And We're Back!

We've had a very busy six weeks here at The Dog Geek, so busy that I haven't had time to post about it! The dogs and I have been competing, traveling, and taking care of a whole lot of sheep. Here's a few of the highlights from July and August"

AKC Herding Trial!

We competed in an AKC herding trial at the end of June! I also helped set up and run the trial, and Zip and I helped set the sheep up for each run for the classes we weren't in.


I entered Zip in the B course class long before the trial, and two weeks before showtime I realized we had never actually done the B course. I didn't even know how? With two weeks of practice we somehow managed to get first place on our first ever B course run.


Zip brought home a first place, second place, third place, and fourth place from the trial. She is very, very talented.

Godzilla earned qualifying scores in both of her A course runs, to the great surprise of nearly everyone watching that remembered her being excused from the ring for excessive sheep biting last time we trialed. She earned her Started A herding title, which is somehow more impressive than Zip's ribbon collection.

One Year Without Brisbane

 I lost my beautiful and beloved Brisbane on August 6th of last year. He was the dog that changed everything, and I'm still adjusting to life without him. I miss his giant fluffy ear, his long silky tail, and the way he could read the tiniest cues and figure out exactly what I wanted him to do.

I will have dogs that are better bred, better built, and better raised than Brisbane, but I don't think any dog will ever influence me as a person they way that he did.

The Great American Eclipse

The dogs and I drove up with some friends to Idaho to see the 2017 eclipse in its totality. It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen, and well worth the 14-hour drive. The dogs got to swim in the Boise River, and visit with some of their favorite people.

On the way home we decided to drive through Yosemite just to appreciate the scenery. Dogs aren't allowed anywhere but the parking lots, but we did get to see the Bridal Veil Falls!

Heading for the Redwoods

Today Godzilla, Zip, Ru and I are hitting the road with some friends, and going camping in the great redwoods of California. We don't have many epic trees here in southern California, and our forests tend to be dry, spiky, and frequently on fire. I absolutely adore the redwoods, so we are headed up to the Avenue of the Giants to commune with the biggest trees in the world.

Brisbane loved climbing trees, this is a Coastal Live Oak.

Though I didn't take Brisbane to see the Avenue of the Giants, I did take him to see the Sequoias. We also went camping in the redwoods in Big Sur. I like taking my dogs to visit big trees.

Before we set off an an adventure, I always make sure my dogs are up to date on their vaccinations. I keep copies of their shot records with me, along with their microchip numbers. One of these days I'm going to get really fancy and put all their records in a little binder with recent photos of them as well.

Camping with dogs in California isn't like camping with dogs in other places, as far as I can tell. Lots of people talk about going backpacking or hiking and letting their dogs run free, but there are pretty strict leash laws in California state parks, and dogs are barely allowed in many places. A lot of campgrounds only allow dogs on paved roads and in the campground itself, you can't take your dog hiking on the trails or actually do anything fun. Before booking a reservation or choose a place to visit, it's a good idea to do some research and find out where your dog is actually allowed.

I was a bit disappointed that nobody took pictures of me and the girls at our herding trial from hell last weekend. I'm bringing my nice camera on our adventure, and hopefully I will make up for it with nice pictures of the dogs. Maybe I'll even end up in some pictures.

We Went to Idaho

Last month the dogs and I took a road trip up to Boise, Idaho to visit my favorite cousins and my aunt. They moved up there from Los Angeles ten years ago and have been raving about how nice it is ever since. Over the summer they took a trip to Disneyland and joined them for a day, and they invited me and the dogs to come stay with them.

Brisbane and Sisci in their SleepyPod Clickit Harnesses

It took us two days to drive up there, with many stops along the way. California is very densely populated, and it was a bit weird to find places just off the highway that were empty enough for the dogs to run and play. We stayed in motels on the way there and back, I highly recommend Comfort Inn and La Quinta Inn for affordable pet-friendly accommodations.

Boise itself was lovely and wonderful! We've been in serious drought conditions for years down here, so it was refreshing to see so much green. I love cold weather and really enjoyed the sub-freezing temperatures. Brisbane and Sisci had a ton of fun hiking, playing ball, chasing squirrels, and digging for gophers. Their Hurtta and Ruffwear coats were very useful.

