Mailbag Must-Sees: Top Reader Dog Tips

The Woof Reporters’ top source for the dog-worthy tips and dog products isn’t always the web, magazines or even experts – it’s you, our readers.

Your Reader’s Dogest is back! Your fellow Woof Report readers are writing in with tips, tricks, and even more puptastic ideas. We hope you will too. In the meantime, here are just a few of our favorites.

Ticked Off

“I just received an email on easy tick removal for pets or people for hard-to-reach places without using tweezers or pulling it out on your own. Take liquid soap on a saturated cotton ball. Cover the tick and rub slightly with the soap-covered cotton ball for 20 to 30 seconds and the tick will come out on its own in the cotton ball. Give it a try.”
– Donna and Raven

Losing It

“When your pup needs to lose a few pounds, add some green beans to the food…it makes them think that they’re getting a treat – and more green beans, less food equals taking off some pounds.”
– Oreo 

Bowled Over

“I fill a plastic bowl with chicken broth, water, and various treats and freeze it. Then I give it to Scarlett on hot days. She loves to gnaw on it to get to the treats and she enjoys crunching the icy broth. It helps to leave part of the treat (like munchy sticks or biscuits) sticking out a little bit.”
– Scarlett

Treat ’em Right

“There’s a great way to save some cash, and still have yummy treats your dog will love. I use my vegetable dehydrator to dehydrate chicken, beef, and hot dogs for training treats. The treats are more organic and the dogs love them.”
– Shelby and Cooper

Chew on This

“When the pups were teething, I would wet a washcloth, wring it out, leave it in the wrung-out shape and freeze it. They loved to chew on it and it also made their gums feel better!”
– Beth and Frosty & Annabelle 

Here’s the Beef

“For a low cal, inexpensive, easy treat, I dilute a beef bouillon cube in a cup of hot water. Then I pour it evenly over an empty ice cube tray and fill it to the top, freeze and serve. My dogs love them, especially on hot days.”
– Eva, Brenna, and Dylan

Having a Ball

“The best toy I have ever bought for my dog is “the virtually indestructible ball.” It is big like a basketball and made out of this hard plastic. My Lab loves it. We have had the ball for about seven years and she still plays with it every day. The best investment in a toy I have ever made. Any other toy is usually destroyed within a week or two. Every big dog that likes to play should get one of these balls.“
Note: we found it at amazon.com
amazon.com/dog-ball
– Jennifer and Molly

The Scoop:

Reader’s Dogest needs you. Send Woof Report your top dog tips today by replying to any Woof Report weekly email newsletter, using the Contact Us form on the site, or sending an email to: woof (at) woofreport.com. Thank you!

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Originally published January 2011; reviewed and updated February 2017.