I’m glad to hear that the new gen lights are good Simon, got a huntsman lite in my Amazon cart, (along with quite a few others ) only a question of time
Tweezers!Living in the Texas Hill country and having a dog, this means pulling burrs or cactus thorns our of our dogs paws on a regular basis. The little SAK tweezers are good, as is the small narrow pliers of the Leatherman squirt. At night, the Fenix E01 is my best friend. I like a dedicated light, and for the past 15 years the beat up looking E01 that has been on my carabiner keyring has been great. Enough light to see where I'm putting my feet at night, enough to see the poop to be picked up and bagged, and enough to watch for a snake where our dog is sniffing. And the silly long run time is nice.
I’ve used pliers to pull thorns, cactus and cockleburrs while out hunting my dogs. I have used the pliers to help a fishhook poke through and push down the barbs to get it to work through foward. I have used the blade to scrape brown placque off teeth. I have used the scissors to trim the tags off dog beds.
Well, pliers can come in handy, there is no question of that. The big question is - strictly from a dog care point of view - do you need them or are they just nice to have? So far I am inclined to assume the tweezers might be enough when it comes to getting nasty stuff out of your dog
Yes, I've found the tweezers enough 99% of what I need to do with my dog. So your assumption is correct if you don't run into that 1%/ The one time I needed more was when our Australian Sheppard, Abby, got a thorn up between the paw pads. I could reach it with the SAK tweezers, but they were so extended that my grip was far enough to the rear that I could not get enough squeeze to grip the thorn. So I used the slim pliers of my Leatherman squirt as forceps to reach up and grip the thorn and pull it out. My wife was holding Abby's paw while I did the removal.
The tools I use most for things specifically for pr related to my dog are flashlight/headlamp, knife, scissors, saw, mini locking pliers (which he has his own pair), and tick tweezers.- As mentioned a flashlight is important for going out with the dog, but I also find it handy for inspecting my dog for ticks or irritants in his ears or between paw pads. A headlamp is especially useful of I’m trying to do it by myself and find something, because it gives me an extra hand. I will confess, I am as much a flashlight aficionado as MT/SAK, so I have plenty around to choose from.- The knife is used for cutting treats from packaging and cutting larger treats into smaller training sizes or for his home alone jumpin jack. - Scissors are great for opening food, treat, toy packages; but also for the occasional item that is stuck in his fur and can’t be easily removed.- I have a specially designed tick tweezer that I keep around for ticks. Mit works better for me than the SAK tweezers.- The locking pliers probably do not sound like your normal dog tools, but it is one of the most frequently used tools. A small pair of locking pliers works great for clipping on a shorter bully, twist, or beef strap to make sure that he does not try to put a large piece in hos mouth or swallow it whole. He loves the locking pliers because it also gives him something to hold onto better. - The saw, like the locking pliers isn’t usually considered a pet tool, but is used. It is used for cutting hard chew treats in half or trimming off partially chewed ends that are sharp or “refresh” the smell.
This highlights why I mentioned a headlamp instead of just flashlight for certain occasions. Fisher got some little pods caught between his paw pads. My wive held him, while I used one hand to hold paw spreading pads, and then pull out pods. A couple were stuck to his fur so bad I needed to cut out using SAK scissors. The headlamp allowed the light where I needed it to see the pods without tying up one of either of our hands which were all needed to ensure I didn’t cut him. I also like the headlamp for night walks because it keeps my hands free hand for holding leash, working gate lock and picking up poop.
I think you are all missing "THE" dog owner knife.SWIZA CO05TT, the Family Pet Swiss Knife
Does anyone else’s dog do this? My dog Bella is always stealing my trusty 1980s Explorer to get the peskiest of chores done around the house. Here she is after fixing the lawn mower with it!
You should be proud; old dogs usually don't learn new tricks