Product Review: Top Paw Angler Fish Stuffy

Normally when I walk into Petsmart, I don't even notice the racks of Top Paw and Grreat Choice plush toys. I just find most cheap mass-market plush toys to be totally unappealing. Emoticons? Sports balls? Anthropomorphic food? My inner hipster shouts "No way!" But a few weeks ago I found a plush angler fish amongst the more typical starfish and seahorses.

Photo by Erin Koski

So at this point I should probably confess that I have a collection of stuffed sealife. No, not normal stuffed animals like otters and sea turtles. I have an octopus, a manta ray, a manatee, an ocean sunfish, and probably a few I can't recall just now. It's a very specific niche into which the Top Paw anglerfish fits perfectly.

Do I still think the vast majority of dog toys look incredibly stupid? You bet! Loofah dogs? Misshaped alligators and teddy bears? Hedgehogs in every shape, size, and color? Everything has been done to death, and the toy companies try to liven things up by giving their animal toys huge heads, or round bellies, or long necks. It's just not an aesthetic I find appealing.

At this point, most of our stuffies are either dinosaurs, stuff we got in subscription boxes, or toys my mother randomly give the dogs when I'm not looking. There's nothing better than arriving home to a shredded teddy bear and not being sure if we've destroyed a family heirloom. (But seriously my mother is awesome for spoiling her granddogs!)

Photo by Erin Koski

Pros: It's an anglerfish. How often do you see a plush anglerfish, let alone a plush squeaky dog toy anglerfish?

Cons: That little fishy lure didn't hold up very well, though to it's credit it's still attached and recognizable.

Bottom Line: I don't actually wish that companies would make more offbeat plush toys that appeal to my weird little foibles, because that would mean those toys were actually popular, and if they became popular I wouldn't like them nearly as much.

Product Review: Top Paw Easy On Prong Collar

Top Paw's new Easy On Training Collar is one of the several new styles of prong collars to hit the market in the last couple of years. Unlike traditional prong collars that tighten with a chain loop, and must be unclipped at the chain or have the links themselves separated, this one uses a nylon strap that unbuckles. It is available in four sizes, and the collar can be custom fit by adding or removing links.

Photo by Erin Koski

I don't use prong collars on my dogs, for a number of reasons. The biggest is that a prong can increase reactivity and make dogs more worried about whatever they may be reacting to. I have used prongs on some large and physically insensitive client dogs that did not have reactivity issues. They aren't torture devices in the right hands, and I like them a lot better than choke chains for average pet owners and their undisciplined Labradors.

This particular prong collar is interesting enough to be worth discussing, which is why I put it on Brisbane long enough to take a picture. I've seen a few people use these, and I always worry a little bit when I see them take the collar off or put it on. See, the prong collars with the chains that open with a snap open up all the way, and to put them on you must thread the chain back through the other end of the collar.

The Easy On prong collar does not open up all the way. The two halves of the plastic buckle do not slide all the way through the metal part, so the collar just opens up wider while remaining in a circle. To put it on, you have to slip it over the dog's head. Though the prongs are dulled, they could still potentially catch an eye or sensitive bit of mouth when pulled over the dog's head. For this reason, I strongly recommend the prongs be flipped inside out when putting the collar on or taking it off. It adds a few seconds to the procedure, but I think it's worth it to minimize poking a dog in the eye.

Photo by Erin Koski

This is an easier prong collar for the general public to use, but I don't find it quite as versatile as the traditional ones. With a chain loop, the leash can be clipped to the rings on either side so that the collar does not tighten. This makes the collar less severe. The Easy On prong collar has a single leash ring that tightens the collar when pulled. There is no secure attachment point that does not tighten the collar.

Pros: Much easier and faster to put on than a traditional prong collar with a chain. Does not require unlinking. Easier to use with sore or arthritic hands.

Cons: Does not open fully, must by pulled over dog's head. Leash cannot be attached in a way that does not tighten the collar.

Bottom Line: Call me crazy, but I'd actually rather see a dog walking somewhat decently on a prong collar than gasping and straining against a flat collar while putting unnecessary wear and tear on their trachea and neck nerves and stuff. Use a prong, use a head halter, use a no-pull harness, use a regular harness, train them to walk nicely or use a bandaid for the problem, just do something.

