West Paw Review! Rumpus Chew & Outings Collar and Leash

We were recently sent some fun items by a great company called West Paw for review! West Paw is a local company out of Bozeman Montana. West Paw believes in making sustainable products that are earth friendly. Their team is on a quest to have a cleaner earth, a healthy community and safe, happy pets.

I love how eco-concious West Paw is! They are a founding member of the Pet Sustainability Coalition. All of their products are made from recycled materials and are made in the USA. You can even recycle your old West Paw toys! West Paw has a "Love it Guarantee" if you don't like your product for any reason they will replace or refund you for it.

Rumpus Chew Toy

The Rumpus Chew Toy is a new toy in West Paw's "tough chewers" line. This is one of their most durable chew toys, it has three chew lobes and has been tested for durability. The toy bounces on land and floats on water, making it a great versatile toy for any environment your dog wants to play in. Alice is just learning to play fetch and she really liked her Rumpus toy!

Dog owners will love that Rumpus is:

• Dishwasher safe
• Latex-free and non-toxic
• FDA-compliant (meaning it's safe to eat off of)
• Love It Guarantee™
• Made in the U.S.A

We also received an Outings Leash and the matching Collar. West Paw’s latest eco-friendly collection of leashes and collars are designed with fun patterns to make walks more colorful. Made with recycled polyester from recycled plastic water bottles, the webbing is durable and easy to clean. They are machine washable and are designed to dry quickly so you won't need to pop it in the dryer, just hang them.

Dog owners will love the new Outings Leashes and Collars because:

• Machine washable and fast drying
• Eco-Friendly webbing made from plastic water bottles
• Safe & Durable hardware
• Loop for ID
• Built for everyday walks

I really love the bright colors of the Outings line and I also really appreciate that they are made from recycled materials. The leash has a very sturdy clip and an extra handle loop near the bottom for those times when we are hiking on a narrow trail. Alice is a member of "over greeters anonymous" and loves jumping on people, having an extra handle near the bottom of the leash is wonderful for being able to control her better until I can get more training on her. The leash also features a small loop near the top that you could hang a poop bag dispenser or even your keys. You can also use that loop to clip the leash to itself for those times when it's okay to let a dog run free. I like wearing my leashes across my body when my dogs are loose, it's the best way I've found to not lose a leash in the wilderness. I really appreciate that West Paw has included this feature.

Overall we have really enjoyed all the products we received from West Paw. Alice has been having a blast playing with her Rumpus toy and the collar and leash are so pretty! I would definitely recommend checking West Paw out. They are an excellent company.

We received products from West Paw in exchange for our honest thoughts. All opinions are my own and West Paw is not responsible for the content of this blog post. We were not monetarily compensated.

The Best Gear for ALL of Your Adventures! Giveaway!

It's that time of year again! Spring and Summer fun with dogs! 

 

Goodbye winter! Hello fun activities! No matter what you're choosing to do, whether you'll be hiking or maybe taking a new training class, I have a gear recommendation for you! Zoe and Phoenix absolutely love going on new adventures, hiking trips and exploring the great outdoors and we always have a blast testing out gear. We only share products that we completely believe in.

Hurtta is one of our favorite companies, they have been producing top notch dog gear for the last 20 years! They offer a variety of different items from amazing dog coats to cooling coats, boots, life jackets, harnesses, leashes, collars. You name it and Hurtta probably has it. One of my favorite things about Hurtta as a company is that they are constantly testing and improving the quality of their products.

When we go on our outdoor adventures or training classes with Zoe and Phoenix, the first thing I always pack is their harnesses. I prefer training and walking my dogs with their leashes attached to a harness and I feel that harnesses are the best way to keep dogs safe in the outdoors or challenging conditions. 

Phoenix practicing "Treibball" wearing her Y2 Harness and a long line for safety!

Attaching a leash to the collar could be harmful to a dog's neck if they were to see something and suddenly jerk on the leash, not to mention the added pressure on their necks can cause some dogs to become reactive or stressed. (For more information why you shouldn't attach a leash to your dog's collar, please see this article: "Is it harmful to attach a leash to your dog's neck?" by Emily Larlham)

We generally only use our collars for their tags, quick potty trips out in our yard or when we go on our off leash hikes, where the leash is only attached to the collar from the car right to the trail and then they are taken off the leash.

