Product Review: Dog101 Body Harness

This soft step-in harness is by Dog101, yet another SimplyShe brand. It is really amazingly soft on the inside. This one has a Petco Sku, so I know where it originally came from. Ours is an extra small for bitty dogs.

Photo by Erin Koski

SimplyShe makes a bunch of different brands and and product lines of clothes for dogs. They are the company behind Glamour to the Bone, Wag-a-Tude, and a few others. I see their stuff at Petco, Ross, Walmart, Marshalls, and various other discount and big box stores.

Ru has a bunch of SimplyShe stuff just because they make clothes that fit him. He's a bit long and a bit narrow, and a lot of basic dog clothes are just too wide and not long enough. I don't usually use little vest harnesses like this on him though, because they tend to wrap around his shoulders and make the rest of him look extra-long.

Pros: Super soft lining for delicate skin. Easy to put on, and no confusing side adjusters. Comes in tons of different colors and patterns.

Cons: Not very adjustable. The sound of the velcro opening may startle some dogs. Step-in style puts the leash ring directly over or even in front of the dog's shoulder.

Bottom Line: This harness isn't a great fit for long-bodied dogs with owners that are self conscious about their dog's long-bodiedness.

Chihuahua Fashion Moment: Glamour to the Bone

Glamour to the Bone is another clothing line sold almost entirely at Petco. Like Wag A Tude, Smoochie Pooch, Glamour to the Bone is a trademark owned by Simply She. Other brands in the family include Simply Dog, Wagby, Lulu Pink, Pup Crew, Life's Furtastic, Wagwell, Ruff Lux, Hansome Pete, and GoDoggy. Simply Dog is found at WalMart. I think these all came from Ross, so it's possible Petco is no longer carrying the brand.

Photo by Erin Koski

So yeah, basically all of my favorite pursedog clothing brands are related. I swear this chihuahua does wear some really cute Etsy stuff, it's just that his everyday outfits tend to be inexpensive and mass-produced. Just like people clothes, only his come from Petco instead of Target or Old Navy. Anyway, despite their ubiquitousness there seems to be very little information out there on these brands, so I wanted to contribute what I know. I'm sure PetSmart has some really cute clothing lines too, but theirs seem to be slightly more expensive, and generally don't fit Ru as well.

Photo by Erin Koski

The Glamour to the Bone line consists almost entirely of girly little dresses and pink sweaters. Ru has three different Glamour dresses, and they all fit very well. The two pictured here are size Small, they are cut small enough that he doesn't slither out of them, and long enough to go all the way to his tail. The black one is made from fuzzy material. Ru also has a pink and red dress with strawberry print, in a cotton jersey fabric. That one is a size small and is a tad short, but has a nice snug fit.

The pink dress shown here is made from swimsuit material and serves as Ru's beach dress. He wears it on hot days when he doesn't need his beach jacket. I could let him run naked, but he is the same color as dry sand so it's tough to keep track of him. I love this dress because it dries quickly and doesn't get all sandy and crusty like his other outfits.

With a long back and tiny chest, not every clothing brand fits Ru particularly well. Often I have to choose between clothes so big they fall off, or so short they end halfway down his ribcage. Glamour to the Bone is a nice happy medium, with clothes that stay put and look good on his freakishly long back.

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.