Happy Star Wars Day!

May the fourth be with you! I've been a huge Star Wars fan since early childhood, and I'm thrilled that it has so permeated popular culture. I'm especially pleased with The Force Awakens and the fact that half the people in the background are women, whether soldiers or trading post visitors. (Still trying to pretend the prequels didn't happen...)

Photo by Erin Koski

Petco apparently has officially licensed the Star Wars brand, and their offerings have only gotten
better since their initial product line. My favorite bit of apparel is definitely the Yoda sweater. I think every chihuahua should have a Yoda sweater. The least popular product from that line was definitely the Princess Leia harem girl harness, the clearance bin was stuffed with those for months.

Petco started offering licensed Star Wars pet products in early 2014 or late 2013. From the simple printed collars, themed harnesses, and sweaters, they've since expanded to a much wider and more sophisticated product range. R2D2 chihuahua purses, imitation leather studded collars, and some really unique toys.

There are a ton of basic plush, rope, and squeaky toys that just happen to have Star Wars characters on them. Much more exciting are the gems like our Death Star treat ball. I mean look at this thing! It's a perfect little Death Star, plus it's a food puzzle! I believe the current incarnation is clear so the dog can see the goodies inside.

Photo by Erin Koski

Sisci's favorite Star Wars toy is definitely our Death Star pull toy. It's a great big plush space station with a rope handle and three holes for hiding little squeaky guys. It's so cute I don't mind too much when Sisci wakes me up at 6am with a plush Darth Vader in her mouth.

I'm definitely appreciating the addition of a girl Jedi protagonist. My six year old niece has a Rey costume, maybe I can talk my sister into making one for Sisci?

Check out my review of the Death Star stuff tomorrow!

Puzzle Toy Review: Death Star Treat Ball

This Star Wars puzzle ball is shaped like the Death Star, and it's so awesome I can barely stand it. That's no ball, that's a space station! I find most of Petco's Star Wars merchandise to be sort of pedestrian and blah, but this...this is art. The big hole (where the giant laser of death comes out) has a rim around the inside that makes it easy to pop kibble inside, and difficult for the food to fall out again. Instead, the food has to come out the smaller hole at the bottom.

The top has an even larger holes covered by triangular flaps, through which a chew stick or long biscuit can be partially inerted. So many options!

Photo by Erin Koski

Puzzle Toy Rating

Capacity: 2/5
I just checked, and I can jam exactly 3/4 a cup of PureVita kibble into this thing. It's enough to feed a small meal.

Loading Speed: 1/5
One kibble at a time, the big hole is too small for a soda bottle funnel.

Unloading Speed (standard dog): 5/5
It's really tough to get that last kibble out, and most of the time when I find this ball around the house, there's still a piece or two left in there.

Photo by Erin Koski

Unloading Speed (superdog): 4/5
It drops the food at just the right rate to keep Brisbane interested, without dumping the entire load at once.

Size: 4/5
Bigger than a tennis ball, so big enough for a fairly large dog to enjoy, just not a giant breed. Light enough for a tiny dog, too.

Durability: 5/5
It won't stand up to a power chewer on a mission of destruction, but anything less is unlikely to hurt it.

Noise: 5/5
Soft rubber rolls silently across my hard floors.

Photo by Erin Koski

Locatability: 2/5
Fits under the couch and rolls freely, the only reason I can usually find it is because the dogs enjoy carrying it around.

Washability: 2/5
I can shove a bottle brush in there, but it would be tough to scrub most of the inside of this ball.

Versatility: 3/5
The difficulty in cleaning limits what sorts of treats can be put inside, and what animals can use this ball. It's a nice size though, and has a lot of potential.

Total: 33/50

Product Review: Good2Go Waterproof Dog Socks

Good2Go Waterproof Dog Socks have a non-skid coating to keep paws warm and dry. They come in a variety of sizes and colors and are surface-washable only.

Photo by Erin Koski

Good2Go is a Petco house brand, though occasionally their stuff pops up at discount stores. These are super cute and remind me of our PMP Waterproof Outdoor Socks. The rubber part feels nice and grippy, and the knit stuff is stretchy enough to get on and off easily.

Like most dog socks, these don't stay on. They actually fit Brisbane very well, any smaller and they'd be difficult to put on so they're quite snug. It's just that stretchy knit elastic isn't really enough to keep them from sliding off eventually.

I keep these around because they may be useful the next time Brisbane injures a foot. If I needed them to stay on I'd want to use bandaging tape around the tops to tape them to his legs. One of my herding friends did that and managed to keep them on her border collie, but the socks wore through in less than a day.