The Padded Y and Padded Y2 Harnesses are my favorite harnesses from the Hurtta line. These harnesses are great for walks, hikes and dog sports of all kinds! This harness is also great for dogs who may suffer from neck or back issues, if the dog happens to pull on the leash, the close-fitting harness distributes pressure evenly across the chest, preventing damage to the dog’s vertebrae and trachea. These harnesses are padded with neoprene, they are light weight and so comfortable for the dogs to wear. They do not cause any rubbing of the fur or skin. The harnesses are easy and quick to put on and my dogs have never had a problem adjusting to wearing them.

The Padded Y2 Harness is a little different from the original design, it has an O ring in the front and a longer strap on the back. I really like the updated design and I like that I could attach a leash to the front of the harness on the chest if I needed to. Both of these harness styles are excellent. The Y2 does run a little bigger than the original so if you're upgrading you might want to get one size smaller than the original Y that you had.

These harnesses have one point of adjustment so measuring carefully is important. The chest measurement is the most important one, from my experience.

The Active Harness is a great harness for any adventurous dog! This is my favorite one for hiking trips. This harness is sturdy, padded and has 4 points of adjustment. It's a little more heavier duty than the previous harnesses. The back has a handle that is comfortable to hold on to. I really love this harness and use it on narrow trails or when we go hiking where there might be sharp cliffs. It makes me feel like I'm keeping my dogs safe in those kinds of situations. I also like the added handle that I can hold on to when we pass other hikers. The handle is also useful for keeping dogs secure in vehicles.

The Padded Harness was our very first harness that we purchased from Hurtta. It was what started our obsession and deserves an honorable mention! I've had these harnesses for as long as I've had Zoe. So going on 6 years and the harnesses are still in excellent condition, despite all the adventures we've been on, all the mud dirt and times I've dropped them in the washing machine. This harness is different from the Y and Y2 as it does not have a strap that goes between the legs. The design on this one is for over the head and buckling behind the front legs. My dogs do seem to pull a bit more in this harness and it's a great harness for nosework or any sort of scent detection where it's okay for a dog to pull.

The Padded Collar is neoprene-padded, reflective and is comfortable in use and provides long-range visibility. If you would like to see us putting the padded collar through it's paces, check out our video of Phoenix swimming: https://youtu.be/oR0iNxrSXFo. The Hurtta Padded Collar is the only collar I trust them to wear and not get ruined when we go get muddy at the park or hitting the trails!

The Mountain Rope Leashes are comfortably and soft to hold in your hand. They are highly durable and resembling climbing ropes in structure and materials. Hurtta recently updated their leads, replacing the mental with aluminium, which is highly durable, stainless and extremely light. Rope leashes are my favorite kind to use and I love these!

All of the harnesses, padded collars and rope leads have 3M reflectors that help keep you safe in low light conditions. All of the gear from Hurtta is machine washable. I would recommend using a garment bag and a gentle cycle. Don't dry the gear in a machine, air dry only.

We absolutely love our gear from Hurtta! Everything we've ever gotten has lasted for years. Hurtta is a fabulous company and wonderful to work with. I highly recommend checking them out and giving their gear a try!

Happy Spring everyone! What sort of adventures will you be going on this year with your dogs?

ZoePhee received products from Hurtta in exchange for our honest thoughts and opinions. All opinions are my own. We were not monetarily compensated.

We are partnering with Hurtta and Major Dog to give one of our readers a chance to win a prize pack worth up to $100! One (1) lucky winner will receive the Harness of their choice, a Padded Collar and a Mountain Rope Leash from Hurtta and a Tiger Toy from Major Dog. The giveaway is open to USA and Canadian (excluding Quebec), age 18 years or older. Please follow the directions on the giveaway widget to enter. The winner will be notified by email and have 48 hours to reply before I choose someone else. Good luck everyone!

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Getting It Together for Leash Walking!

Oh leash walking. How I wish it was easier to train with Zoe! Zoe is very environmental and nervous so it's not our most fun way to spend an afternoon. Zoe has a hard time focusing on keeping the leash loose because everything out in the world is so distracting and some things can even be a cause for concern! Phoenix is a lot better on leash and never got a chance to develop any bad habits even though she's generally great on leash by herself we still have some work to do with walking both of them together. They do tend to egg each other on when I walk them together and Zoe's anxiety rubs off on Phee. I would so much rather be training tricks or even training competition style heelwork than strapping a leash on my dogs and stopping every 2 seconds to "be a tree".

