Product Review: Ollydog Night Visibility Dog Coat

OllyDog's Night Visibility Dog Coat is a bright and reflective way to keep track of your dog. This is a very lightweight mesh vest that allows freedom of movement. Velcro fasteners at the neck and belly make it very adjustable, and t goes well over a harness, coat, wheelchair, or whatever. This might be out of production now, but originally came in three sizes to fit dogs with chests 11-36" around.

Photo by Erin Koski

This vest is a lot like the visibility vests joggers use when running on roads, and that is really what it's good for. The material is extremely light and thin, it won't trap heat but also feels a bit flimsy. This is a thrift store treasure that I expected to be like my $4 eBay dog visibility vests from China...until I saw the tag.

While it's a great idea for walking, I'm not sure how well this little coat will stay put on a running dog. This is definitely for urban walking and not runs in the woods.

Pros: Reflective striping is very reflective. Will not make dog too warm. Very bright and highly visible,

Cons: Will definitely tear if it gets caught on a bush or anything. Probably won't hold up very long to regular velcro use either.

Bottom Line: Walking your old lab around town at midnight? Great! Running through the woods with your hunting dog? Not with this visibility cape.

Product Review: The OllyDog Olly Bone

The OllyDog Olly Bone is a durable dog toy intended for throwing, tugging, and fetching. It floats and does not absorb water. The current iteration, the OllyBone II, is available in two sizes and seven colors.

Photo by Erin Koski

This is a fun version of the classic bumper toys used to train water retrieves. The Olly Bone is thoughtfully designed with reinforced seams and a handle that wraps all the way around it.

 I was a little worried about taking the Olly Bone to the beach because it looks pretty absorbent. The worst case scenario involved me tossing it into the waves and watching it sink to the depths of Davy Jones' locker. Less catastrophic predictions involved me having to wring out a gallon of water or wait days for it to dry like the Outward Hound bandana.

Photo by Erin Koski

Happily the Olly Bone is nonabsorbent. It floats high in the water and doesn't pick up sand or dirt. After a trip to the beach, I can just shake it off and toss it in the car.

Pros: Fun to bite. Easy to clean. Easy to spot in the surf. Loop handle makes it easy to toss. Very durable.

Cons: Um...it doesn't squeak? The short handle prevent me from really launching it like the Aqua Kong or the Chuckit! Bumper.

Bottom Line: As much as I liked this toy, we didn't get very much use out of it compared to some of our other water toys. I sent each of my foster puppies off with some of our less loved toys, and this one went home with Darla.

Product Review: Ollydog Nightlife II Collar

The Ollydog Nightlife II Collar is a flat buckle collar with an incredibly reflective strip down the middle. It features durable nylon webbing, a quick-release buckle, and a rubber tag muffler. This collar is available in nine colors and three sizes to fit dogs with necks 8-29" around.

Photo by Erin Koski

When it comes to visibility, this collar is tough to beat. That wide reflective strip is pretty impressive at night. It picks up flashlight beams and car headlights and throws them back in a way that makes it look like the collar itself is glowing.

Ollydog makes some neat outdoor dog gear, and while I'm not as madly in love with them as I am with Ruffwear, I still like the company a whole lot. These collars last a long time, can handle anything from beach sand to serious mud, and are really nice collars for active outdoor-enthusiast dogs.

I especially like that little rubber tag silencer. It goes between the ID tag and county license, rabies tag, religious symbol, etc, and keeps the tags from clanking together. I don't find dog tag noises to be particularly annoying, but obviously a lot of people do. There are a ton of different products intended to solve this problem, and I think this is one of the simplest and most durable solutions.

Pros: High visibility in low-light conditions. High durability. Stays bright and colorful for a long, long time. Comes in tiny through ponydog sizes.

Cons: That reflective tape is the same width on every collar, so it looks a whole lot skinnier on the larger sizes.

Bottom Line: An excellent utilitarian collar, and probably my favorite reflective piece of dog gear.