Foster & Smith's phone # is 1-800-826-7206. Outside the USA or Canada you can FAX to them at 1-175-369-2821, or write to them at Foster and Smith, 2253 Air Park Road, PO Box 100, Rhinelander, WI 54501-0100, USA. Their prices are lower than you'll likely pay in a pet supply store, but are a bit higher than the other catalogs. It seems to me that they manage to get new products faster than some of the other catalogs. They have no minimum order required, and include lots of helpful health and training pointers throughout the catalog. Shipping charges are based on the dollar value of the order. The company is owned and operated out of a veterinary practice (Dr. Foster & Dr. Smith). They have a number of products they have developed themselves, and I've been very pleased with those that I have tried. Their Dogtergent (for treating stains and odors) is really great stuff with a kind of mildly spicy scent instead of a soapy or antiseptic odor. If you do your own innoculations or are interested in doing so, F&S are the best deal at present. A new federal law makes it impossible for wholesalers to sell individual doses of vaccines so the only way to purchase is in lots of 10, 25, or whatever since the law requires it be sold in the manufacturers original packaging. F&S offers their own line which are packaged in single dose portions so that isn't a problem. I've also been very impressed with their phone sales representatives - I once asked which edition of a book was available and the telephone rep went and checked for me while I waited.

JB Wholesale's phone # is 1-800-526-0388. Outside the USA or Canada you can call 1-201-405-1111 or write to them at JB Wholesale, 5 Raritan Road, Oakland, NJ 07436, USA. Their prices are a little better than Foster & Smith, and the catalog is a bit larger, but they have a $25 minimum order. For shipping charges they give you the option of having orders delivered to your work address which is less expensive than residential delivery (UPS). For orders of $145 or over they pay shipping on all but the heavy stuff.

Omaha Vaccine's # is 1-800-367-4444. Outside the USA or Canada write to Omaha Vaccine, PO Box 7228, Omaha, NE 68107, USA. Their prices have been *very* good, and the catalog is one of the largest. I've used them quite a bit. However, I understand they've changed owners and apparently some prices and services have changed. I just received a new catalog after a very long lapse. Those items I checked prices on are still very competitive. In the past they have paid shipping on orders of $50 or more, and had no minimum order. The new catalog is completely lacking in shipping information for anything other than vaccines so I have no idea if that has changed. Dog Outfitter's # is 1-800-367-3647. Outside the USA and Canada call 1-717-384-5555 or write Dog Outfitters, Humboldt Industries Park, 1 Maplewood Drive, Hazleton, PA 18201-9798 USA. Their prices are *very* good, and guarantee that they will beat the published price of any competitor. They also have even lower prices on most items if you buy several. I purchase Bonnie's favorite toys in bulk and keep a stash on hand as replacements. I get them cheaper and she always has a new one available when she needs it. They have a minimum order of $50, but pay shipping on many items. For orders under $75 they add a $5 handling fee. I've ordered some things from them and have had about 30% errors in the orders. The up side of that is that when you phone and point out the mistake, they invariably *give* you whatever they sent you by mistake, and send the correct item as well. I ended up with a 16'flexi-lead and a Lixit waterer this way. When/if you call them be prepared that they will want to know if you are a breeder/groomer/boarding kennel operator, etc. Don't let this dissuade you from calling, it doesn't mean they only sell to businesses, they just want the information for their records.

Discount Master is also put out by the same company that produces the Dog Outfitters catalog. The catalogs are very, very similar, if not identical, in what they offer and the layout. DM doesn't have a minimum order but has slightly higher prices than DO, although still pretty good, and doesn't pay shipping (based on dollar value of order) or offer discounts for purchasing several of the same item. That phone # is 1-800-346-0749, or for outside the USA or Canada 1-717-384-3600, or write to Discount Master, Lakewood Road, PO Box 3333, Mountaintop, PA 18707, USA. I ordered from this catalog a while back and was very pleased with the service and the extreme care taken in the packing of the items.

Cherrybrook's number is: 1-800-524-0820. Outside the USA or Canada the number is 1-908-689-7979 or write to Cherrybrook, PO Box 15, Route 57, Broadway, NJ 08808, USA. Their prices are quite good, have no minimum order and pay shipping on orders of $75 or more. They also have very good prices on USA rawhide chews when you buy several. I received my first order from them last week and am pleased with the service they provided. A nice touch was that there was a free sample of a dog treat tucked into the box in a sealed plastic bag.

