Product Review: Canine Friendly Crash-Tested Car Harness

The Canine Friendly Crash-Tested Car Harness by RC Pets is another product that was tested by the Center for Pet Safety. This harness serves as both a crash-protection device and a walking harness. It is fleece-lined, adjustable, and easy to put on. I believe it was originally available in four sizes, but I can't find anything on the company website at the moment so it may be discontinued.

Photo by Erin Koski

This is probably Brisbane's favorite crash-tested car harness. It is comfortable and non-restrictive, with two buckles on the belly strap so I don't have to lift his leg over a strap to get him into it. The chest plate is nice and long, so the straps sit well behind his armpits. This is definitely my pick for a car harness that does double duty as a functional walking harness.

Like the AllSafe harness, the Canine Friendly car harness did not actually achieve Center for Pet Safety certification. Like many of the products tested, it suffered catastrophic failure of the largest size. However, the small and medium sizes kept the weighted stuffed test dogs on the seat, and head excursion measurements were within acceptable limits.

Photo by Erin Koski

The Canine Friendly harness did have some hardware integrity issues, with some pieces bending due to the force of the crash test. Still, the small and medium sizes held together well enough to make this harness worth using.

Pros: Easy and uncomplicated to put on. Fits and feels very much like a regular vest harness. Small and medium sizes can survive a 30 mph crash without allowing the dog to fly off the seat or strike anything in the vehicle.

Cons: Large size is inadequate for crash protection. Not as strong as other products on the market that can survive a crash with zero damage.

Bottom Line: For small and medium dogs, I think this is an acceptable compromise between a comfortable walking harness and a protective seatbelt harness. It's not the highest-rated thing out there, but it might be the easiest to use.

Product Review: RC Pets Venture Shell

The RC Pets Venture Shell is a waterproof outerwear coat for dogs. It features a t-shaped chest panel for added protection and a better fit. this coat comes in five colors and twelve sizes to fit dogs with backs 8-30" from neck to tail.

Photo by Erin Koski

After his dramatic shavedown, and before the current horrid heat wave, Brisbane needed some extra warmth on cold mornings. I had been putting his RC Pets West Coast Rainwear jacket on, but I left it behind at a sheep herding trial.

I found this coat on Amazon in his size for super cheap, so I impulse-bought it. At the time I didn't realize that it was not the RC Pets Venture Outwear, which has a fleece liner. The Venture Shell is purely rain protection, it has a ripstop nylon lining and no insulation at all.

This is definitely a nice coat, RC Pets has some very well-designed products that fit extremely well. Briz doesn't really like wearing his Hurtta jackets, but does not complain about his RC Pets coats. The Venture Shell moves with him and stays in place to keep him dry.

Pros: Comfortable for active extended wear. Lightweight and reflective. Extensive range of sizes. Cut to fit well on long backs. Can be worn over a warm insulating layer.

Cons: A little bit rustly and loud.

Bottom Line: Does the same job as Brisbane's Ruffwear Sun Shower jacket, which is to keep dogs dry in rainy but not cold weather. Unfortunately it doesn't really rain here. I'm having a hard time justifying owning this many dog raincoats.

Product Review: RC Pets Bear Bell

The RC Pets Bear Bell is a large metal jingle bell on a short strap, designed to be attached easily to a collar, harness, or backpack. It is available in one size and six patterns.

Photo by Erin Koski

My RC Pets bear bell usually lives in my Camelback daypack, where it comes out for various adventures. There are certainly times when I prefer to sneak up on wildlife in order to get a closer look, but some animals aren't worth surprising. We don't usually have bears in the places we go hiking right now, and I always hike with my dogs on leashes, but I would prefer not to run into a raccoon or coyote either.

I also find that the bell is really useful on winding trails with a reactive dog.

Photo by Erin Koski

I generally like to announce our presence before we pop around a corner and run into a mountain biker, or another hiker. Brisbane doesn't handle surprises well, and the bear bell lets others on the trail know approximately where we are before they see us.