Pros: Grippy for slippery hard floor. Easy to put on. Warm and waterproof. Can be used to discourage foot licking and protect injuries.

Photo by Erin Koski

Cons: Stay on about as well as any other dog socks in the history of the universe. Not for high-speed
outdoor adventures or abrasive surfaces.

Bottom Line: If you need some dog socks, these are about as good as any other dog socks out there.

Product Review: Petco Premium Pink Seatbelt Harness

The Petco Premium Seatbelt Harness is a safety harness designed to reduce driver distraction, and is not intended to protect your dog in an actual collision. This appears to be a previous iteration of this product, as the one currently available looks more like the Kurgo True-Fit harness. Ours is pink and gray, with reflective striping on the back and metal quick-release buckles. This one comes in three sizes to fit dogs with chests up to 34" around.

Photo by Erin Koski

While this is definitely a sturdy and heavy harness, the package doesn't say anything at all about crash protection or testing. That means the Petco Premium Seatbelt Harness only keeps your dog from moving around the car, and won't help in an accident. I think it's important to explicitly state this because there is a very widespread misconception that extra-sturdy car harnesses will help prevent injuries in an accident. In fact, these untested products may actually hurt the dog when put to the test.

This particular harness is kind of weirdly-sized. It claims it will fit dogs up to 24" around the chest, but is a couple inches too short to go around 22" Sisci. (Maybe she grew when I wasn't looking?) It does fit Ru pretty good, but it's also super heavy and stiff on such a little dog. Even though they both fall into the advertised size range of "up to 24 inches", I think this harness is better suited for dogs 14-20" around and weighing 10-20 pounds.

I'm sure the original design for the Petco Premium Seatbelt Harness was much larger. This small one looks like they took the big one and just made everything a little smaller without altering any of the proportions. The result is that the neck straps, while technically adjustable, actually have a range of well under an inch. The size range for the neck is about 10-11", why even have it adjust?

I've actually encourntered this harness in the wild, we have a couple of dogs at work who wear this exact size. It works better on dogs well in the middle of the stated range.

Pros: Sturdy, reflective, easy to put on. Inexpensive. Probably won't maim the dog wearing it if the car stops abruptly.

Cons: Doesn't fit well on dogs at either end of the size range. Neck adjustment is so limited it's comical. Rugged design and metal hardware can lead users to believe this product would provide some protection in an accident despite it not being explicitly marketed that way.

Bottom Line: For some reason this harness makes Ru look crazy long. He's pretty long, but I specifically use gear that minimizes it. This thing maximizes it. Soooo looong.

Product Review: Paws Aboard Doggy Life Jacket

The Paws Aboard Doggy Life Jacket is a personal flotation device sold by Petco. It features reflective stripes for visibility, a supportive mesh belly panel, and a handle on top for helping dogs out of the pool. It comes in two colors and six sizes to fit dogs with chests 11-44" around.

Photo by Erin Koski

Years ago when I had my cocker spaniel, personal flotation devices for dogs tended to consist of a somewhat contoured float thing with straps that went around the dog. The one we had did have a handle on top, but the design meant the dog's entire weight was suspended from two straps running under their body. Not exactly comfortable.

We've come a long way since then, and now even bottom-of-the-line doggy life jackets have supportive belly panels. This one also has two straps that buckle around the dog's middle, and another that goes around the front of their chest.

This is a bottom-of-the-line life jacket. The first thing I noticed about it was that the material seems very thin and flimsy. It should be just fine for occasional use, but for an active dog that's going to wearing it frequently, I would go with something higher quality. It's pretty thin, which means a nice low profile, but also less buoyancy. It's fine for smaller dogs, but I would hesitate to use it on a truly large dog, especially a poor swimmer. Still, it's a nice value. That extra bit of velcro on the side is actually for a strap on the other side that keeps the whole thing wrapped up neatly for storage.

Pros: Inexpensive, probably the lowest-priced PFD (personal flotation devices) for dogs right now. Supportive belly panel. Bright color provides excellent visibility. Not very bulky, low profile and close fit.

Cons: Sizes run small. Thin material means less flotation, so a bigger vest is better anyway. Xena is wearing a size large in this picture, which should actually be a little big for her according to the provided measurements. I'm not convinced this is the most durable material, and I don't think the handle is sturdy enough to lift a large dog either.

Bottom Line: Petco's Paws Aboard Doggy Life Jacket is an inexpensive way to keep a small or medium dog safe around a pool or on a boat. It's a good value for a dog that needs to get some confidence in the water. I would not recommend it for a large dog due to its limited buoyancy, or for major adventures for durability concerns.

