Product Review: Zack & Zoey Fleece Lined Hoodie

This Zack & Zoey (there is no official Zack and Zoey website) Fleece Lined Hoodie is basically the ultimate sweater for long skinny dogs. More than just a sweatshirt, it has a warm lining that makes it super thick, super warm, and super soft. This hoodie comes in plain colors that can easily be customized or embellished with paint or patches. It is available in a variety of colors and six sizes to fit dogs with chests 14-35" around.

Photo by Erin Koski

When I set out to write this review, I first went looking for the official Zack & Zoey website. I see this brand all over the place and associate it with high quality dog clothes. Obviously this must be one of those brands named for the creator's dogs, right? I was totally expecting pictures and tales of the real Zack and Zoey.

Sadly, I was disappointed, and the cute names are nothing but marketing. Zack & Zoey is actually just another Pet Edge brand. Their main website only lists hoodies by Casual Canine, Guardian Gear, and Kong, but Ru's Zack & Zoey sweatshirt had the name Alpha Key on it, which led me to this Pet Edge dealer page. It turns out that Zack & Zoey is a Pet Edge brand only available to certain sellers, along with Cruising Companion, Be Good, Grriggles, Savvy Tabby, Clear Quest, UGroom, and Wise Rewards. This is why there is no official Zack & Zoey website, and the brand's online presence is limited to assorted online stores.

Branding and marketing aside, I really love this sweater and Ru does too. Ru measures 13" around his chest, and 12? from the base of his neck to the base of his tail. He looks silly in a lot of short, wide clothes, and stays warmest in things that cover most of his back. This hoodie is a side small, with a chest measurement of 15" and a back length of 12", and it is absolutely perfect for Ru. I was worried he would be swimming in it but it's fluffy enough that the 3" difference between the sweater and his body works just fine. The extra large size would probably fit both Brisbane and Sisci comfortably.

Pros: Super warm, super soft, super comfortable. Sized for long backs rather than wide chests. Has velcro at the neck to make it easier to get on, this also prevents it from sliding down the shoulders.

Cons: It might be too warm for the impending record-setting California summer.

Bottom Line: This hoodie appears to have been designed by someone who actually used it on a regular basis on actual dogs. It's a simple but thoughtful product, and I appreciate that even if the brand is actually part of a giant faceless corporation.

Product Review: Guardian Gear 24" 3-Way Coupler

The Guardian Gear 24" 3-Way Coupler by Pet Edge is a leash accessory for walking three dogs at one. It consists of three 2-foot leashes attached to a central ring, to which a regular leash can be attached. This coupler is currently available in eight different colors and also comes in 4" and 12" lengths.

Photo by Erin Koski

I'm not a huge fan of couplers for anything but sedate walks with well-mannered and slightly-oblivious dogs of similar size and strength. I just don't like the idea of dogs walking other dogs, and the last thing I want is for one dog to move suddenly and give the other an inadvertent leash pop. I've started seeing stretchy couplers recently, and I like those a lot better because they insulate the dogs from each others' movements a bit.

My good experiences with couplers are mostly limited to walking a friend's pack of senior Labradors along with my cocker spaniel. Four of these dogs could be coupled together with minimal issue because none of them pulled hard or was prone to lunging. The fifth (and sometimes sixth) dogs were never walked on couplers because they tended to pull hard and needed feedback from my end of the leash. These days I only attach couplers to harnesses because I like to be able to use very small movements to communicate when the leash is attached to a collar.

Photo by Erin Koski

I found this super-long three-dog coupler at a thrift store and immediately thought "well there's a terrible idea!" So of course I bought it. I can walk a whole bunch of dogs on individual leashes without too much trouble because I can remove a single leash to untangle someone. With this coupler I can't do that nearly as easily because the leashes are permanently attached at one end.

Pros: Sturdy, well-made. Available in a variety of fun colors. Long 24" length gives dogs plenty of independence from each other.

Cons: Lots of length for dogs to get wrapped around their legs or my legs. No easy way to untangle them if two dogs decide to spin circles around each other.

Bottom Line: The only three-way coupler I've ever seen work really well was one with 4" stretchy lengths attached to a 4' leash and three miniature dachshunds. It never dipped close enough to the ground for them to step over it, and they could just sort of swarm along together. I did see this weird leash handle thing recently that seems pretty useful, but it's $40 and I can do the same thing with my giant carabiner.

Product Review: Casual Canine XTRM Harness

The Casual Canine XTRM Logo Harness is a Norway-style harness available in six colors and three sizes to fit dogs with chests 21"-32" around. It is also known as the XTRM Game Over harness depending on the color, and is currently on clearance at several internet stores so it is possible this product is being discontinued.

Photo by Erin Koski

I love Norway harnesses, and I love comparing different products, which is why I have three very similar harnesses for Briz. This one is a little bit less widely publicized than any of the others, I found it at the Hoots and Hounds booth at an agility match. Casual Canine is a brand owned by parent company Pet Edge, and Petco carries some of their products. I've never seen this harness in person anywhere other than Hoots and Hounds, though. I don't think Norway harnesses have really gone mainstream yet, but I'm really out of touch with the mainstream anyway.

Photo by Erin Koski

The XTRM harness has quite a few limitations, it comes in an unusually narrow range of sizes and each size only adjusts 3-5". Still, it has a lot going for it. The leash ring is very light compared to the rest of the construction, so it doesn't bounce around when the leash isn't attached. There is a plastic ring on the left side for attaching the dog's tags where they will stay out of the way.

The front strap is not adjustable on most Norway harnesses, including this one. However, the strap on the XTRM harness is longer than on the EzyDog Quickfit, so I was actually able to make this one fit. Brisbane's harness is a Large, he could fit into the Medium but it might chafe under his arms. The front strap on his Large harness sits a bit low, but the chest strap gets small enough that the harness fits securely even though Brisbane measures a full 2" smaller around than the Large is supposed to fit. Ulysses also wears the XTRM harness, which fits him nicely.

Pros: Very durable, with lightweight hardware. Separate ring for identification tags. Made from nylon with eye-catching canvas overlay. Front strap is medium length, shorter than the ComfortFlex  Sport but longer than the EzyDog QuickFit.

Cons: Very limited size range, these are not made to fit small or large dogs. Each harness only adjusts a few inches, so getting the right size is important. The plastic clip on the belly strap is placed very close to the dog's armpit where it could potentially cause irritation, though there is padding under the clip.

Bottom Line: For its limitations, this harness works very well for Brisbane. It doesn't have loud velcro or a heavy leash ring like the ComfortFlex harness. It fits him very big, but seems to be comfortable and doesn't make weird noises like his EzyDog harness. I would like to compare it to Hurtta's Norway harness. Right now it's the one I use most often for Brisbane.