*Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #NewNutrishPEAK #NutrishPets #CollectiveBias
In only a few days, our dog, Elsa is celebrating her 4th birthday. I cannot believe that has been almost 4 years since she joined our family.

Elsa once was a puppy last year
But since she has been with us for a few years now, our family is pretty well versed in our dog’s daily overall needs.
I mean she is a dog and as crazy as it sounds it doesn’t take much to make her happy. Because thankfully our girl is pretty easy going overall, as well as very easy to please.
Back though when we first welcomed Elsa I was slightly wet behind the ears of all the items our sweet dog would need.

Lily’s Favorite Animal of Choice – Elsa our puppy
Most of it is pretty straight forward. One might even say it is a no brainer. But if you are considering getting a dog for your family, then these items are a must have for any dog owning family.
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See all dogs need a few key essential items on a daily basis to keep them not only happy, but active, as well.
What are these items?
Check out my helpful list below…
8 Must Have Items to Keep Your Dog Happy and Active Daily
1. Savory dog food and water.
First and foremost, dogs need water and food to stay hydrated and healthy. Water is the easy part here.
But there are many different dog foods out there to chose from. And yes we have tried many here. But right now, our dog is happily enjoying Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® Peak™ Dry Dog Food, plus their Wet Food recipe. Which happily I found recently while shopping at Petsmart for Elsa. They had it both in aisle 24 and on display in the front of the store, as well.
See for our girl she is happily feasting on Wetlands Recipe™ with Chicken, Duck & Pheasant and Rachel Ray Nutrish Peak Wetlands Recipe with Chicken and Duck in Rustic Gravy at meal time.
Buy why Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® Peak™ Wetlands Recipe™ Dog Food?
Because PEAK Dry Food is a protein-rich food for dogs with nutrient-dense meats.
Also, Nutrish PEAK dry food for dogs contains 30% high-quality protein and 0% grains, glutens or fillers. See PEAK is a protein-rich food for dogs with nutrient-dense meats., because it has real U.S. farm-raised chicken always as its #1 ingredient. And PEAK is absolutely perfect for dogs of all sizes and life stages. But if you are switching to PEAK for your dog, don’t forget to gradually introduce the food. How? By incorporating it into your current dog food over the course of 7-10 days. In this way, you will slowly replace your dog’s current food with PEAK until it’s completely switched over.
As for Nutrish PEAK wet food recipe is made with real shredded chicken breast you can actually see. Plus it is combined with protein-rich duck to help your pup thrive. And it works great as a tasty topper for PEAK dry food! Lucky for us, it is available at PetSmart (our favorite pet store to shop at).
2. Food and water bowls for meal time.
Every dog needs a place to eat their food and drink their water from. So, the next item all dogs need daily our their own food and water bowls to consume their water and food from. While food intake is at regular scheduled intervals according to your dog’s age and vet recommendations. Water can be left in their bowl throughout the day to keep them indeed hydrated. So while the food bowl is a big necessity, the water bowl is even more so in my humble dog owning opinion for this reason.
3. Collar and Id Tags for easy identification.
A dog with a family should indeed have a collar that has dog ID tags attached to it. See the collar is there for not only attaching a leash and/or harness to walk them, but to have these all important ID tags hanging from it. See god forbid your dog gets out or lost, those ID tags will hopefully help you dog be returned safely to you. Quick story. See while we were away recently, our dog was being dog sit by family. She actually lost her dog tags. One of the first things I did the following day upon return was to get her new dog ID tags. Why? Because again I wanted to make sure that our dog had these tags there for her own ID purposes just in case.
4. A comfy pillow for down time.
See even though your dog should be active daily, there will come a time that your dog will want to relax still. So there isn’t a better place to do that but on their own comfy and cozy pillow. I actually recently made our dog her own DIY pillow. But if you aren’t able to make one, PetSmart sells a variety of them for dogs of all sizes.
5. Dog First Aid Kit just In case.
In a perfect world your dog would never get injured or harmed. But even the most careful of active dogs have mishaps. So better safe than sorry to make sure to have a First Kit handy at all times.
6. Treats for all good doggies.
Dogs love treats. For a good reason, because treats are just that – treats. Whether you give them treats for odin a trick or just rewarding for overall good behavior, all dogs should have access to treats daily to make their lives that much happier overall.
7. Leash or harness for active walking.
As mentioned earlier, all fogs should a have a collar. Yes ID tags again are important component of this. But the other important reason for the collar is for leash/harness attachment. See the leash and harness attachment is simply so that your dog friend can take active walks with you. See walking with your dog is a key component to help them indeed stay active daily.
8. Dog toys for active playtime.
Another great way to keep all dogs active is to make sure to have an ample supply of dog toys at the ready. Whether you are playing a rousing game of fetch or they are simply playing quietly with their own toys, dog toys are a great way to keep your dog engaged and stimulated.