It's definitely not Zoe's fault that she pulls on leash, you see, I never fully committed to training her to walk well. For the first year and half she was with me, I used a flexi leash. I knew the hazards of using them but I thought that I was better than other dog owners because unlike most dogs my dog was trained. I could stop her on cue and have her come back to me. No problems at all there! She was under control. Yeah right. I was a little delusional and a lot dumb. I wish I could go back and give myself a stern talking-to. Flexi leads work by giving the dogs more lead when they pull. They pull and they get to go where they want and sniff all the things. So basically they get a huge reinforcement for pulling and it's the best thing ever because they get to where they want to go.

Fast forward a few more years and Zoe still struggles with leash walking because I allowed her to develop so many bad habits and didn't commit to fixing them. My excuse is that I got Phoenix and her issues were more important. It's a valid excuse and it is what it is.

One of the biggest problems with Zoe's leash walking is that she is very "environmental" and hyper vigilant. Certain places can cause her to be anxious and forget what she's supposed to be doing. We did take Deb Jones' "Focus" class through the Fenzi Academy and it was helpful. I am using some of her techniques to work on Zoe's issues. I would almost consider Zoe sort of reactive in the environment and I probably need to treat her more like a reactive dog. Just because she's not barking and lunging on the end of her leash doesn't mean she isn't fearful, she's just not "verbalizing" it.

To get really amazing loose leash walking you need a dog who is very gear aware, the dog also has to be aware of where they are in relation to you. They have to be taught what to do when they feel leash pressure and they need to know where they are supposed to be walking. It takes a ton of consistency to get loose leash walking and I struggle with it. I am planning to do some more posts on how to get your dog to be "gear aware" in the near future. These are all based in positive reinforcement, no leash corrections allowed. Any time the girls get a new harness to try out or a different length of leash they forget what they are supposed to do. Mostly just Zoe. Zoe also tries to get as far away from me as possible as a result of being allowed to wander around on the end of her flexi lead.

This year one of my goals is to really commit to Zoe and working with her on the issues she has. I will definitely have more posts about it soon and what we are doing to get the leash walking better! Right now I'm still resting Zoe for that paw thing that's going on so I'm going on walks with Phoenix only. The walks with Phoenix have been completely eye opening. She is nearly perfect on leash without her sister around! I will post more about that, too!

I will keep everyone updated on how everything is going.

What methods did you use (or are using) to teach your dog to walk on a loose leash?

Pamper Your Pup with a Padded Harness & Rope Leash from Hurtta!

Zoe & Phoenix

Hi everyone! I hope you're all having a fabulous day! Today I have an exciting new review for you on the Padded Y Harness from Hurtta and their Mountain Rope Leashes! I've posted a bunch of photos of the girls in their new harnesses and now it's time for a review on them! We've been testing these harnesses for about a month and half. I've always been a huge fan of Hurtta for years and these harnesses did not disappoint me! I'm so excited to share these great harnesses and leashes with everyone.

The Hurtta Collection is designed for the everyday life of active dogs!

Phoenix & Zoe sporting the Classic Hurtta Harness

My love affair with Hurtta goes way back! All the way back from when we first got Zoe about 4 years ago! We started out with the Classic Hurtta Harness. (Pictured above) We still have our Classic Hurtta Harnesses and they have lasted a very long time and they still look fairly new. I live in Oregon and it's important that my gear is able to hold up to rain, mud and muck. These harnesses have been through the washer more times than I care to admit and they have definitely stood up to my high standards! I really like the Classic Hurtta Harness, it's a great Harness but it does sit right across the neck as you can see if you look at Phoenix (left). Phoenix has been having some issues with her throat with coughing if I happen to attach a leash to her collar. I started to worry about putting pressure on her throat so I decided it was time to look for a new harness that sits lower and doesn't cut right across.

I believe harnesses are very beneficial to dogs, especially smaller dogs who suffer from trachea issues but all dogs can benefit from a harness that fits them well. I personally try not to attach a leash to their regular collars very often. If you would like to read a more in depth article on why it is harmful to attach a leash to your dog's collar I would highly recommend reading THIS article by Emily Larlham.

Phoenix showing off her harness. The glow is from the sun hitting it only.

