kong Rubber Flyer is another fun and interactive pet toy that will ensure that your kids and dogs are entertained and that you are not bothered for at least a couple of hours. My kids and the dog love being outside, and the Kong Rubber Flyer toy makes for a great outdoor activity. I would compare this one to a Frisbee, except that it's far more durable than most Frisbees we tried with our canine.
FURminator deShedding Tool for Dogs
No household with dogs can go without a proper tool to help fight your dog, leaving hair all over the house. This is especially important when you have kids around the house, and the less hair there is everywhere for the kids to run into, the better. TopDogTips has previously reviewed the best dog deshedding tools, so this one is my personal choice based on my experience. I choose FURminator's products most of the time and never regret this choice.
The FURminator is a great dog grooming tool to have around, especially when you are looking for fun ways to teach your kids how to care responsibly for their dog, making sure they are aware of what a good dog health and hygiene regime is for the dog. Let's face it: we're not in an era of ignorance anymore, and we know how important it is to spend more time on your pet's grooming needs. It's my personal belief that it's smart to start teaching this to kids at an early age.
My kids are always in awe of how much fur comes off our dog when using this deshedding brush to brush him. I have “grooming our dog” as one of the things on the chore list for the older kids, and this makes it a lot more amusing and enjoyable for them. Needless to say, your smaller ones probably shouldn't play around with the tool, though.
Pet Gear Easy Step II Pet Stairs
I found the Pet Gear Easy Step very convenient to have around the house for both our dog and one of our kids. We normally use it for the dog to get into the truck when we go out because the seats are high up from the ground, and sometimes, he has trouble getting in due to his stiff joints.
RELATED: How to teach a dog to use pet stairs
Now, the way we use these steps with kids is a little unusual, but whenever they are around (oftentimes, we just leave steps in the car), our kid uses these dog steps in the bathroom when he needs to brush his teeth or wash his hands as it helps him at the sink. He is still too short to reach properly and will often use that as an excuse for skipping this practice. But when the steps are there, they work just perfectly.
I myself have used it a couple of times for things like reaching stuff in the garage when something's too high, and these particular dog stairs support up to 150 pounds of weight.
Bonus: Living with Kids and Dogs…
To wrap up the whole theme of products for dogs and kids, this is a great read to have on hand for just that reason. Although the practice of Living with Kids and Dogs at the same time can be chaotic at times, it can also be a great joy, and not once did I seriously regret (okay, maybe once…) the decision to get a dog while having such young kids in the house. 99 times out of 100, both of these parties agree on peaceful living and actually produce great results at home.
The book itself is jam-packed with lots of useful information on the subject of having dogs around when you still have small children in the family. It goes into great detail about applying the right techniques in running a successful home with dogs and kids, how to teach things to both, what you need to know, how to prepare, and generally making sure everyone is safe and happy, and everybody gets along.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it – some useful and interesting dog products to look into if your home is occupied with children running around and a dog or two in the midst of it all. These dog supplies have been tried, tested, and approved by not only me but also my kids and our dog, and are permanent necessities in our home.
What I would also suggest is getting a sense of what I recommend and possibly coming up with your own ideas on what tools, dog products, or kid supplies can work well in this type of household and then share with me, either by email or here in the comments. Maybe we'll do another article where we'll put up all of your ideas that are more interesting and smarter than mine.
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