Ru...is a tropical dog. I tried putting his Hurtta snowsuit on him, but he mostly refused to walk. He ended up riding around in his Pet Flys Snugglebug or inside someone's coat anytime I made him leave the house. The nice part about staying with family is that there is usually a warm lap available for a tiny dog. Of course, when we got back to California it was 80+ degrees and sunny. I didn't miss the weather here at all.

Product Review: Petco Premium Pink Seatbelt Harness

The Petco Premium Seatbelt Harness is a safety harness designed to reduce driver distraction, and is not intended to protect your dog in an actual collision. This appears to be a previous iteration of this product, as the one currently available looks more like the Kurgo True-Fit harness. Ours is pink and gray, with reflective striping on the back and metal quick-release buckles. This one comes in three sizes to fit dogs with chests up to 34" around.

Photo by Erin Koski

While this is definitely a sturdy and heavy harness, the package doesn't say anything at all about crash protection or testing. That means the Petco Premium Seatbelt Harness only keeps your dog from moving around the car, and won't help in an accident. I think it's important to explicitly state this because there is a very widespread misconception that extra-sturdy car harnesses will help prevent injuries in an accident. In fact, these untested products may actually hurt the dog when put to the test.

This particular harness is kind of weirdly-sized. It claims it will fit dogs up to 24" around the chest, but is a couple inches too short to go around 22" Sisci. (Maybe she grew when I wasn't looking?) It does fit Ru pretty good, but it's also super heavy and stiff on such a little dog. Even though they both fall into the advertised size range of "up to 24 inches", I think this harness is better suited for dogs 14-20" around and weighing 10-20 pounds.

I'm sure the original design for the Petco Premium Seatbelt Harness was much larger. This small one looks like they took the big one and just made everything a little smaller without altering any of the proportions. The result is that the neck straps, while technically adjustable, actually have a range of well under an inch. The size range for the neck is about 10-11", why even have it adjust?

I've actually encourntered this harness in the wild, we have a couple of dogs at work who wear this exact size. It works better on dogs well in the middle of the stated range.

Pros: Sturdy, reflective, easy to put on. Inexpensive. Probably won't maim the dog wearing it if the car stops abruptly.

Cons: Doesn't fit well on dogs at either end of the size range. Neck adjustment is so limited it's comical. Rugged design and metal hardware can lead users to believe this product would provide some protection in an accident despite it not being explicitly marketed that way.

Bottom Line: For some reason this harness makes Ru look crazy long. He's pretty long, but I specifically use gear that minimizes it. This thing maximizes it. Soooo looong.

Product Review: Good Life Pet Water Bottle

The Good Life Pet Water Bottle is a unique portable watering solution for dogs. No bowl required, dogs can drink straight from this bottle thanks to the stainless steel roller ball at the end. Yup, it's basically a rabbit bottle, but for dogs. I love it. The entire top of the Pet Water Bottle also twists off for easy cleaning. BPA-free stainless steel is non-toxic and super durable, both the 16oz and the 24oz sizes fit in most car cupholders, backpack pockets, and other places normal people like to stash water bottles.

Photo by Erin Koski

My problem with every portable dog waterer is that they universally require the water to be poured into a bowl of some sort. I have to guess how thirsty my dogs are, and if I pour enough for them to drink their fill I'm left with the slobbery dregs in the bowl when they're done. Then I'm left with the option of A)pouring it out, and B)dumping it back in the bottle. Sometimes there's not a terribly convenient place to dump it, and other times it feels like a terrible waste.

I admit that I bought this water bottle almost entirely for its novelty. It's like a rabbit bottle, but for dogs. Big roller ball and everything. It even sounds the same when they drink out of it. Reminds me of a dog that came to daycare with an actual rabbit bottle and refused to drink out of anything else.

Novelty aside, the Pet Water Bottle seems to actually solve my problem rather handily by eliminating the need to pour water into a bowl. Brisbane figured out how to drink from the bottle right away, and really seems to like it. Ru wasn't interested, but he's pretty tough to get liquid into in general so it's a tossup between "can't figure out how it works" and "determined to stay dehydrated today".

Pros: No bowl required, dogs can drink straight from the bottle. Less wasteful than squirting water out of a bottle, and easier for the dog too. Leak-proof cap at the top keeps everything sealed perfectly even when I keep forgetting about it and flinging it out of my car. Lower cap opens up the entire bottle for easy cleaning. Very easy to clean and also sanitary, unlike plastic bottles that can harbor bacteria in tiny scratches. Convenient clip for securing it to things. Fits in all the places designed to hold water bottles, like the holsters on my backpack and training bag.

