New products offer both fun and convenience for pet lovers

The Bristle Bone helps clean teeth. Last week I wrote about the promising products that made me take notice as a practicing veterinarian. This week, my focus is on those nonmedical products that caught my attention as a pet lover and that will make taking care of your pet easier or more fun. Just as with the veterinarian breakthroughs, this week's products were gleaned from suggestions from more than 100 experts.

We have the full list of all my "Dr. Becker's Best" products on our Web site, PetConnection. com, so drop in for more information. (Prices can vary widely, so I've listed suggested retail.)

• Food puzzles. Veterinary behaviorists say it's important to reduce or eliminate the mind-numbing boredom from just eating food out of a bowl. Boredom equals behavioral problems, and behavioral problem may mean a homeless pet. Food puzzles, such as these from Premier (www.premier.com), can help.

The Kibble Nibble appeals to dogs' natural prey and stalking drives. For the kibble or treats to dispense, dogs must roll, push and chase the toy. The Kibble Nibble holds up to 2 cups of kibble or treats. Unscrews for easy loading and quick cleanup. ($20)

The Bristle Bone is a refillable dental toy made with nylon bristles and rubber nubs that gently scrape and clean teeth as dogs chew. ($10-$15)

• Easier nail-trims. Find the quick for a no-blood, no-pain nail trim with the Quick Finder nail clipper. The product has a light source mounted on it to shine through the nail and colors that tell you when it's safe to cut: red for no, green for go. (www. quickfinderclipper.com, $33)

• Perfect portions, every time. Petmate's new Electronic Portion Control LeBistro measures meals just as carefully as you do, to ensure that your pet gets the right amount of food, right on time. Program it like an alarm clock, and it dispenses pre-set portions of food up to three times a day. The 5-pound capacity is ideal for those with cats and small dogs. (Petmate.com, $80-$90)

• Promote prey play. Based on the preying and social behavior of dogs, the Flappy Dog toy simulates the excitement of catching a prey and proudly shaking it. This toy was a major hit with the Becker family dogs. (ourpets.com/products_flappy. html, $13-$17)

• No more water slops. The DrinkBetter pet bowl encourages dogs to drink at a slower rate and makes less mess while they're doing it. The Drink Better bowl uses a floating obstacle to control the flow of water, encouraging dogs to drink slower and take only as much as they need, without soaking their ears and muzzles or slopping water around the feeding area. (contechinc. com/products/drinkbetter, $25)

• Get the pet hair. Eureka Boss 4D Pet Fresh vacuum comes with tools to help pet owners eliminate odors naturally and remove pet hair and dander from stairs, furniture and the floor. We've given this one a good workout, and it works. (Eureka. com, $138)

My Pet Connection co-author, Gina Spadafori, says if you're looking for a handheld, the new Dyson DC-16 kept up with the mess at her home. (Dyson.com, $150)

• A party for pets. The Puppy Pinata is a plush toy containing treats that stimulate a dog's natural desire to search and investigate. Our dogs smelled the product through the packaging and got as excited about the pinata as a stick-swinging 6-year-old at a birthday party. (www.puppy-pinata.com, $7-$11)

• Making balconies safer. A great idea, long overdue. Puppy Bumpers fit around the necks of puppies and small dogs to protect them from getting through baby gates and balcony railings. With so many people keeping small dogs in upper-floor apartments, this is one product that really could save a life. (puppybumpers.net, $20)

• Food and water to go. The collapsible Zuka Bowl has colorful and fun prints and features a carabiner-type clip to attach it to a belt or bag. It'll also fit easily in a purse or in a car. (itzadog.com, $16)

With so many great products to choose from, it's hard to limit myself to just a few. But don't worry: We'll be writing about the best throughout the year.