Pretty in Pink

When we had Brisbane shaved to help get his skin issues under control, I worried a lot about him getting sunburned. It's true that no hair means unrestricted airflow to the skin, but fur also protects a dog from the sun. Brisbane is single-coated, his hairs are all one length. Double-coated dogs have their visible outer coat and then a soft, short undercoat that can help insulate them in cold weather.

Photo by Erin Koski

In the summer, double-coated dogs are supposed to shed their undercoats out, leaving the long guardhairs to protect them from the sun. collies, huskies, and other super-hairy dogs are usually pretty comfortable in the heat provided their undercoats have been brushed out properly. Without brushing, the shed fluff bunches up next to their skin and continues insulating forever. Sometimes it starts coming out in tufts. When brushing out a dog with a very thick undercoat, it's not unusual to end up with a pile of hair bigger than the dog.

Brisbane is single-coated, so I don't have to deal with an undercoat. However, shaving him bald still left him with zero protection from the sun. The day after his haircut, we went shopping for something he could wear in the sun. I wanted something thinner than his warm jackets, and light-colored to reflect the heat. Only a couple of places in town even had dog shirts, and I found just one light-colored shirt in his size. It was on clearance for $4 at Petco.

Brisbane, of course, refused to move while wearing anything at all. I decided to limit our time in the sun instead, and passed the shirt along to a friend with a white dog that is willing to wear clothes. I think I got $4 worth of entertainment out of it.

Product Review: Dog Dazzlers Collar Slides

I found this Dog Dazzlers Collar Slide in the clearance bin at Petco. These come in a variety of styles, including flowers and bows. Each ornament has an elastic loop on the back that allows it to slide onto almost any collar.

Photo by Erin Koski

I love this giant flower on Ru's collar. It reminds me of those ridiculously oversized flower headbands people like to put on babies. It's actually a pretty reasonably-sized flower on a reasonably-sized dog though, Ru just makes it look big.

I like the idea of removable collar ornaments. Most of the permanently-attached ones I see are extremely worn and dirty. They probably looked pretty at first, but flowers and butterflies and fabric patches tend to tolerate less wear than the rest of the collar.

Pros: Easy to use. Fits on a variety of collar sizes, from tiny to 1" wide. Lots of different colors and styles.

Cons: Not very durable. Significantly less impact when worn by normal-sized dogs.

Bottom Line: Perfect for when I feel like decorating my chihuahua. Look how fancy!

How do you dress up your dog?

Product Review: Petco Squirrel Collar

The Petco Purple Squirrel Collar is a flat collar with a quick release buckle. It is available in three sizes to fit dogs with necks 9-26" around.

Photo by Erin Koski

I don't often buy collars from big box pet stores. It's not that the quality is lacking, I just don't often find things I really like there. Recently though, the major retailers have expanded their offerings beyond basic nylon dog gear. I think the popularity of collars and brands normally found in boutiques has finally caught the attention of the major pet retailers.

I've seen some super cute ribbon collars and prints at Petco recently. I see them on dogs at work, and all over town too. The pink elephants and blue whales are particularly popular. I haven't seen anyone else wearing this particular squirrel collar yet.

Pros: Dark colors don't show the dirt too quickly. Purple plastic buckle blends with the rest of the collar. Squirrels!

Cons: I'm not trusting that pretty purple plastic buckle to hold up to a serious dog play. I've seen a number of colored plastic buckles break.

Bottom Line: I think it's time we moved past the basic bone and pawprint motifs and started adorning dog gear with things that better reflect the wearer's interests. Brisbane is interested in squirrels. Also sheep and tennis balls.

How to Put on a Petco Mesh Harness

I get quite a few page views from people looking for step-by-step instructions for putting on the Petco Mesh Harness. While a have a product review, I didn't include a graphic step-by-step breakdown of how to make sense of this harness on there. Clearly this is an oversight I need to rectify.

Photo by Erin Koski

The Petco Mesh Harness is a Roman-style harness designed to take pressure off the dog's neck and distribute it across the chest. This is a choke-free harness, it is not a no-pull harness and will not discourage a dog from pulling on the leash. In fact, a comfortable harness like this could actually encourage pulling by making leash pressure more comfortable.

This harness is a good choice for people who want to avoid putting pressure on their dog's neck or throat. It is great for dogs who tend to back out of collars, and is also good for visibility because it comes in bright colors and bold patterns. This harness should not rub or chafe, and may be a good choice for dogs with sensitive skin.

