Product Review: Alcott Essentials Visibility Collar

Alcott's Essential Visibility Collar combined bright safety yellow with reflective strips for low-light adventures. The collar is padded with neoprene, nad has a quick-release buckle. Alcott offers this collar in several other, less visible colors. It comes in three sizes to fit necks 10-26" around.

Photo by Erin Koski

We started carrying these at doggy daycare a while back, and we sold a ton of them. They look great! Many of our regular clients purchased them, so I've had a firsthand view of how they weather daily wear on active dogs.

I have to say, I'm not impressed. More than a year later they still look pretty good on the fluffier dogs that have some hair covering the collar. However, on the shorter-haired dogs these collars now look quite faded and dirty. Some of the reflective striping has either worn or peeled off. The neon yellow has turned sort of pastel.

Pros:
Highly visible when new. Easy to put on.

Cons: Gets faded and icky within a few months when worn daily. The smaller sizes can be extremely difficult to adjust.

Bottom Line: I could see pulling this collar out specifically for low-visibility outings, but with continuous wear it loses most of its special function and just becomes a regular collar.

Product Review: Rogz for Dogz Side Release Collar

The Rogz for Dogz Side Release Collar is quite possibly the most secure flat buckle collar on the market. Our Utility collar features reflective stitching, a big round die-cast leash ring, and a locking mechanism on the buckle. The design of the collar, with one end of the buckle passing through the ring fasten the collar, makes for a stronger design than the standard quick-released buckle collar. Rogz Utility Collars are available in ten colors, and five sizes to fit dogs with necks 8-31" around.

Photo by Erin Koski

"Overkill" is the word I want to use to describe this collar, but there are tons of dogs for whom this would be just right right amount of kill. Basically, it looks like Rogz examined every way a nylon collar with a plastic quick release buckle has ever failed, and then took measures to prevent those failures.

Working at doggy daycare, I see a lot of collar failures. Plastic quick release buckles are a definite weak point, either the plastic cracks or another dog manages to pop the release during play. The buckle on the Rogz Side Release Collar is heavy, sturdy, and curved so it contours to the dog's neck. It also has a little sliding lock to prevent accidental opening. I think this is great from a security standpoint, but I actually take these collars off the dogs at daycare because that's a place where getting a collar off in an emergency is the bigger priority. The lock is very easy to use, but might slow me down when trying to unbuckle the collar on a panicking, flailing dog. There appears to be a common misconception that this is a breakaway buckle when unlocked. This is not a breakaway collar at all.

Photo by Erin Koski

The leash ring on this collar is unique. It's big, it's round, and it's die-cast which means it's a solid hunk of metal. Most collar hardware is made from metal rods bent into shape. If the collar is really cheap, the story ends there, with a metal ring that can bend right off the collar when enough force is applied. Most decent collars have welded hardware, which is stronger but still prone to failure at the weld if you have a really strong dog. The Rogz Side Release Collar has a ring that is cast in one solid piece with no weak points at all.

At work, I've seen a couple of different collars fail at the stitching, usually near the buckle or at the leash ring attachment point. If the dog wears several heavy tags, the weight swinging around can even cause the leash ring itself to wear through the webbing. Some plastic quick release buckles simply open with enough force. Rogz has utilized the classic ring-end collar design to prevent that sort of failure. When the collar is unbuckled, the leash ring sits on one end and half the buckle sits on the other. The rest of the buckle is located several inches up the collar from the ring, so that the buckle end must pass through the ring in order to close. This means that force applied to the leash ring mostly goes on the nylon webbing and not the buckle itself.

Pros: Tough, secure, and stronger than standard nylon collars. Can't open the buckle accidentally. Built to last forever.

Cons: The colors fade pretty quickly, so despite being structurally sound this collar will start looking old within a few months. Even brand new, the reflective stitching isn't terribly visible at night.

Bottom Line: I've seen quite a few reviews of these that complain that the buckle doesn't release under pressure when unlocked. It's worth mentioning again, this is not a breakaway collar. The lock simply prevents the buckle from being opened at all. When disengaged, the quick release buckle functions like a normal quick release buckle, opening when the sides are squeezed. The buckle should never release under pressure at all.

Product Review: EzyDog Chestplate Harness

The EzyDog Chestplate Harness has an usual design that either works for your dog, or doesn't. This is a two-buckle harness that requires the dog to step over a strap to get it on, but it does not need to be pulled over the head. The Chestplate Harness features reflective stitching and comes with a seatbelt attachment intended to prevent driver distraction (but does not provide crash protection). It is available in nine different colors and seven sizes to fit dogs with chests 10-53" around.

Photo by Erin Koski

Years ago I bought one of these for Brisbane. It was a blue size large Chestplate Harness and it was terrible. The top of the stiff chestplate stabbed him in the throat and gagged him when he tried to put his head down to sniff. The plate also sagged away from his chest no matter how tight I made the straps. The next size down was too small. I eventually passed the harness along to a friend with a larger dog. Then I started a dog blog and realized this was the perfect venue to gripe about this thing.

The EzyDog Chestplate Harness modeled by Ranger in the pictures came from the 50-cent bin at the Humane Society. It's well-worn so obviously somebody had better luck with it than I did. Ranger has a longer neck than Brisbane, and the chestplate on this harness didn't stab him in the throat when he put his head down.

