An independent dog-product publication

All the stuff your dog does not actually need.

We test the internet's most unnecessary dog products, then Pickles and Bear deliver the only verdicts that matter.

Real testsHonest verdictsPickles & Bear supervised
Dog interest8.7
Dog Hand Massager shown in a dog product review photographDog Hand Massager
Issue No. 001Dog Hand MassagerAnnoyingly delightful
Need scoreAbsolutely not
Viral gadgetsQuestionable fashionSurprisingly useful thingsProducts your dog will judge
02

The unnecessary index

Products, judged.

Showing 28 verdicts
Pickles, a black-and-tan French bulldog, and Bear, a blue-and-tan French bulldog, testing a dog pool floatDog Pool Float
02
Completely unnecessaryPoolside royalty

Dog Pool Float

A claw-friendly floating hammock that gives your dog a suspiciously premium poolside lifestyle.

A cream Chow Chow beside a small glass dog-fur keepsake vial held in an owner's handFur Keepsake Vial
03
Completely unnecessarySaved one hair. Missed 40,000.

Fur Keepsake Vial

A tiny glass keychain vial for preserving one carefully selected tuft from the endless renewable resource on your rug.

Frozen Pupsicle shown in a dog product review photographFrozen Pupsicle
04
Dog approvedActually earned it

Frozen Pupsicle

A fill-and-freeze enrichment toy that buys you thirty peaceful minutes and one very focused dog.

Pickles, a black-and-tan French bulldog, and Bear, a blue-and-tan French bulldog, testing talking dog buttonsTalking Buttons
05
TikTok made me buy itCreated a tiny union

Talking Buttons

Recordable buttons arranged on a colorful mat so your dog can press requests instead of staring into your soul.

A white standard poodle being safely misted beside the shoulder with an unbranded dog cologneDog Cologne
06
Completely unnecessarySmelled expensive. Rolled in grass.

Dog Cologne

A light pet-formulated fragrance mist designed to bridge the awkward social period between baths.

Pickles, a black-and-tan French bulldog, and Bear, a blue-and-tan French bulldog, testing a treat-tossing dog cameraTreat Camera
08
Actually usefulRemote bribery works

Treat Camera

A rotating pet camera with two-way audio and a remote treat launcher for check-ins from anywhere.

A red dachshund beside a small unbranded bottle and shallow bowl of dog-safe bone-broth drinkPawsecco
09
Completely unnecessaryA toast to poor judgment

Pawsecco

A non-alcoholic, dog-safe broth drink in a tiny celebratory bottle for birthdays, holidays and deeply unserious brunches.

A tricolor corgi waiting in front of a small dog-safe birthday cake with an unlit candleBirthday Cake Mix
12
Completely unnecessaryNine seconds of culture

Birthday Cake Mix

A dog-friendly cake mix and icing packet that turns one mixing bowl into a full-scale canine birthday production.

Dog Crocs shown in a dog product review photographDog Crocs
13
Completely unnecessaryFashion crime

Dog Crocs

Four miniature foam shoes for the dog who has never once asked to coordinate an outfit.

Pickles, a black-and-tan French bulldog, and Bear, a blue-and-tan French bulldog, making art with a mess-free dog painting kitDog Painting Kit
14
TikTok made me buy itEntered his blue period

Dog Painting Kit

A sealed canvas, a few paint colors and a lickable top layer that turns snack time into abstract art.

A brindle Great Dane lounging across a miniature upholstered sofa-style dog bedDog Sofa Bed
15
Completely unnecessaryPurchased furniture. Lost sofa.

Dog Sofa Bed

A miniature upholstered loveseat with bolsters, cushions and the ambitious promise of reclaiming your human furniture.

A senior tricolor beagle watching calm squirrel footage on a living-room televisionDOGTV
18
Completely unnecessaryThe squirrel got renewed

DOGTV

Streaming programs built around dog-friendly colors, sounds and pacing for enrichment while the human controls the remote.

Dog Sunglasses shown in a dog product review photographDog Sunglasses
19
Completely unnecessaryNo notes. Iconic.

Dog Sunglasses

Strapped goggles that make every dog look like they have somewhere more important to be.

Pickles, a black-and-tan French bulldog, and Bear, a blue-and-tan French bulldog, testing a back-seat dog extenderBack-Seat Extender
20
Actually usefulThe back seat is a suite

Back-Seat Extender

A padded bridge over the rear footwell that creates a broad, stable platform for two compact passengers.

A black-and-white Border Collie crouching playfully near a self-moving robotic bone toyRobotic Bone
21
TikTok made me buy itOutsourced fetch

Robotic Bone

A rechargeable interactive bone that rolls, wiggles and changes direction whenever the room becomes too peaceful.

Dog Splash Pad shown in a dog product review photographDog Splash Pad
22
Dog approvedSummer has a winner

Dog Splash Pad

A shallow mat with perimeter sprinklers that turns a garden hose into a canine resort.

Pickles, a black-and-tan French bulldog, and Bear, a blue-and-tan French bulldog, wearing evaporative cooling vestsCooling Vest
23
Actually usefulUseful, with supervision

Cooling Vest

A soak-and-wear vest that uses evaporative cooling to add a little relief on warm, dry days.

A black Labrador using a teal textured silicone lick mat in a kitchenLick Mat
24
Dog approvedSilence, legally purchased

Lick Mat

A textured silicone mat that turns a thin smear of dog-safe food into a surprisingly long and peaceful appointment.

A calm tan-and-white mixed-breed dog having one front nail gently shortened with a guarded pet nail grinderNail Grinder
26
Actually usefulLess guillotine, more dentist

Nail Grinder

A guarded rotary grinder that shortens nails gradually instead of making one dramatic clip and hoping for the best.

Pickles, a black-and-tan French bulldog, and Bear, a blue-and-tan French bulldog, playing in an indoor dog ball pitDog Ball Pit
27
Dog approvedLiving room surrendered

Dog Ball Pit

A soft-sided pit filled with lightweight balls and the exact amount of chaos your home was missing.

A wet grey-and-white Siberian Husky being washed safely with a blue hose-connected silicone bathing gloveBathing Glove
28
Actually usefulBath time lost one argument

Bathing Glove

A silicone scrubber glove connected to the hose so water, massage and rinsing happen with the same hand.

03

Our highly scientific process

We buy it. Pickles and Bear try it. Dignity is lost.

Every product earns four scores and one brutally simple verdict. We reward joy, usefulness and a respectable amount of chaos.

  1. 1
    Internet makes a claim

    Usually in all caps. Frequently with dramatic music.

  2. 2
    We spend actual money

    No mystery five-star rating from a dog named “verified buyer.”

  3. 3
    Pickles and Bear decide

    One sniff can end a product's entire marketing campaign.