Product Review: Bella Bean Collar

This Bohemian Paisley collar by Bella Bean Couture is probably ten years old. Can we say durable? It hasn't been on a dog that whole time, but I've definitely seen some stuff that looked pretty aged even in the store. This collar looks brand new! Made from soft cotton web, it has a pretty ribbon overlay. Bella Bean has collars and leashes in an ever-expanding array of prints and colors, made to fit dogs of all sizes.

Photo by Erin Koski

Bella Bean Couture was inspired by a boxer named Bella Bean. We all know how fantastic collars look on short-haired muscley dogs. The creator's second dog, a Frenchie, inspired his own product line. Finnegan's No. 3 Standard Goods have a very different aesthetic to them.

Is this just another ribbon overlay collar? Not entirely. This one is a cotton web material, not nylon. Bella Bean offers both, but their natural fiber collars are the ones that really caught my eye. They also sell one-of-a-kind dog beds made from vintage wool blankets.

My favorite Bella Bean creation is actually their collar patches. Remember earning merit badges in scouts? (I was a third-generation Girl Scout!) These dog patches celebrate your dog's special interest in squirrels, sticks, fire hydrants, or whatever you decide they stand for. Sisci caught a squirrel for me recently, I think she totally needs a squirrel patch.

Pros: Soft, strong, unique, and beautiful. Made in the USA from domestic components.

Cons: The website's sizing information is given in pounds rather than inches, so if you have a really big heavy dog with a super skinny neck you may end up with a collar that's too big.

Bottom Line: I found this collar at a thrift store, and when I met the owner of Bella Bean Couture at SuperZoo I was surprised to learn that they had not made this print in the last decade. The company has been around for 13 years now, so they are obviously doing something right!

Product Review: Dogs My Love Spiked Studded Collar

This spiked and studded collar may be from Dogs My Love, but could also be from a similar importer. It is 1" wide and tapers down to 1/2" at the buckle to allow for lighter hardware. There is a single row of sturdy spikes between a double row of studs.

Photo by Erin Koski

This collar is yet another thrift store find. It's cute, it's just the right size for little Ru, and it might be enough to keep my friend's overzealous  cattledog from biting his neck. The combination of closely-set spikes and studs makes it a very heavy collar.

While it looks gorgeous, this is PU or bicast leather. While there might be a little bit of actual cow used in the process, PU leather is fake leather. It starts out with the same look and nearly the same feel as actual leather, but the leathery bit is really just a thin veneer. It's a lot like laminate wood flooring. PU leather is cheap, but not nearly as durable as real leather.

This super-cute, super-spikey collar is quite functional since I actually want to use it for neck armor. It is already showing its age though. there is a section along one edge where the fake veneer has peeled off.

Fake?!!? I only wear genuine leather!
Photo by Erin Koski

Pros: Super cute. Inexpensive, under $10 new. Soft, rounded edges don't rub too much.

Cons: Fake leather is not very durable. Does not look nearly as cool as old, worn leather.

Bottom Line: An inexpensive way to put a lot of metal on my tiny dog's neck.

Product Review: Dublin Dog No Stink Waterproof Collar

The Dublin Dog No Stink Waterproof Collar is a flat buckle collar that is waterproof and nonporous. It is made from a special polymer inspired by sport watches, and is intended to go everywhere and do everything while looking snazzy. Dublin Dog Original No Stink Collars are available in a variety of fun designs and colors, and come in three sizes for dogs with necks 11-12.5" around.

Photo by Erin Koski

Living on the coast, sand and salt water take their toll on our beach collars. While I've been using my Lupine gear for a few years, it's beginning to look a bit ratty and rusted. Despite my love of Lupine's lifetime guarantee, Brisbane and Ru's beach collars and leashes inevitably come home wet and sandy. Normally I either hose them off and hang them to dry, or just leave them on the porch until they are dry enough to shake most of the sand off. Either way, there is always some sort of de-sanding to be done with their gear.

My dogs have a constantly changing array of collars to wear, preventing most of their wardrobes from looking too worn. Not everyone is quite as nutty about dog stuff though, and normal people tend to just put a collar on their dog and leave it there until they have a good reason to replace it. Dogs that get wet and stinky tend to have wet, stinky collars. Nylon webbing absorbs all sorts of nasty smells, and sometimes not even the dishwasher can de-stink it.

Enter Dublin Dog, purveyors of collars made to breeze through the most epic outdoor adventures without bringing home the reek of wet dog. Hallelujah. I have personally thrown away collars that were defiled by the stench of skunk and the reek of dead stuff. Gross.

Pros: Does not come home caked in sand or bearing the scent of low tide. Colors last for a long, long time. Non-porous, nonabsorbent rubbery material never needs to be dried.

Cons: Like sport watch bands, these collars can hold moisture against the dog's skin, and cause rashes and yucky skin on sensitive dogs.

Bottom Line: These are super popular for dock divers, and I love seeing them on dogs in the pool at work. This is Brisbane's new beach collar, it's almost as awesome as Ru's biothane harness.