One thing that makes the Petco Mesh Harness different from other mesh harnesses  is that the neck can be adjusted. This is accomplished via a pair of plastic ratchet straps that look like they were stolen off a pair of ski boots. The fact that these can be completely unbuckled is why I suspect this harness confuses so many people.

Photo by Erin Koski

Step One: Find the Ratchet Straps
To make sense out of this harness, I first need to find the plastic ratchet straps. These may be buckled or unbuckled. They are made from ridged plastic, and connect to a strap at a right angle. They may be buckled into the ratchet buckles or unbuckled.

If the ratchet straps are buckled into the wrong sides of the harness, the whole thing will be a giant twisted mess. When I can't untangle one of these, I start by unbuckling the ratchet buckles completely. This is accomplished by pushing down on the tab of the buckle and sliding the ratchet strap all the way out of it. Then I can hold the ratchet straps up and let the rest of the harness dangle and untwist. If the side-release buckle is still fastened, I will also unbuckle that one.

The Petco Mesh Harness comes with yellow stickers on the ratchet buckles, making them easier to find on a brand new harness. The buckles on the pink harness in these pictures still have their yellow stickers.

Which Strap Goes Where?

To figure out which ratchet buckle goes to which strap, I can lay the totally unbuckled harness out flat with the rubber Petco label facing up and each strap out straight. When laid out this way, the black ratchet strap on the right goes into the closest ratchet buckle.

Laid out flat like this, we can see the top of the top and the bottom of the bottom of the harness. These are the surfaces that will not be touching the dog when he is wearing the harness.

I pay close attention to this little ring because it's easy for the straps to get confusing. The leash ring is on a little tab, and when the side straps are adjusted like this, the leash ring strap can rotate around the ring and pass through the other strap. It's supposed to be on the opposite side of the ring from the strap with the rubber Petco label.

If the harness looks like this, I need to pull the leash ring strap through the side strap loop so it's opposite the rubber Petco label.

Photo by Erin Koski

Step Two: Buckle the Ratchet Straps
Once I know which ratchet strap goes into which buckle, I can fasten the ratchet buckles to make a loop for Brisbane's head. It's easier to fasten these buckles before putting on the harness, but some dogs really don't like having things pulled over their heads. For these dogs I fasten one ratchet buckle before putting the harness on, and do the second ratchet buckle to buckle the harness around their neck.

Photo by Erin Koski

Photo by Erin Koski

Photo by Erin Koski

Step Three: Put the Dog's Head Through
When the harness goes on the dog, the printed mesh panel should be on the bottom, and the rubber Petco label should be on the top.

Photo by Erin Koski

Photo by Erin Kosk

Step Four: Put the Dog's Leg Through
To put this harness on, I need to lift up Brisbane's right leg and put it through the loop formed by the side strap and mesh panel.

Photo by Erin Koski

Step Five: Buckle the Harness
The large side-release buckle is fastened on Brisbane's left side.

Photo by Erin Koski

Step Six: Strike a Pose!
Look at that fancy harness!

Product Review: Petco Box Clicker

The Petco Dog Training Clicker is a basic box clicker. It comes in red, blue, and sometimes white, and includes a key ring. The stretchy wristband on my red clicker was purchased separately.

Photo by Erin Koski

As far as clickers go, it doesn't get much simpler than this. Push down the metal tab inside the box, get a giant click. This is a large box clicker, it is easy to use even with large fingers. The large size also guarantees that it emits a loud click, which can make training easier or more difficult depending on the dog.

Pros: Cheap, usually $1.50. Reliable, I have never had one of these fail. The fact that the tab rests inside the opening also helps prevent accidental clicks while fumbling with treats and in pockets. This clicker is also incredibly loud for a metal tab inside a plastic box, which is useful when I'm working with Brisbane at a distance, in an area with a lot of background noise, or when I need to be sure he can hear the click while he is hysterically screambarking.

Cons: This thing is loud enough to spook shy and sensitive animals. It also requires getting a thumb into the box to click it, which can lead to poor timing and missed clicks.

Bottom Line: This is not my favorite clicker, but it's a close second. I have at least half a dozen of these because they are cheap, durable, and easy to find.

Product Review: Petco Adjustable Mesh Harness

The Petco Adjustable Mesh Harness is a Roman-style harness that uses a wide mesh panel in the front, instead of the typical single strap. It comes in a huge variety of colors and patterns that change every season, and is available in four sizes to fit dogs with chests as small as 15.5" and as large as 30".

Photo by Erin Koski

Not gonna lie, I found this harness in the clearance bin. Somebody, somewhere, thought this color/pattern combination was a good idea. They had every size in the bin, marked down to $4. If they came small enough to fit Ru I would have a matching set.