Cons: It leaks. When you tip it over so the dog can drink, it dribbles quite a bit. The website specifically recommends using it outdoors exclusively. It's also quite heavy. I have the larger size and would think twice before taking it hiking. Also, the opaque sides and lack of bowl plus the dribbling makes it kind of difficult to figure out how much water is getting into my dog. Does he stop drinking because his thirst has been quenched, or because he got tired of licking this thing?

Bottom Line: So far the biggest adventure for the Good Life Pet Water Bottle involved being filled with water and then forgotten in my car for a couple of weeks. It ended up rolling around in the rear cargo area on a winding road, getting flung across the parking lot at the beach when I pulled out my seat cover, and being dropped several times on pavement. When I finally remembered to bring it back into the house, I found it was none the worse for the wear. It didn't even smell funny.

Product Review: Kurgo Loft Bench Seat Cover

The Kurgo Loft Bench Seat Cover is a waterproof cover designed to make the back seat of my car a little more dog friendly. It is waterproof, padded, and stays in place nicely. This seat cover is reversible and comes in two color combinations.

Photo by Erin Koski

Since I started using the SleepyPod Clickit harness for Brisbane, I needed something with seatbelt access for my car. My Fuloon hammock is perfect for containing sand after a trip to the beach, but its bucket-like nature prevents me from strapping Briz in.

I like dog hammocks in general because they prevent my dogs from falling into the gap between the front and back seats. That's not an issue when they're strapped in, so the Kurgo Loft seat cover works just fine.

Unlike most seat covers, this one seems to have been made for seats that have the ability to fold down. In addition to straps that go around the headrests, there is a big wid strap that goes all the way around the back of the seats. This helps anchor the cover and keep it in place.

Pros: Easy to clean, easy to install, stays in place. Allows access to seatbelts.

Cons: The standard size is a little small for my Toyota Matrix, which is not a large vehicle.

Bottom Line: I find the coolest stuff in thrift stores.

What do you use to protect your car seats?

Dog. Dog. Cat.

While visiting Lake Tahoe, the dogs and I had the opportunity to visit what it probably the most awesome store ever. Dog. Dog. Cat. is a small shop, but they carry the most amazing selection of quality dog gear that I have ever seen. The place was basically like shopping on the internet, but in real life

As far as I could tell, Dog. Dog. Cat. had every size and color of every Ruffwear jacket in stock right there for us to try on. They also had all of the Hurtta coveralls and jackets available in the USA, in every size. Those things come in a whole lot of sizes, so being able to compare the fit without having to buy everything and have it shipped to me was amazing. I love playing dress-up with my dogs.

What else did we get to play with? They had every color and every size of Ruffwear Front Range harness. I got to try an XXS on Ru and find out that, while it technically fits, it is entirely to bulky for a 6lb bitty dog. They also had every size and color of Hurtta Padded Y-Harness, so I could see for myself that the size in between my 39" and 28" harnesses does actually fit Brisbane rather well.

I wanted to buy absolutely everything. Ultimately we came home with a Moo Tug for Briz, and a Ruff Puppies collar for Ru.

Product Review: Canine Hardware Travel Bed

The Canine Hardware Travel Bed is a compressible, packable dog bed that unfolds into a floofy cushion. It has a slick fabric on the bottom that repels dirt, hair, and those stickers that always get stuck in your socks while camping. The other side is soft and flannel-like. The travel bed comes with a matching stuff sack to keep it clean and mooshed down into a space-efficient package.

Photo by Erin Koski

I love this travel bed largely because it looks like a sleeping bag. It is also had a bit more padding than the Ruffwear Bachelor Pad bed, though it doesn't pack as small. It is also a lot bulkier and provides a lot more cushioning than Ruffwear's Highlands bed, which is a similar style to the Canine Hardware Travel Bed.

Photo by Erin Koski

Over the last few months, Brisbane has developed some arthritis in his hips. He now has a prescription pain medication, and it is important that he have soft, warm places to rest. Briz is a house dog on the beach in Central California, so he doesn't have to deal with anything approaching freezing temperatures. Still, I like having this bed for exercises like the Protocol for Relaxation.