Phoenix shows how the Y harness got it's name!

We received two Padded Y Harnesses in size 28. The Y harness sits lower than traditional harnesses, right at the breast bone (instead of cutting across the neck). The neck strap and the strap that go between the legs are padded with neoprene. The girth strap is not padded and is the only point of adjustment. The girth strap not being padded has not been a problem for us and I have not noticed any rubbing from it not being padded. The one point of adjustment is just fine for us because the girls are full grown dogs. They will not be getting any bigger so it wasn't important to me to be able to adjust the neck.

I used my camera's flash to show how the gear reflects light!

The harness (and leashes) are fitted with super efficient 3M Schotchlite Reflectors that are so bright you won't be missed if you are walking your dog at night and a car goes by! Scotchlite Reflectors work by returning the light back to it's source, such as vehicle headlights or even camera flash and regular sunlight. If you remember, night safety is very important to me as we live next to a busy road and the people in my complex drive too fast. We've nearly been hit by a car before so I always make sure the gear I get for my dogs is super visible. Check out this really neat video by Hurtta of them walking dogs at night to see how awesome the reflectors are: Hurtta - Another night at Portree

Zoe says, "Hurtta! Let's Dance!"

Zoe perching.

Phoenix comfortable laying down in her harness.

Phoenix shows the top of the harnss on her back.

Both of the girls were able to move comfortably and do all their tricks in the harnesses. The harness did not restrict any movement. They seem very happy in their harnesses. They put their heads right through them and pick up their paw for me when it's time for them to get "dressed". They seem super comfy and that makes me so happy. Their comfort is incredibly important to me! I'm very pleased with these harnesses. They have not been able to back out of them or escape from them but my dogs are not really escape artists.

I would say the only downside to the harnesses is that they only have one point of adjustment (the girth strap). If you have a young dog who is still growing this can be problematic. Zoe did grow out of her first classic harness but it fits Phoenix just fine. Hurtta has an answer to that problem and now offers another harnesses (Active) with more points of adjustment. I would be very interested in checking it out some time and seeing how it compares to the Y Harness and the Classic Harness.

The Padded Y Harness is durable (It definitely is!!! It stood up to Zoe going squirrel CRAZY and Phoenix trying to chase a CAT!) Hurtta has 5 available colors for the harnesses: Black, Birch, Raspberry, Juniper and Cherry. The harnesses are also machine washable, which I have tested and they always come through just fine. I do use a laundry bag for all of the dog gear to protect it, though!

I really like these harnesses. They keep our dogs very comfortable whether it's hiking in the woods or playing in the fields or getting super muddy going for walks around my apartment complex. Phoenix hasn't coughed at all since we started using them, either!  I would also like to note that the leash attachment on the harness is very easy to pop through the hole on their raincoats and it makes it so much more convenient to find it when I'm ready to attach their leashes.

These harnesses (and leashes) pretty much glow in the dark if a light hits them. I absolutely love and appreciate the level of safety they provides us with on our night and early morning walks.

I would definitely recommend checking these harnesses out! Your dog will love the comfort they provide!

I have been obsessed with Rope Leashes from a young age. I got my family dog, Moe when I was 15 and he had a lot of rope leashes. Moe got a new rope leash at every dog show I took him to. So I have a ton of experience with different kinds. Unfortunately when Moe passed away, his leashes mysteriously disappeared. I'm not sure what my family did with them but I was pretty sad about it.

Hurtta definitely made my day when they sent me these Mountain Rope Leashes to try out. I actually squealed like a little kid when I opened the package and saw how beautiful they are!

These were flashed so you can see how bright the reflectors are!

These leashes are highly durable and also come with same 3M Scotchlite Reflectors as the harnesses. The leashes are comfortable to hold in your hand and they feature light aluminum clips. The aluminum is stainless. The Mountain Rope leashes are very similar to climbing rope and are machine washable. They come in 5 colors: Black, Birch, Raspberry, Juniper and Cherry.

We were sent two leads to try out. They are both 6ft long. The bright pink one is 1/4" wide and the black one is 1/2" wide. The 1/2" wide black one does fit in my hand better but I love how light the 1/4" wide pink one is. The 1/4" wide one would be great for my readers who own small dogs. I have been using it on Zoe on her back clipping harness but it's so light that I've also been using it on Phoenix's gentle leader head collar. I like that it doesn't weigh her face down when she's wearing a head halter and it bothers her a lot less to wear it with a lighter leash attached. 