Pros: Easily velcros onto collars and harnesses of all sizes, as well as belts and backpack straps. Allows convenient echolocation of pets and children in low-visibility situations. Has reflective label to increase visibility. Easy to take off for stealth mode.

Cons: Reflective label rests on opposite side of collar from bell, inevitably placing it against the dog rather than outward where it could reflect light instead. Does not come in Maltese Cross pattern.

Bottom Line: The is the only bear bell I have ever bought, so I can't exactly compare it to other bear bells. However, I find that it serves my needs well.

Product Review: RC Pets Clip Collar

The RC Pets Clip Collar is an adjustable flat buckle collar. It features a plastic quick-release buckle, and RC Pets exclusive trims. This collar comes in five sizes to fit dogs with necks 6-25" around, and is available in 39 different patterns.

Photo by Erin Koski

This is yet another of my beloved RC Pets products in the Maltese Cross pattern. Ours is at least 8 years old and looks fantastic. I really can't say enough good things about this company. Their collars are very popular, I see them all over the place, and I have yet to see one that looks faded or worn. Brisbane wore this collar to the beach many times, and it has been through the washing machine a whole lot. It has even been scrubbed after a particularly horrific roll in a dead sea lion.

A lot of collars with ribbon trim don't hold up very well. We had some very pretty ones that were destroyed when Briz scratched his neck. It shouldn't be a huge surprise, he has very long nails and also allergies that make him itchy. The RC Pets Clip Collar trim still looks amazing though. Brisbane was wearing it before I figured out his food allergy issues, back when he was super-itchy and developing hot spots. If it's durable enough for that, it's durable enough for anything.

Photo by Erin Koski

Pros: Super-durable and highly adjustable with no fading, Sizing stays true and does not slip. Tons of patterns and matching training collars, leashes, and harnesses for big and small dogs. Has a reflective patch next to the leash attachment.

Cons: They discontinued flame print. Honestly that's all I can come up with.

Bottom Line: These are more fun than a plain collar, with plenty of unique patterns to choose from. I love the Maltese Cross pattern.

Product Review: RC Pets Training Collar

The RC Pets Training Collar is a martingale with a chain loop instead of a nylon webbing loop. This is also known as a limited-slip collar, and can be used like a choke chain. It is adjustable and machine washable. This collar comes in 39 patterns and four sizes to fit dogs with necks 7-26" around.

Photo by Erin Koski

This is the collar we used for obedience training. Brisbane and I did UKC obedience for nearly five years, and Briz does Utility obedience, which is the most advanced level. Unfortunately, he only does his obedience performance outside a showring, and at competitions and practice matches he suddenly forgets who I am and wanders off. After several years of work with zero titles or legs toward titles, or even qualifying scores, I gave up. Brisbane has his AKC Canine Good Citizen title and that's it.

Our obedience classes used positive training because aversive obedience training mostly results in dogs that look unhappy in the showring. I've read that many obedience competitors use aversive methods that include pinching ears or hitting dogs, but I would never hurt my dog like that. Brisbane's life has been blissfully free of choke chains and collar corrections.

Photo by Erin Koski

So why the chain training collar? The chain section makes a nice noise when I move the leash, allowing me to get Brisbane's attention just by jiggling or lightly tugging. A fast tug will make a distinctive zippy noise, but it won't hurt him because the collar is only tight enough to keep him from backing out of it.

A real choke chain collar correction involves a collar that gets much tighter, and a seriously forceful yank. A "collar pop" that doesn't hurt is just supposed to be a reminder that a much more painful correction can be used. Most people are using choke chains wrong. Any kind of choke or limited-slip collar can strangle your dog, but that's not a real deterrent to pulling.

Anyway, I have two of these collars. I thought mine were sizes Medium and Large, since I have a 1" wide flame-print (discontinued!) collar and a 3/4" wide Maltese cross collar. Both of these collars are at least six years old though, and it's distinctly possible that the sizes have changed since the current 3/4" collars top out at 14" and Briz has a 17" neck. I used the smaller collar for obedience classes, we tried the larger one once and Brisbane got a dewclaw caught in the chain during an off-leash exercise.