The Canine Hardware Travel Bed is not an orthopedic bed, it isn't very supportive and has little padding compared to a regular pillow bed. Still, it's pretty comfy for something that packed down a little smaller than a regular sleeping bag.

Pros: More portable than a regular dog bed, more comfortable than a blanket or a towel on the ground. Makes cafe visits and outdoor classes a little nicer for spoiled, spoiled dogs. Machine washable. Doesn't pick up ground crud like regular bedding.

Cons: Kind of thin. Packs slightly smaller than a regular adult sleeping bag, which makes ultralight backpackers cry.

Bottom Line: Awesome for camping and going places, convenient to keep in the car. This bed will be going with us on camping trips, but probably not backpacking.

Product Review: Road Refresher Water Bowl

The Road Refresher is a no-spill water bowl designed for use in the car. It can also help keep messy drinkers from slopping quite so much water on the floor at home.

Photo by Erin Koski

I'm not great about making sure my dogs have enough water on outings. I usually make them wait until we have arrived home from the beach or trail before hitting the water bowl. I always feel bad about making them wait until we get home to get a drink, especially when they race for the water and spend several minutes drinking upon arriving home.

I have used a variety of travel bowls, and never liked any of them. They're ok for hikes, but usually end up with me toting around a drippy piece of fabric or vinyl. The dogs never drink all of the water either, so I am left dumping it out or trying to dribble it back into my Nalgene bottle to save for later. I used to keep a stainless steel bowl in the car for water breaks before heading home, but this too required me to both dump the leftover water and remember to offer it in the first place. I wanted a water bowl that could live in the car, full of water whenever thirsty dogs needed a slurp.

Enter the Road Refresher! This bowl was clearly designed by someone who had the same problems I did, and decided to solve them. The ring around the top keeps the water from splashing out on rough roads and when the bowl is accidentally kicked, but it also helps keep stuff from falling in. I can toss my purse full of electronics on top of that thing and it never gets wet.

The inner workings of the bowl are less obvious, but just as clever. There is a floating piece that covers the entire surface of the water and rises and lowers with the water level. The floating piece is concave and has small slots that allow a little bit of water to sit in the center, providing a good lap full of water without giving messy drinkers the opportunity to dunk their entire face. This system also helps avoid problems that could arise from having several inches of water sitting in a bowl on the floor of the car.

The last bit of genius design is the velcro pieces on the bottom of the Road Refresher, keeping it firmly attached to the floor of the car. It came with adhesive velcro bits that can be attached to non-fuzzy surfaces so the bowl can be easily attached and removed from these surfaces as well.

Pros: Allows convenient watering of dogs for absent-minded people like myself. Lets the dogs water themselves when they are thirsty rather than having me dictate when and where they will drink. Designed for use in a vehicle but also helps reduce mess at home. Keeps water off beards and does not allow face dunking or paw dunking. Does not spill. The whole thing comes apart for easy cleaning. Nobody who rides shotgun in my car has complained about having it down there by their feet, and I have never had anything accidentally get wet despite carelessly tossing groceries and other cargo atop it on a daily basis.

Cons: May be difficult to find, I think the distributor in the US has stopped carrying it. I guess if I threw a sweater or something on top of it, that might touch the water and wick it out of the bowl.

Bottom Line: I now have a bowl of water installed on the floor in front of my passenger seat. The dogs know where it is and often get a drink as soon as they hop in the car.

DIY: Snoozer Carseat Hack

Ru has a Snoozer Console Car Seat that I got so he could be close enough to touch me in the car without actually riding on my lap. Bucking him in the back seat inevitably resulted in nonstop screaming, which was more distracting than having him sleeping in my lap, but this is a wonderful compromise. The thing buckles down on top of the arm rest between the front seats, and has a tether to attach to his harness. I'm still waiting for the Center for Pet Safety to test how well dog car seats hold up in accidents, but I'm cautiously optimistic about this thing being able to withstand the forces a 6-pound dog would exert in a major collision.

The stock Snoozer Console.

Anyway, after living in the car and serving as a giant cupholder and fuzzy arm rest along with its intended purpose, the sheepskin on the Snoozer was starting to look a bit gross. Washing the cover failed to improve the gray color or generally worn appearance, so I decided to make a new cover. As an added bonus, I could make an interesting and pretty cover that would go well with the seat covers in my car.