Mesh harnesses like this have been around for a long time. The first ones I remember seeing were by Gooby, with synthetic lambskin straps and ridiculously high prices. (Gooby harness review coming soon.) However, the largest of those are for dogs with 24" chests, and Brisbane is a couple of inches bigger. I tried the Gooby harnesses on him a few times in stores, but it was never meant to be.

Several years later, mesh harnesses became more popular and began appearing in major chains. I think the first one I ever tried on Briz was a purple sparkly one in PetSmart. However, neither the original Gooby harness, nor the newer varieties had an adjustable neck hole. This was an issue, nothing seemed to be a good fit.

Enter the Petco Adjustable Mesh Harness. You can't see it in my picture, but the neck of this harness is adjustable. The straps are hard plastic, and ratchet in and out like the straps on rollerblades in the 90's. The harness is supposed to fit a dog several inches larger than Brisbane, but I have it adjusted about as big as it can go.

Pros: Comfortable for extended wear, distributes force very well. Lots of options for doggy fashionistas. Fits considerably larger dogs than most harnesses of this style holds up even when Brisbane is determined to destroy the mail carrier.

Cons: The wide force-distributing center could potentially irritate the armpits of some dogs. Only one clip around the middle so I have to put one of Brisbane's legs through it. Some color combinations are doomed to fail.

Bottom Line: There are styles of harness that I like better so this one doesn't get a whole lot of use. I mostly only put this one on Brisbane when I'm feeling silly. It seems to be a solid design though, and I'm pretty sure I trust those plastic neck adjusters now.

Chihuahua Fashion Moment: Wag-A-Tude

Wag-A-Tude is a Petco house brand, like Smoochie Pooch. This label is usually found on knit sweaters, hooded sweatshirts, and tshirts. Ru's wardrobe contains a lot of Wag-A-Tude outfits because the designs often feature skulls, which I love. Most of Petco's holiday apparel is also by Wag-A-Tude, and Ru is dressed for Halloween year-round.

Photo by Erin Koski

Ru has a lot of clothes from Petco because their clothing lines do so many things right. The hooded sweatshirts fit my long-backed chihuahua extremely well. The prices are decent, I usually pay around $15 per piece unless I find them in the clearance bin. Unlike a lot of inexpensive dog clothes, the necks of the Wag-A-Tude clothes don't stretch out.

Neck stretch is a big issue for dogs that wear clothes often. It's especially trying for dogs that are difficult to fit in the first place. To fit Ru's long back, I often buy clothes that are a size or two larger than his chest measurement would indicate. For some clothing brands, a sweater that is long enough is also large enough to slide right off. Owners of wide-chested dogs often have similar issues, a sweater that is wide enough around also has a neck hole big enough to slide down around the shoulders.

There are a lot of cute high-end dog fashions out there, but they may not be worth it for the dog that is dressed every single day. Wag-A-Tude makes some great basic pieces that last forever, fit well, and don't stretch out. Ru's favorite pink skeleton sweatshirt has lasted through three years of adventures without fading, and always comes out of the wash looking clean and new.

Chihuahua Fashion Moment: Smoochie Pooch

This is Ru's favorite dress. I have a hard time finding clothes that look cute and stay on at the same time. Dresses with thin straps are right out. Smoochie Pooch is one of Petco's house brands of dog clothing, and they have some awesome outfits for long dogs.

Photo by Erin Koski

This particular dress is almost four years old, but there is usually something similar in the spring line every year. I think the name was "Bling Hearts" or something to that effect. It's a jersey knit (t-shirt material) dress with a velvety skirt and velvety trim around the neck and arms holes. The skirt is stiff enough to keep its shape, but  still soft and snuggly.

Ru has an extremely long back for a chihuahua. A lot of dog clothes look silly on him. Shirts and dresses just don't look right when they end before the end of his ribcage. A larger size may be long enough, but so wide that it slips down his neck and falls off.

Photo by Erin Koski

When Ru is standing on four feet, his Smoochie Pooch dress almost reaches the base of his tail. It matches his Candy-pink EzyDog QuickFit harness beautifully. The dress has survived many hikes and adventures, and has been through the washing machine a number of times. It still looks great after several years.

All of Ru's Smoochie Pooch outfits are wonderful. They fit very well, are easy to put on, and are comfortable to wear all day long. This is Petco's "girly" line, and they make some really cute dresses and sweaters. Their small dog clothes run about $15-20 per piece, which isn't too bad. I like to pick them up from the clearance bin. Smoochie Pooch stuff washes well, and wears well.