Sunny Tails Snap Treat Pouch Bundle
The whole walk, sorted: convertible hands-free leash, magnetic treat pouch, and waste-bag holder that all clip together. No more juggling at the door.
Shop Sunny TailsUsed · Loved · Recommended
Products we love, and actually use every day.
Everything on this page lives in our house, gets used in our real days, and has earned its keep. No gift guides, no filler. Just the gear, books, and small things that make life with Kona a little better.
A note on links: some links here are affiliate links, and some brands give me a code to share. If you buy through them, I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you, and sometimes at a small saving for you. I only ever link to things I actually use and would recommend to a friend.
Walk gear & wearables · 20 things
For on the go.
Everything that comes with us when we leave the house, the walk gear that makes Kona's adventures easy, and the wearables that get me out the door feeling like myself.
For Kona
Sunny Tails Cloud Lite Harness
Lightweight, soft, and easy to get onto a wiggly dog. Kona doesn't brace against it the way she did with her old one.
Shop Sunny TailsPerfect Pink 4-in-1 Convertible Leash
Crossbody, waist, traffic handle, or classic hold: one leash, four ways to wear it. And the pink is exactly the right pink.
Shop Sunny TailsPistachio Green Snap Treat Pouch
The large size, for the days we're training in earnest. Magnetic close means no spilled kibble in my bag. (Preorder, ships early June.)
Shop Sunny TailsEspresso Brown 30-ft Cloud Leash
Our decompression-walk leash. Kona gets to roam, sniff, and just be a dog, and I stay attached and calm.
Shop Sunny TailsWild One Hands-Free Rope Leash
An adjustable rope leash you can wear hands-free or hold in hand, and the bubblegum pink is a whole mood. Adjusts from about 4 to 8 feet.
Shop on ChewyMaxbone GO! Portable Bowls
Collapsible, clip-to-your-bag bowls. Kona gets water on every hike, errand run, and patio afternoon.
Shop MaxboneMaxbone Go! With Ease Leash Bundle
A leash set that looks as good as it works, the kind of gear I don't mind leaving out by the front door.
Shop MaxboneMaxbone Talon Raincoat
Bay Area winters are wet. This keeps Kona dry without the fight of getting it on.
Shop MaxboneQuince Flex-Poly Dog Leash
Simple, sturdy, and affordable. A great everyday leash and a no-brainer backup to keep in the car.
Shop QuinceLED Rechargeable Leash (4 ft)
For the early-morning and after-dark walks. The glow makes us both visible, real peace of mind on dark streets.
View on AmazonLED Light-Up Collar
Rechargeable, color-changing, and genuinely bright. Kona is a little beacon on our night walks.
View on AmazonZELUS Weighted Vest
I wear this on our longer walks, it turns Kona's stroll into my workout. Adjustable weight, reflective stripe.
View on AmazonFor me
Quince Italian Leather Box Belt Bag
Hands free for leash, treats, and phone. Handsome enough that it doesn't read as dog gear.
Shop QuinceKara 2.0 Walker Sandals
Elastic-back walker sandals, comfortable enough for a full day on my feet, cute enough for everything else.
Shop the pairFrancesca Platform Loafers
Round-toe platform loafers with a chunky heel. My go-to when I want to look put-together without thinking about it.
Shop the pairMargot Square-Toe Mary Janes
A little bit of polish for not a lot of effort. The shoe I reach for when jeans need something better than sneakers.
Shop the pairVivaia Everly
Washable, comfortable, and they hold up to real life. I wore my last pair into the ground and bought them again.
Shop VivaiaDay Dew Sunscreen
The sunscreen I actually reapply, because it feels good on. Dewy, weightless, never greasy, perfect for long days outside.
Shop SephoraSupergoop Play Antioxidant Mist SPF 50
Spray-on SPF with vitamin C, easy to top up mid-walk without redoing my whole face.
Shop SephoraCar & travel gear · 2 things
On the road.
The gear that makes traveling with Kona safe and simple, from buckling up for the drive to staying fed and watered miles from home.
Clickit Sport Plus Car Safety Harness
Crash-tested and safety-certified, this is how Kona rides. The single most important thing we bought for the car.
View on AmazonCibaabo Travel Water Bottle & Food Container
A water bottle, food container, and poop-bag holder in one. Everything Kona needs for a hike or a road trip, in a single grab.
View on AmazonPuzzles & calming tools · 9 things
For mental enrichment.
A walk tires a dog's legs; a puzzle tires their brain, and the brain is what really needs the work. These are the toys and tools that wear Kona out the good way, and help her settle when the world feels like a lot.
KONG Wobbler
Kibble goes in, Kona bats it around to get it out. Slows down fast eaters and gives a busy brain a job.
View on AmazonWOOF Pupsicle
Freeze a treat inside and it buys a solid, low-mess stretch of quiet. Birthday-level excitement, every single time.
View on AmazonHIPPIH Puzzle Balls (2-pack)
Treat-dispensing balls that double as chew and IQ work. The two-pack means one's always clean.
View on AmazonZenly Paws Nail Scratch Board
Kona files her own nails for treats, no clippers, no drama. Genuinely one of my favorite training wins.
View on AmazonBrainstorm Puzzle (Level 3)
A proper challenge, three layers of problem-solving in one feeder. She has to actually think.