My first step was to visit the fabric store and pick out some snuggly fleece fabric. I liked the soft, pastel bubble fleece intended for baby stuff, but I'm pretty realistic when choosing fabrics. Pastel baby colors are going to get gross really fast. I needed a busy pattern in a predominantly dark color. The fabric pattern also needed to be of a small enough scale to show up on the seat cover. I found some lovely fluorescent dinosaur fabric, but each dinosaur was so big that they wouldn't be recognizable on such a tiny project.

Ru approves my fabric choice.

It's worth noting that Snoozer does sell replacement covers for their car seats, or at least they did when I checked their website a couple of months ago. Right now the product category is still there but empty, so they may be reorganizing the site or they may have abruptly discontinued offering replacement collars. I also found a few people on Etsy making replacement covers for some of the original Snoozer seats.

I did not disassemble my Snoozer seat cover, and I didn't make a pattern either. I just turned the cover inside out and measured the seams to determine how to cut my fabric. It's really just a fabric box with gathered elastic at the bottom. I cut five pieces of fleece (bottom rectangle and four trapezoid sides), and one long rectangle of black quilted fabric.

The skeleton of the Snoozer.

When I took the cover off the Snoozer, I was surprised at how simple the construction was. It's basically just a box of foam, with a little shelf built into the back to keep it from sliding forward during a fast stop. There are metal eyelets to keep the straps from sliding through the foam, and that's it. I could probably build one of these from scratch.

I like the strap construction of this seat. There are two big loops that hook around the bottom of the front seats, and those attach to the tether strap that attaches to Ru. Another strap clips around the console lid to keep the front of the seat down so it doesn't tip backward. I like that Ru is anchored to something really solid in the car. Of course, the plastic hardware and jewelry clasp aren't nearly strong enough to keep a real dog in place in an actual accident, but a chihuahua doesn't generate a whole lot of force even at high speed.

Very simple construction.

I've done a lot of sewing, but I don't really enjoy it because it takes forever. Cutting and sewing the fleece for this project took maybe 30 minutes total. The last step, sewing the fleece to the quilting, took at least two hours. It was a very simple seam, but I used the wrong stitch on my sewing machine so I had to pick it out and start over. It turns out that sewing stretchy fleece to unstretchy quilting requires a specific unstretchy stitch, otherwise the fleece stretches and ends up significantly longer than it should. The solution for this problem is apparently to call my seamstress sister, who has the same sewing machine, and ask her which stitch works best.

Total yardage: Less than one, I think I bought half a yard of each fabric and I still have quite a lot of fleece left over.

Total cost: $12

Total Time: 2.5 hours, would have been closer to 1 if I had done it right the first time.

Result: Totally stylin' Snoozer.

Product Review: Ruff Rider Roadie 2012 Edition

The Ruff Rider Roadie is a crash protection harness for dogs riding in vehicles. The harness does not rely on hardware of any sort, and uses a one-piece design for strength.

Photo by Erin Koski

The Roadie was once once of the top safety harnesses on the market, but the product has gone through a number of redesigns that have made it significantly less awesome. The ease of use has gone way down, and the harness has some serious sizing issues that the company does not acknowledge.

Photo by Erin Koski

Several years ago I decided that my dogs needed seatbelt harnesses, and I realized that the average pet store product wasn't going to hold up in a real accident. Videos of crash tests showed plastic buckles and stitching failing catastrophically, and I decided that I needed something that would really hold up. I purchased a 2009 Roadie for Brisbane after getting a number of enthusiastic recommendations from my friends, but what I received wasn't what I expected. The original Roadie had a clip under the belly of the dog, this hardware would not be under any force in an accident. The buckle made it possible to get the dog in and out of the harness. The 2009 Roadie redesign eliminated the buckle and just made the harness all one piece.

Photo by Erin Koski

Brisbane's 2009 Roadie was huge and heavy, but it was nearly impossible to get him into it because I had to pull his feet up to his elbows and force them through the harness. He had a lot of trouble walking in it, and I never really used it because it made both of us miserable.

The 2012 Roadie has gone through another redesign and is now slightly less horrible, but still not ideal. The harness now has an adjustable yellow strap on the belly that allows me to buy a gigantic harness and then cinch it down somewhat tight. The larger sizes also have a yellow chest strap to help tighten the harness, but the concept is still the same: buy a humongous harness so the dog can get into it, and then tighten it down a bit so it doesn't fall off.