R.C. Steele's number is: 1-800-872-3773. I can't locate my latest catalog so can't give the direct number, but the address is R.C. Steele, PO Box 910 DW 144, Brockport, NY 14420. It's smaller than any of the others and Dog Outfitters or Cherrybrook are cheaper plus pay shipping, so I've never used them so far. I understand they have recently begun adding a surcharge on heavy items, so it might be worthwhile to check on what your total will be before actually placing an order. They have some items I cannot find elsewhere in bulk so I will be doing some ordering from them in the future.

The Pet Warehouse's number is: 1-800-443-1160. Outside the USA or Canada call 1-513-374-9800 or write to Pet Warehouse, Dept. C35D, PO Box 310, Xenia, OH 45385 USA. There is no minimum order. If you have other pets besides dogs and cats you might like to get some of their other catalogs. They have special catalogs of fish/aquatic supplies and one for birds.

I recently received another catalog from a company called New England Serum Company. Their prices are competitive, they have no minimum order (although there is a processing fee of $5.50 if the order is under $50), and for really BIG orders they will pay 1/2 of shipping ($250 or more) or all of shipping ($500 or more). Their number in the USA is 1-800-637-3786. Their number from Canada is 1-800-637-3786, and from outside the USA or Canada call 1-508-887-2368 or write to New England Serum, US Route 1, Topsfield, MA 01983, USA.

KV Vet Supply's number is 1-800-423-8211, FAX number 1-800-269-0093. Outside the USA or Canada call 1-402-367-6047 or write KV Vet Supply, PO Box 245, Route 1, David City, NE 68632, USA. I got their catalog recently and it is very large. They have lots of supplies for horses, sheep, etc. as well as dogs and cats. They pay shipping on orders over $30 and give a 2% discount for cash.

Vet-Vax's number is 1-800-369-8297, FAX number 1-913-845-9472. Outside the USA and Canada call 1-913-845-3760, or write to Vet-Vax, Inc., PO Box 400, Tonganoxie, KS 66086, USA. Vet-Vax pays shipping for orders over $50 to the lower 48 states, except for very heavy items. There is no minimum order. Their prices are very good.

Jeffers Pet Catalog's number is 1-800-533-3377, FAX number 1-417-256-1550. My catalog has no order form and I cannot locate a number for outside the USA or Canada. The address is Jeffers Pet Catalog, PO Box 948, West Plains, MO 65775-0948, USA. They have no minimum order. Prices vary, but I found some items that were lower here than in any of the other catalogs I have. They also have livestock and equine catalogs available.

Pedigrees phone number is 1-800-548-4768. They do not appear to have a FAX number and I cannot find a direct number, either. Their address is Pedigrees, 1989 Transit Way, Box 905, Brockport, NY 14420-0905, USA. This is a comparatively small catalog and, although it does carry some of the basic stuff, a lot of its products are unusual, unique and some are just downright "cute." Prices aren't exceptionally low or high, but I find this catalog more interesting because of the products I find here I haven't seen elsewhere.

Then, for those times you want to **really** spend money on flashy stuff, there is In The Company of Dogs. NOT the stuff you see in the other catalogs, this is the cream of the crop for the truly spoiled pooch. For instance, a floral feeding dish: $54. Someday Bonnie *may* get the braided leather collar and leash ($75)! It's fun to look at, but... Their number is: 1-800-924-5050. Unfortunately, they do not ship outside the USA.

For my fellow sheltie lovers there is also the Sheltie Specialties, Etc. catalog. The phone number is 1-608-836-5033, or their address is Sheltie Specialties, etc., 6711 Shamrock Glen, Middleton, WI, 53562, USA. I haven't received this catalog yet, but look forward to doing so.

Each catalog carries certain items the others don't, but for most stuff I'm now sticking with Cherrybrook & Dog Outfitters as they have the lowest prices and pay shipping on most things. There are some products that carry the Foster & Smith label that I like so much I'm continuing to buy them although they cost a little more and I have to pay shipping.

If you're interested in baking your own dog treats you can order the Dog Cookie Book published by Riley County Sheltie Rescue. It costs $5, plus 80 cents for postage. It has over 50 recipes for all kinds of cookies: liver, other meat, non-meat, cheese, etc. All proceeds go to Sheltie rescue to pay for spay/neuter, food and other medical costs. Order from Riley County Sheltie Rescue, 2005 Somerset Square, Manhattan, KS 66503-2197.

Enjoy! I order all Bonnie's chewtoys, beds, grooming items, etc. from catalogs now, and wear the pages out thumbing through them. About the only thing I buy at a pet supply store anymore is her food.