Product Review: Top Paw Step-In Vest Harness

The Top Paw Step-In Vest Harness is designed to distribute pressure while protecting the throat. It is lined with a breathable mesh to help keep it comfortable in warm weather. This harness comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns to fit dogs with chests 16-32" around.

Photo by Erin Koski

I hate step-in harnesses. Whoever invented these things never had to make a dog or toddler step into anything on purpose. They never sit right. Either the front is too low across the upper arms with the buckle in front of the shoulders, or the straps are digging in behind the elbows. It's not even a sizing issue, this picture is of 22" Sisci wearing a size medium for dogs 23-28" around. The next size up might sit far enough back to clear her elbows, but it would also be 6" too big?

Brisbane and Ru both have similar fitting issues with most step-in harnesses, and I always have to wonder who the hell these things are made for. Whilst searching for information on this Top Paw harness, I found the dog it fits. Her name is Edie the pug, and like most pugs she is very wide and barrel-chested and basically the opposite of my dogs. The harness fits her perfectly, sitting high enough in front without pulling into her armpits, with the buckle at or behind her shoulders. Amazing!

Pros: Apparently fits stout, cobby bodies very well. Breathable and easy to adjust. Does not have huge dangly leash attachments hanging off the buckle. Machine washable.

Cons: Does not fit narrow sighthoundish chests very well, being too big in some places and too small or short in others. Wide neck straps may interfere with shoulder movement, not an issue for most dogs but something to watch for canine athletes.

Bottom Line: If it fits, it fits. I will definitely have to keep this harness in mind for dense dogs.

Chihuahua Fashion Moment: Top Paw Licensed T-Shirts

Ru has a Top Paw Licensed My Little Pony t-shirt, and it is awesome. Mostly because it has a My Little Pony on it. See that pony? That's Princess Sparkle from the 1986 Princess Pony collection. I own this pony. I own many, many ponies.

Photo by Erin Koski

Top Paw is a Petsmart house brand, and they offer everything from collars to beds to apparel. Their licensed character offerings have included 80's cartoons, super heroes, and the Muppets.

I like the quality of most of the Top Paw clothes I've seen, but unfortunately they just aren't made to fit Ru. He's just too long and skinny, so I have to choose between shirts that are pretty short like this one, or ones that are so wide that the slithers out through the neck. I only bought this particular shirt because, dude, My Little Pony.

I kind of feel like myself and most of my friends have similar issues finding people clothes that fit. We discuss the fit models on which the clothes were designed, and how their bodies must differ from ours. Clearly the Top Paw fit models are wide, short-backed dogs. Maybe French bulldogs. Definitely not slinky-uahuas.

Product Review: Top Paw Pink Leather Spiked Rhinestone Collar

The Top Paw Pink Leather Spiked Collar is a decorative flat buckle collar by Petsmart's house brand. Top Paw collars are available in a variety of sizes, colors, and styles.

Photo by Erin Koski

I'm not a terribly classy person, I tend to dress casual and comfortable. Sometimes I feel like putting on something fancy, though. Sometimes I wear a tiara just for the hell of it. This Top Paw collar is a lot like that. We have a lot of fun and functional collars, but this one is fancy. In between the stainless steel spikes are diamond-colored rhinestones. Also it's pink. Yes, my dogs are all boys. Boys can wear pink.

As far as leather collars go, this one is in the middle of the range. It's not high fashion like Coach. It's not an uber-fancy top-quality collar like the ones from Woof Wear. Still, it's a solid collar with reliable hardware and nice-quality leather. It's pretty and fancy and looks nice. The color will last a long time, and I expect the rhinestones will stay on through normal wear.

Pros: Made from durable, quality leather. Top Paw branded stainless steel hardware will stand up to just about anything. Spikes and rhinestones on the same collar are awesome.

Cons: Made from single-ply leather which can stretch over time.

Bottom Line: I wouldn't use this as a walking collar for a dog that pulls, but as a tag collar it's lovely. I wish they made one in Ru-size.