Pros: Awesome RC Pets patterns including my favorite Maltese Cross, so I can make everything match. The patterns don't fade and they continue to look awesome forever. These chains on these collars are long enough to make a good zippy noise, but not so long that the collar hangs super-loose. (I'm looking at you, Premier!) There is a separate ring on the collar for hanging tags without interfering with the chain.

Cons: The noisy chain can spook shy dogs. RC Pets advertises this collar as a pulling deterrent, demonstrating that they don't actually know how choke collars should work. Also, flame print has been discontinued.

Bottom Line: I used this collar every single day when Brisbane and I were doing obedience training. I got several years of use out of my Maltese Cross collar and it still looks great. I don't use the training collars often these days, but I still carry one in my training bag for times when I want to do some peppy heelwork with Briz. There's definitely something to be said for having a special type of collar for training time.

Product Review: RC Pets West Coast Rainwear

The RC Pets West Coast Rainwear is a lined blanket-style coat that comes in five colors and 13 sizes to fit dogs that measure 6"-30" from neck to tail.

Photo by Erin Koski

This is the jacket that Brisbane wears most often in the winter. This is a blanket-style coat, it closes around the front of the chest and under the belly like a horse blanket. This style isn't as warm as something that covers the whole chest between the front legs, but it offers more freedom of movement.

Photo by Erin Koski

Brisbane measures 23" from the base of his neck to the base of his tail. I bought him a 24" coat because length is important, covering all the way to the base of the tail helps keep the dog warmer. This coat is very easy to put on and take off, so Brisbane doesn't mind it too much.

Pros: Large range of sizes to fit dogs of many shapes. Does not chafe or rub, even when the coat is a bit big. Reflective stripes for good visibility. Plenty of coverage, Brisbane is protected from his earbeards down to his buttfluffies. Warm, waterproof, and allows for movement.

Cons: Doesn't come in pink for fashionista chihuahuas. Leaves some of the underside of the dog exposed.

Bottom Line: We don't get a lot of cold weather out here by the beach, but this is the coat I grab for those rare frosty mornings. Brisbane normally hates clothes, but he doesn't mind his West Coast Rainwear when it's really cold.

Product Review: RC Pets Step-In Harness

The RC Pets Step-In Harness is a back clip harness made from nylon, with a colorful tape pattern overlay. The harness is durable, washable, and looks great.

Photo by Erin Koski

I love RC Pet products because of their tape patterns. They make flat buckle collars, martingale collars with and without chain sections, big fat buckle collars, wide martingale sighthound collars, leashes in three lengths,harnesses, and also collars, harnesses, and leashes for cats. There are also treat bags, a collapsible water bowl, and a bear bell. All of these products come in matching RC tape patterns, so you can make just about everything match. I absolutely love the Maltese Cross pattern, and we have a martingale collar and a flat buckle collar in the same pattern.

I love the way this harness looks on Brisbane. The center strap between his front legs is adjustable, so it fits him very well. However, the rings for the leash are not set right beside the buckle. Instead, they are on 2" long straps that make the leash rings ride high above his back. This makes the buckle assembly very heavy. With the leash attached it is relatively easy to keep the buckle on top. I don't use this harness on occasions when I plan to take off the leash but leave the harness attached, because the heavy buckle assembly rotates the whole harness around and end up beside his elbow.

Pros: Durable, bright design does not fade or stain even after lots of abuse. Comfortable step-in design is easy to use. Tons of options for dogs with 10-40" chests. Lots of matching accessories and gear. I see a lot of RC Pets collars on dogs at work, and I yet to see one that showed signs of wear.

Cons: Long leash ring straps make the buckle heavy and prone to sliding to the side. Whoever designed the step-in harness has never actually tried to get a dog (or toddler) to deliberately step into anything.

Bottom Line: I use this harness when I'm feeling stylish, but I like the design of the Lupine step-in more because the buckle generally stays put. This was Brisbane's regular walking harness for several years, but now we're both in love with Norway harnesses. I think they're the wave of the future. If RC Pets comes out with one I will definitely buy it.