However, it does slide to the side a lot. The heavy buckles and leash attachment weigh it down and make the whole thing rotate. This pushes the plate into Ranger's inner leg. I've read a number of reviews with complaints of chaffing and scabs as a result of this issue. The company has replied to several Amazon reviews with claims that this is a fitting issue, but I can't get the harness to stop rotating no matter how tight it's adjusted, and this is the only size that fits.

Photo by Erin Koski

I really don't like the way EzyDog markets the Chestplate Harness. In addition to claims that the plate with mold to the chest for a custom fit, they claim that this harness helps control pulling. This is not a no-pull harness, in fact it makes pulling easier and more comfortable. It can help change the picture for a dog accustomed to pulling on a collar, but the novelty will wear off and the dog will be able to pull even harder once they get used to the feeling. This is the same for any harness though, there's absolutely nothing about the Chestplate Harness that discourages pulling.

Pros: Weird shape may fit some hard-to-fit dogs. Foam chestplate distributes pressure. Does not need to be pulled over the dog's head.

Cons: Stiff chestplate can stab dog in the throat if they are a certain shape or near the bottom of the size range. If the plate is low enough not to jab into the neck, the neck strap lays across the shoulders and may inhibit movement. May chafe insides of front legs. Several reviewers have reported their smaller-sized Chestplate Harnesses snapping shortly after purchase. Difficult to get a good fit, harness rotates and adjustment slides catch on chestplate, making it non-trivial to right.

Bottom Line: Like EzyDog's QuickFit Harness, this one has some major and common issues that the company likes to sweep under the rug by claiming nobody else is having this problem. The Chestplate Harness might be worse though, despite it being readily available at one of my local shops, I have never seen one on a dog in my area.

Product Review: Ruffwear Float Coat Life Jacket

The Ruffwear K-9 Float Coat is a life jacket designed for active dogs and extended wear. It features a grab handle strong enough to actually lift a dog out of the water, reflective trim, and closed cell foam inserts that allow for a natural swimming position. It is currently available in two colors and six sizes to fit dogs with chests 13-42" around.

Photo by Erin Koski

The Ruffwear Float Coat shown in this picture is not the current model. Ours is almost 10 years old and still going strong. It is slightly faded in a couple of places from being stored in my car, in the sun, for months at a time. I think it has a spot of beach tar on one side. It has been used extensively and remains beautiful without showing much wear.

Brisbane normally hates wearing clothing, this is one of the few things he will wear without complaint.

When Brisbane was a pup, I used to take him to a tiny beach inside the harbor where there were no waves. We could play fetch without him getting swamped by waves. The only problem was that the beach was situated near the mouth of the harbor, and so there were often boats passing by. Brisbane mostly wanted to swim out to get his ball, but occasionally he would spot a boat and decide to paddle out into the channel. I was always worried that he would get too tired to swim and just sink out there, so I got him a life jacket.

Being a total dog nerd, I wanted to get Brisbane The Best Dog Life Jacket. At the time, my options appeared to be the flimsy big box store life jackets that often didn't make it out of the store unscathed, or the Ruffwear Float Coat.  Since Briz did quite a bit of running on the beach, I really needed something that would allow him to move freely without chafing even when he was wet and sandy.

My very first interaction with the Ruffwear company was nearly a decade ago when I bought this life vest. According to his chest measurement, Brisbane should wear a size small. However, at the time the Float Coat fitting chart gave both the chest circumference and length, and by length Briz would fit into a size medium. I contacted Ruffwear to ask which measurement I should use, and they said to go ahead and get the one that fit his chest measurement. They have since updated the fitting guide with that information, while providing both the length and neck circumference for each size to help get the best fit for every dog.

Pros: Allows enough freedom of movement to wear on a long hike or a hard run. Helps boost swimming confidence for newbie dock divers and beginning swimmers. Ridiculously durable. Obviously comfortable.

Cons: The straps on ours tend to slip looser after a few hours. I believe this issue has been fixed on newer models.

Bottom Line: Hands down the best dog life jacket on the market. Better pick a color you like because you'll be looking at it for years to come.

Product Review: Ollydog Nightlife II Collar

The Ollydog Nightlife II Collar is a flat buckle collar with an incredibly reflective strip down the middle. It features durable nylon webbing, a quick-release buckle, and a rubber tag muffler. This collar is available in nine colors and three sizes to fit dogs with necks 8-29" around.

Photo by Erin Koski

When it comes to visibility, this collar is tough to beat. That wide reflective strip is pretty impressive at night. It picks up flashlight beams and car headlights and throws them back in a way that makes it look like the collar itself is glowing.

Ollydog makes some neat outdoor dog gear, and while I'm not as madly in love with them as I am with Ruffwear, I still like the company a whole lot. These collars last a long time, can handle anything from beach sand to serious mud, and are really nice collars for active outdoor-enthusiast dogs.

I especially like that little rubber tag silencer. It goes between the ID tag and county license, rabies tag, religious symbol, etc, and keeps the tags from clanking together. I don't find dog tag noises to be particularly annoying, but obviously a lot of people do. There are a ton of different products intended to solve this problem, and I think this is one of the simplest and most durable solutions.

Pros: High visibility in low-light conditions. High durability. Stays bright and colorful for a long, long time. Comes in tiny through ponydog sizes.

Cons: That reflective tape is the same width on every collar, so it looks a whole lot skinnier on the larger sizes.

Bottom Line: An excellent utilitarian collar, and probably my favorite reflective piece of dog gear.