I bought my Roadies on Amazon, and I was prepared for fitting issues after reading dozens of reviews. Brisbane measures right at the bottom of the size range for the Medium 1, so I thought it would have enough room.

Photo by Erin Koski

The Medium 1 size was so small that I could barely shove Brisbane's front legs through the openings without dislocating something. Once on, the harness visibly cut into his armpits, and I was afraid to have him walk in it. I exchanged the Medium 1 for a Medium 2, and that is what Briz is wearing in these pictures. I no longer worry about actually harming him by putting on the harness, but it is still an uncomfortable process. The harness is obvious huge and hanging off him in the pictures, but it still cuts into his armpits.

Photo by Erin Koski

The Roadie is advertised as a hiking and walking harness, but I'm afraid to put it on my dogs before they get into the car for fear it will rub them raw. I had the same fitting issue with Ru, at 7-pounds with a 13" chest he should fit perfectly in an Extra Small, but it was too small to even get on him. Ru wears a Small 1, which looks huge on him.

I contacted the Ruff Rider manufacturer with my concerns, and was told that they do not have a sizing problem and I must be using the harness wrong. Supposedly the reason I couldn't get Brisbane into the Medium 1 harness was because it was actually too big. They did not have a good answer for why I could get him into the Medium 2 harness so much easier.

The Ruff Rider website changed abruptly during the Center for Pet Safety harness tests. The company's Facebook and Twitter disappeared, although the webpage still invites visitors to check them out. The product currently for sale on the site appears to be the same one I own, but the product photos show something different. The harness in the big splashy pictures has clips on the sides, and one also has plush lining. Neither of these harnesses is available for sale as of today's date, though they have been prominently displayed on the website for months.

Pros: This is a strong harness that will probably help contain my dogs in an accident, and might also prevent injury to them and to human passengers. It is one of the less expensive safety harnesses on the market, and placed third in the Center for Pet Safety's 2013 harness test.

Cons: The harness is extremely difficult to put on the dog, and a good fit must be sacrificed in order to get a harness that a stiff and inflexible dog can get into comfortably. I can't find a happy medium between so-big-it-hangs-off and so-tight-it-dislocates-their-elbows. The tether is too long and is really only safe when used on the shortest setting. The company does not appear willing to entertain the possibility of sizing or fitting issues, and does not actually sell the products most prominently displayed on their website.

Bottom Line: I got these because they were $25-30 on Amazon and at the time they were one of the only reliable crash-tested harnesses available. I find the current iteration of the Ruff Rider Roadie to be difficult to use and uncomfortable for the dog. I will be upgrading Brisbane to a SleepyPod Clickit harness as soon as I have $100 to spend on it.

Is a Crate Safer than a Harness in an Accident?

While I was researching vehicle safety harnesses and obsessing over crash tests on YouTube, I had several people tell me that they had dispensed with the question entirely by securing their dog in a crate in the car. Many people seemed to have the notion that crates were the absolute safest option, and I thought so too until I found these videos.



Holy crap! When an animal hits the inside of a plastic crate in a collision, the crate EXPLODES! The seatbelt puts stress on a very small area of the crate, and the plastic breaks. Those car barriers designed to keep dogs in the back of a hatchback of SUV are also going to fail as soon as a dog hits them with the force of the collision.

Fortunately, this video does have a very important lesson. Plastic crates should not be buckled into the car with a seatbelt, the safest way for a pet to ride in a crate is with the long side of the crate contacting the back of a seat in the car. This will spread the force out so that the crate hopefully does not break, but the pet is still going to hit the side of the crate very hard. After watching these videos, I do not feel safe transporting my dogs in crates. The Center for Pet Safety is currently doing a study on crates in collisions, and will hopefully begin to dispel the notion that crates are automatically safer.

The Center for Pet Safety

It may come as a surprise to many pet owners, but there are no standards for pet safety devices. No governing body or independent organization requires companies to test their pet products, and recalls are normally at the discretion of the manufacturer even when a product has been shown to cause harm. Consequently, pet product companies can make all sorts of claims about their products.

Car safety harnesses are my pet peeve, because manufacturers can claim that their products will actually protect dogs in collisions. The vast majority of car harnesses are absolutely not built to withstand the force of an actual accident, and many dogs have been injured while wearing them because the harnesses fail in unpredictable ways.