I love how the brand etched their name in the aluminum! So neat!

Phoenix holds her leash! Check out the O ring on the handle!

One of my favorite features of the Mountain Rope Leashes is the O ring that is attached to the handle of the leash. When my dogs go to their favorite park, they run off leash and the easiest way to lose a leash is by stuffing it in your pocket. I prefer to wear my leashes "Miss America style" over my shoulder. It works out so much better and I have never lost a leash that way. The O ring is so useful because you can just clip the leash to itself and throw it on over your shoulder, super easy.

Phoenix says "Let's go for a walk!"

Zoe sits pretty while holding her leash!

I am very impressed with the Mountain Rope Leashes. They are high quality, they are beautiful and they are gentle on my hands. They are very sturdy leashes and stood up to my dogs going a little nuts over the squirrels who were teasing them. My dogs are not perfect by any means and they do occasionally pull. These leads don't hurt your hands when the dog pulls. They feel very strong and I am sure they will last me a really long time, just like our harnesses have lasted. 

I love Hurtta products, they are absolutely one of my favorite brands, they have wonderful customer service and I highly recommend checking them out. You will not be disappointed.

The Holidays are coming soon and your dog definitely needs some new Hurtta gear in their stocking!

You can also check Hurtta out on Facebook and I would recommend "liking" their page so you get all of their latest news and updates!

If you want to find a retailer in America go here: Hurtta247 Retailers
If you need help with sizing just go here: Hurtta247 Sizing.

ZoePhee was provided with 2 Padded Y Harnesses and 2 Mountain Rope Leashes in exchange for an honest review. The Classic Hurtta harnesses we purchased ourselves. All opinions are my own and Hurtta is not responsible for the content of this blog post. ZoePhee only shares information that we feel is relevant to our readers.

Pet Lover's Club Dog Leash Review

Hi everyone! I hope you're all having an awesome weekend! Today I have a review for you on a new leash that we received from Pet Lover's Club. Pet Lover's Club by Dutchy Brand is a small business that is family owned and operated. We were given our leash in exchange for an honest review. 

The leashes are 6ft long and 1" thick they come in three colors: red, blue and black. The leashes are double layered and the handle is padded with neoprene.

 The leash is very light and comfortable to hold in my hand and I like how strong and durable it is! It also matches Phoenix's red Wonder Walker perfectly. I love it when my dog's gear matches. 

I really like this leash! It's really well made and comfortable. The only thing I wish this leash had was a O ring on the handle so I could clip it to itself. I like to wear my leashes over my shoulder when the girls are running around off leash at the park. I will probably use this leash whenever they won't be allowed off leash. On leash hiking and walks around our neighborhood.

Overall, I'm really happy with this leash! If you need a new nylon leash, I would recommend checking these out!

ZoePhee was provided with a leash from the Pet Lover's Club in exchange for an honest review. We were not monetarily compensated and all opinions are my own.

ZUMI Leads Review #NeverRoamAlone

Happy Fit Dog Friday everyone! I hope you're all having an awesome day! Today I have a review for you on two gorgeous rope leads from ZUMI! We all know how important fitness is and going for walks is a great way to exercise and bond with your canine best friend. I really believe having equipment that is sturdy and functional but also comfortable is important! If your equipment is cutting into your hand, you're not going to have much fun on the walk. I'm so excited to tell you about these leashes! We were given our leads in exchange for an honest review but I am not being compensated to tell you about them.

Leash Lady "Dog Leashes" Review

"Uh oh.. My sister is in charge of walks, now?" ~ Phoenix

Harnesses Not Included.

Adventures in coupler land!! Woohoo! Hey everyone! Today I have a review for you on the Two Dog Adjustable Coupler from Leash Lady on Etsy! I also got an additional belt for a handsfree option as well. These are all "studio" photos as it has been raining and I'm not going to take my camera out in it, though, I have used the items outside and have tested them. We received these items in exchange for an honest review.

Dog Leash Creations Review

Hey everyone! I hope you all had an awesome Thanksgiving and Happy Fit Dog Friday!!

You know what I like to do after eating a big meal? I like to take a nice walk with the girls! It's really easy to do that with the fantastic item in today's review! Today we are reviewing the "Big Dog Leash" from Dog Leash Creations!