Mike’s Doghouse

UPDATE: Lorna tried the Outward Hound bag for one complete class and gave up after less than a minute while we prepared for the second class to begin. She hated it. The clip wouldn’t stay on her belt so the bag kept falling off. Since it isn’t very deep, that meant the treats went everywhere. Anytime she bent over, out came treats. The training place, A Good Dog’s Life, has the Gentle Leader bags (the one I use) so she got one from them. She loved it! No problem with the clip, the treats stayed in the bag when she bent over because opening and closing it requires just one hand.

Photos of the Outward Hound bag and (soon) the Premier bag can be found in Mike’s Photo Album.

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(original review from March 3rd)

Today we got the Outward Hound Designer Treat ‘n Ball bag. We’d gotten one several months ago (I think the same brand) but couldn’t find it tonight so we got two more.

PROS: has a clip to put it on a belt; has a D-ring for hanging stuff on it; has a clip for hanging more stuff or to hang it on something like a belt loop; the outside rim is stiff so it stays open for easy access

There’s also a velcro thing on the back that I think is for attaching to a leash, although the instructions don’t mention it. I used it to attach the rope of Mike’s toy. The draw string is inside and doesn’t interfere with getting to the treats when the bag is opened.

CONS: bag won’t close completely when filled

The bag is, basically, a nylon bag inside a cloth bag. The nylon bag has a draw string closure that, when there’s nothing in it, actually closes all the way. However, put more than a few treats in there, and it won’t close. I just measured and I had barely a cup of Mike’s kibble in there and it was “too” full. A cup may seem like a lot but not for a really good training session. Mike’s kibble (Wellness Just for Puppy) is itty bitty pieces. If we’d used the adult dog food, I doubt we’d get half a cup worth in there.

Why does closing matter? It does if you train away from home. You put the treats in there at home and out you and the dog goes. If the top won’t close, you have to keep the bag upright or stuff comes out. If you bend over while wearing the closed bag, stuff comes out.

Bottom Line: Don’t bother getting it if you use a lot of treats or use bigger treats.

Outward Hound (made by the Kyjen Products, Inc. company) has several versions of their “Treat n Ball Bag”. I had to look in several places before I found the one we have. They call it the “Designer” bag. It is a nice looking bag and the brand name is stitched directly onto it vs a patch. The other bag we have (the one we can’t find) I think is the one with the pocket on the front. I really dislike that one but I won’t review it here until I find it and am sure of the brand.