Not long ago, someone decided to actually do something about this, and the Center for Pet Safety was formed. This is a non-profit organization devoted to testing products and developing safety standards for pet products. They launched their campaign by releasing these videos of car harnesses failing miserably. Most of these companies claimed their products were "crash tested", yet they failed in some horrific ways. One cinched down tight enough to cause crushing injuries, another failed in such a way that it nearly decapitated the stuffed test dog, a third simply failed at every seam and hardware point.



I saw this test and pretty quickly identified the "crash tested" harnesses as being made by Bergan, Kurgo, and Coastal Pet Products. I went looking for high-performance safety harnesses and had only the Champion or the Roadie harnesses to choose from. I ended up buying a couple of 2012 Roadies on Amazon for $25-30 because they were less expensive and didn't have huge hardware.

The Center for Pet Safety completed a landmark harness test in 2013, in which they stress tested, crash tested, and evaluated the performance of every crash-protection harness on the market. The SleepyPod Clickit was easily the best product, with the Klein Metal Allsafe harness coming in second and the Ruff Rider Roadie coming in third.

The Center for Pet Safety is currently finalizing their safety standards for crash protection harnesses, and the Sleepypod Clickit may be the only product that makes the grade. I am hoping the published standard spurs other companies to improve their harnesses too. CPS is also testing crates to see what happens in a collision.

Product Review: Fuloon Car Hammock with Sides

The Fuloon car hammock is a waterproof backseat cover that prevents dogs from falling off the seat into the footwell. It is waterproof, washable, and has sides that protect the car doors.

Bonus chihuahua photobomb. Photo by Erin Koski. 

Fuloon is a company with a rather eclectic range of products. They make car hammocks, remote training collars, automated pet feeders, LED strip lights, and this inflatable back seat mattress for humans. Right now their site is mostly selling stock photos, but their pet products can be found on Amazon.

I previously had a cheap terrycloth backseat hammock that I bought for $20 at Ross, but the waterproof backing on it disintegrated, and it had some serious design flaws.

Photo by Erin Koski

My old car hammock had slots for seatbelts, which supposedly could be closed with velcro. In reality, the velcro immediately got gunked up with fur and beach sand, and basically just let everything through. I needed the hammock for two reasons: keeping the dogs from falling off the back seat, and keeping the sand contained so that I could reasonably carry human passengers in my car without getting them sandy. We go to the beach a lot, usually several times per week. Brisbane likes to play in the water, so I inevitably end up with a wet and sandy dog rolling around in my car. Beach sand is a giant pain in the butt to clean out of the car, so I wanted a seat cover that actually stood a chance of containing it.

I wanted a car hammock with sides. I didn't think this product actually existed, I thought I might actually have to make it myself. I needed a waterproof seat cover with no holes, that could act as a bucket to effectively contain the sand and keep my seats, floors, and doors clean.

I found the Fuloon back seat hammock on Amazon for $30, and it was exactly what I was looking for. Josie loved riding on it, and it kept her from falling off the back seat. One side zips down to allow dogs to get in and out, and it can be zipped up again to protect the doors and to keep sneaky dogs from hiding under it on the floor. There are straps that loop through the handles above the doors to keep the sides up, but the clips on these are really flimsy and I replaced them with carabiners after slamming them in the car doors.

Since I purchased my hammock, Fuloon has released a new one that zips open on both sides as well as down the middle. The new one also has a tether that might help keep the dog in the back seat but definitely isn't going to help in an accident.

Pros: Only car hammock I've found that acts as a bucket to contain messes and keep dirt and sand from filtering onto the seats. Really, truly keeps my seats clean. It's also durable, I've had mine for six months and so far Brisbane's pointy nails and Josie's 60-pounds haven't left a mark on it. It has cleaned up very well after potty accidents and shows zero wear even after six months of constant use. It was also cheaper than almost everything else on the market.

Cons: The clips on the straps that hold the sides up all broke right away. Some of them got shut in the car doors, others just popped. I expected this, as many people reported it in reviews for the product.

Bottom Line: If there is anything else like this out there, I haven't managed to find it yet. This is the only car hammock I've found with sides, and it works incredibly well. After a trip to the beach I can toss Brisbane in there with a couple of towels and know that the sand is going to stay in the hammock. This is not a vehicle safety device, but it does help keep Brisbane from falling off the back seat. It is an incredible value and I would not hesitate to buy another one if this one failed.