Well, there you have 8 great items that help to keep all dogs happy and active everyday.
Worried you will forget any of the above, download my FREE Printable Dog Owner Friendly Checklist below:
Audrey Johnson says
We have little dogs that have teeth issues, so one of our needs is oral hygiene treats. They are helpful with prevention of dental issues. Thanks for sharing your list. Lots of great items on there.
Janine says
Great addition and many dog treats also I believe help with oral hygiene for dogs. So, couldn’t agree more. Thanks for sharing with my, too Audrey.
William Holland says
Well, our puppy has all of those things,except she steals my pillow daily and ignores her own. π
Happy Hump Day, Janine! I hope the snow turns to spring soon for you guys.
Janine says
Aw, my dog is a bit big for that. But I bet if given the chance she’d try still! Happy Hump Day right back at you and right now it is more rain than snow here. I am keeping fingers crossed it remains this way.
Kathy Radigan says
I can’t believe Elsa is 4!!!! I remember when you guys got her. So happy she makes your family complete. And thanks for the great pictures. And thanks for the tips!!
Janine says
Aw, happy to share and I know still cannot believe Elsa will be 4 already!
J. Ivy Boyter says
We already use one of Rachel Ray’s dog food varieties for our dog. I hadn’t heard of this Peak. But, we like it because it’s affordable and it’s grain-free, which is good for her stomach issues.
I’d add that you need a veterinarian and annual vaccines too π
Janine says
Thank you and definitely agree with your additions, too π
Diane Roark says
Janine,
I love watching Rachel Ray and have seen her ads on TV and her dog products in the store. I have been wanting to try her dog food out for my youngest dog. Thanks for sharing all these helpful tips.
Many thanks,
Diane
Janine says
So happy to share with you and hope you try PEAK soon for your dog, as well now π
Echo says
This is a fantastic list! Great food is so important for our dogs health! Happy early birthday to Elsa!!!
Janine says
Aw, thanks Echo!! π
Laura Dennis says
Love our furry family members! Your dog is beautiful!! I would add having your dog micro-chipped in addition to the tags because they can lose their collar or the tag info can rub off. If they are micro-chipped and are taken to a vet or shelter, they will be able to scan them and call you that they have your dog.
Janine says
Laura, couldn’t agree with you more and thanks for adding that here, too π
Meredith Spidel says
We love our dogs! Anything we can do to keep them happy and healthy is a win! Thanks for sharing π
Janine says
Aw, couldn’t agree with you more, Meredith and always happy to share with you, too π
Bri Adams says
I never thought about having a first aid kit for our dogs, what a great idea! Thanks for the tip!
Janine says
I am happy to share something new with you, too here Bri!! π
Emily says
I had no idea Rachael Ray has a dog food — that’s cool! Would you believe our dog is on a raw food diet? Her breeder had her on it since she was born so we’ve kept it going. Not every store sells the raw dog food, but we have a local place here in town that does…However, it’s NOT cheap! I always joke that it costs more to feed my dog than my own kids! P.S. Elsa is so cute!
Janine says
I honestly don’t even really know what raw dog food is. But can imagine it could be costly. I definitely have spent a good amount of money on our dog over the years though. So I know it can add up expense wise. And thank you for saying that about, Elsa too π
Mary says
I donβt have a dog but i will totally pass these tips along to my dog loving friends. I wish I could have a dog I live in a apartment and there are no dogs allowed plus I wouldnβt want to have a dog locked up in an apartment, itβs just not fair to the dog.
Janine says
Aw, I hope someday you can get a dog, Mary. But thank you also for sharing with your friends who do have dogs. π
Tamara says
I love how we’re both writing about our happy dogs today. Also, Elsa got SO big!
Nutrish Peak is a good food. Athena welcomes Elsa to four this week! She turned the big FOUR in November.
Janine says
Aw, thank you to Athena and you, too!! π
Mary Leigh says
These are all really great things – love the checklist! I don’t have pets, but my family members have dogs and these are really great things to help keep them active!
Janine says
Thanks Mary and hope you can share with your family who do have dogs, too π
AnnMarie John says
Elsa has gotten so big. I can’t believe it’s been 4 years already, seems like just yesterday we saw her as a puppy here on the blog. We haven’t tried this brand of dog food as yet, and maybe once my dogs get tired of the one they’re eating we may give this a try.
Janine says
I do hope you can try this for your dog and definitely recommend it π
Jen says
Great printable! Your Elsa is the sweetest, she deserves all kinds of hugs π Great tips my friend, and a a great food brand for our important fur family members!
Janine says
Aw, thank you so much Jen and will definitely share some of your hugs with Elsa now, too π