View on AmazonPush-to-Release Puzzle Feeder
Two difficulty levels and a push-to-release mechanism. A great first puzzle that grows with your dog.
View on AmazonLick Mats (2-pack)
Spread something on, suction it to the wall, and bath time, or any anxious moment, gets a whole lot calmer.
View on AmazonNina Ottosson MultiPuzzle (Level 4)
The hardest puzzle we own. Saved for the days Kona needs to be properly, satisfyingly worked.
View on AmazonWeighted Calming Blanket for Dogs
For thunder, fireworks, and big-feelings days. The gentle weight helps Kona settle when nothing else will.
View on AmazonBeds, clean-up & soft landings · 11 things
For the home.
The practical things that keep a dog-shared house clean, and the soft things that make it feel like ours. Living with a dog doesn't have to mean giving up a beautiful home, these are how we get both.
Dyson V8 Cordless Vacuum
Living with a shedding dog means a vacuum isn't optional. This one detangles hair instead of choking on it.
View on AmazonHoover Pet Carpet Cleaner Solution
The shampoo that actually lifts urine stains and odor, crucial in the early house-training days.
View on AmazonHoover SmartWash Carpet Cleaner
Pair it with the solution above. Deep-cleans carpets so the whole house feels reset.
View on AmazonPlushDeluxe Waterproof Mattress Protector
Waterproof, quiet, and genuinely soft, because the dog is, of course, allowed on the bed.
View on AmazonQuince Organic Cotton Channel Stitch Coverlet
Soft, washable, and survives a dog who's decided the bed is hers. Beautiful enough that I don't mind.
Shop QuinceQuince European Linen Quilt Set
The linen quilt that makes the bedroom feel like a hotel, and washes like a dream after a Kona nap.
Shop QuinceQuince Handwoven Palm Baskets (Set of 2)
Where the dog toys live. Pretty enough to leave out, big enough to hide the chaos.
Shop QuinceCompanion Pet-Friendly Candle
Grapefruit and vanilla, made with a pet-safe formula. The candle I light when the house needs to feel like ours again.
View on AmazonLesure High-Back Orthopedic Sofa Bed
A proper orthopedic bed with a high back to lean on. Kona sinks into this one, it's where she does her most serious napping.
Shop on ChewyCoolaroo HeatShield Cooling Elevated Bed
Raised off the floor with breathable cooling fabric, a lifesaver in summer. Keeps Kona comfortable when the house heats up.
Shop on ChewyVet's Best Dog Dental Kit
Vet-formulated toothpaste with a brush and a finger brush. Dental care is easy to skip and easy to regret, this makes it simple.
View on AmazonBooks, podcasts & journals · 13 sources
For the mind.
Rescue work is never only about dogs, it's about housing, poverty, race, cognition, and the systems that decide which animals, and which people, get a fair shot. This is the reading and listening list behind how I approach the work, the books that changed how I think, the shows I actually finish, and the peer-reviewed journals I go to when a claim needs checking.
Books
Pit Bull: The Battle over an American Icon
The definitive history of how one type of dog became a cultural lightning rod, and what that says about us, not them. If you read one book about bully breeds, read this one.
Find the bookEvicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City
A Pulitzer-winning look at housing, poverty, and how losing a home unravels everything. It changed how I understand why people surrender pets, and how often it isn't really a choice.
Find the bookThe Color of Law
A forgotten history of how government policy, not private prejudice alone, segregated America. Essential context for the racialized framing of "dangerous" dogs and the neighborhoods they get blamed in.
Find the bookInside of a Dog
Alexandra Horowitz on what dogs actually see, smell, and know, written by a cognitive scientist but never dry. The clearest primer there is on the dog's point of view, caveats and all.
Find the bookThe Domestic Dog (Serpell, 2nd ed.)
The Cambridge academic reference on dog evolution, behavior, and our relationship with them. Dense, but it's where I go when I want the evidence, not the vibes.
Find the bookPodcasts
Cog-Dog Radio
Sarah Stremming on behavior and training from a cognitive, welfare-first angle. No dominance nonsense, just careful thinking about why dogs do what they do.
ListenFenzi Dog Sports Podcast
Long-form interviews with trainers and researchers who take evidence seriously. My go-to for the nuance that social media training clips flatten.
ListenThe Animal Turn
Claudia Hirtenfelder on animals and society, ethics, policy, and the systems around them. The show that best matches how I think about rescue as more than dogs.
ListenJournals
Applied Animal Behaviour Science
The workhorse journal for dog and animal behavior research. When a training claim needs a source, this is often where the real study lives.
Browse the journalJournal of Applied Animal Welfare Science
Welfare science for companion and shelter animals, the evidence base behind good shelter policy and humane care.
Browse the journalAnimal Welfare (Cambridge)
UFAW's journal, and a reliable home for rigorous welfare research, including a standing collection focused specifically on dogs.
Browse the journalAnthrozoös
The journal of human-animal interaction. For the sociology and psychology of why we live with dogs at all, this is the source I trust.
Browse the journalResearch projects
The Dog Aging Project
A long-term, open-science study following tens of thousands of companion dogs to understand how they age, and what actually extends healthy years. NIH-funded, data shared openly, exactly the kind of large-scale evidence I wish we had more of. You can even enroll your own dog.
Explore the project