Product Review: Kurgo Wander Pail

The Kurgo Wander Pail is a hard metal food storage container for travel. It features a smaller removable tray that can be used as a dish, is insulated for perishable foods, and comes in two sizes.

Smaller and more convenient than a bear canister.

It is difficult to express how much I adore this product. There is nothing else like it on the market. It is amazing and wonderful. You see, Brisbane is incredibly good at accessing edible things. He is a mastermind, watching carefully for the ideal moment when my attention is diverted, remaining expressionless so as not to alert me to his plan ahead of time.

I have not carried anything edible in a purse or bag in almost nine years. Any food left in Briz-range is going to end up in Brisbane, no question. This complicates any situation where I would like to bring food items with me. If I put it in my bag before leaving the house, Brisbane will eat it. If I try to grab it on my way out the door, I am likely to forget it.

I needed a portable, genius-dog-proof container, and my bear canister was beginning to look like a viable option. Sure it's bulky, but it can be left in Briz-range, right?

It's...beautiful.

The Wander Pail is made entirely of non-chewable metal. The only plastic on this thing is the blue handle on the lid, the rest is glorious stainless steel. A significantly larger dog might be able to bust this thing open, but my 40-lb cattledog mix is thoroughly thwarted.

I can now fill this thing with kibble, shove it in my purse, and leave it sitting on the floor without worrying. Brisbane figured out right away that this wasn't a puzzle toy worth solving. He may eventually figure it out, but unlike tupperware, plastic bags, and fabric kibble storage bags, he won't destroy the Wander Pail in the process.

I have the smaller pail, and it easily fits at least two cups of kibble. When Josie was eating many small meals a day, I would bring her lunch to daycare and stick her pills in the top tray.

I seem to recall that the original marketing for the Wander Pail suggested carrying food in the top tray, and water in the bottom. I read several reviews by people who attempted this and found that there was no seal and it both leaked and got their kibble wet. I found my pail on clearance at Petco, and since then the description has changed. The pail is a wonderful way to carry dog food, or water, but not both at the same time.

Pros: Indestructible, chew-proof, and impregnable for now. The small pail has plenty of capacity, and it is insulated so raw food can be carried safely. Dishwasher safe for those who have dishwashers. Smaller and lighter than a bear canister.

Cons: Potentially leaks when filled with liquids. That's really all I can come up with.

Bottom Line: Whoever designed this thing was a genius. They have earned my undying affection.

Product Review: Ruffwear Mt. Bachelor Pad Bed

Mt. Bachelor Pad, by Ruffwear is a portable bed that rolls into a compact and secure package with attached straps and a handle. The bottom is waterproof polyester and the top is soft and fuzzy.

The Bachelor Pad seems thin at first, but as soon as I threw it down on our hard floor it was a magnet for Brisbane and the cats. Mine is about 6 years old and the product has been updated a bit since then, but the basic design and functionality remain the same.

My favorite thing about the Bachelor Pad is the waterproof polyester bedding. I take it camping and all it takes is a quick shake to rid it of dirt and dry grass. It repels crud incredibly well.

The other awesome thing about this bed is that it rolls up tight and secures with  velcro straps. When unrolled, the straps then secure flat to the bottom and stay clean and out of the way. There is a short handle, and I sometimes snap a shoulder strap on and bring it when we walk to a sidewalk cafe or anywhere else Brisbane might want a comfortable spot to lounge.

Briz and I have been working on Dr. Karen Overall's Relaxation Protocol and some of the exercises from Leslie McDevitt's book, Control Unleashed. This bed makes the perfect mat for games where he needs to stay and relax, and now he is always excited to see it unrolled because it means it's time for training fun.

Pros: The Mt. Bachelor Pad bed is durable, light, portable, and perfect for outdoor use. It washes easily in the washing machine and my stupid cats haven't managed to destroy it by peeing on it. The bed is comfortable enough that the dogs will often choose it over thicker, plushier beds around the house. It's been kept in the hot car in the sun for months, washed repeatedly, and used on and off for six years now without showing any signs of fading or wear.

Cons: It's pretty expensive, and not quite light enough for ultralight backpacking.

Bottom Line: This will probably last forever unless your dog is a chewer or incredibly abrasive. Definitely one of my favorite dog items.