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!

Entry-Form

Let's Go Hiking with the Hurtta Active Harness!

Let's go hiking! There's nothing more refreshing than a peaceful hike in the forest with my dogs. Getting away from the noise in the city and being out in the fresh mountain air is so hugely beneficial to our lives. My dogs absolutely love any and all adventures in the wilderness so I was super excited when Hurtta asked us to test out and review their new Active Harness.

The brand new Active Harness from Hurtta is an awesome, versatile harness. The harness is padded for comfort and is easily adjustable. The Active Harness is one of the first from the Hurtta line that features 4 points of adjustment. This harness has two heavy duty clips on each side so you don't have to bend your dogs legs or touch their feet to get the harness on. The back of the harness comes with a sturdy handle. The handle is really helpful for keeping your dog close to you on more narrow trails and it's also useful if you need to help lift your dog up. You can also use this handle to feed a seat belt through in the car (as a car safety harness) but we have not tried this feature yet.

The Active Harness features efficient 3m reflectors and I really love the bright pink. The dogs are very visible, which is so important when you're hiking in the mountains, especially during hunting season. The Harness comes in Cherry (hot pink), Raven (black), Yellow or Orange. We chose the cherry color because I really like my dogs in girly colors.

I really like the Active Harness. It's a great, light-weight but sturdy piece of equipment that's really nicely padded and didn't cause any rubbing or chaffing on my dogs. The only thing I would change about the Active Harness is that I feel like the chest piece is too wide for my dogs and I would make it more narrow between the front legs. The girls didn't have any trouble with it rubbing but we also don't do long distance treks. We hike more for pleasure than anything else and we only go 4-8 miles each trip out. I also think it would be great if Hurtta offered more colors.

If you need a new sturdy harness for you dog I would recommend checking the Active Harness out!

You can find retailers in North America by going here: Hurtta247 Stockists.

I would also highly recommend checking Hurtta out on Facebook and liking their page. They often look for product testers and run their own giveaways. The best way of finding out all the Hurtta news is by liking their page. 

ZoePhee received two Active Harnesses from Hurtta in exchange for an honest review. We were not monetarily compensated and all opinions are my own. Hurtta is not responsible for the content of this blog post.

Pamper your Pup with a Hurtta Lifeguard Padded Collar!

Both Zoe and Phoenix have a reputation for being rough and tumble. They love running through the woods and blackberry bushes, racing through the mud, chasing bunnies and deer through thick foliage. To say they are hard on their collars would be a massive understatement. These dogs need collars that are durable and built to last so I was super excited when I got the opportunity to review the Hurtta Lifeguard Padded Collars. We received our collars in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, I know it's not Fit Dog Friday, but still! Look at her!

Padded Neoprene underside with a spot for the owner's phone number.

The neoprene padded collar has been designed with comfort and visibility in mind. They are very bright, providing long range visibility and are made with 3M reflectors. The reflectors are very important to me as they provide extra safety when we walk at night. The collars are padded with high quality neoprene, making them super comfortable for the dogs to wear and they are machine washable.

The Hurtta Padded Collar is super reflective with 3M reflectors built in!

We've been testing these collars since the beginning of January and I really like them. They are so bright and pretty! I love the visibility they provide, you definitely can't miss my dogs out in the fields when they are wearing these collars! The neoprene underside is very soft and the dogs seem comfortable wearing them. We've even machine washed these collars a few times and they come out of the wash looking brand new every time. I can tell these collars were built to last and they seem very durable. My dogs have put them through their paces and they've definitely passed with flying colors!

I'm super impressed with these collars and I would recommend checking them out and getting one for your dog!

You can find retailers in North America by going here: Hurtta247 Stockists.

I would also highly recommend checking Hurtta out on Facebook and liking their page. They often look for product testers and run their own giveaways. The best way of finding out all the Hurtta news is by liking their page. 

ZoePhee was provided with Padded Collars from Hurtta in exchange for an honest review. We were not monetarily compensated and all opinions are my own. Hurtta is not responsible for the content of this blog post.

Keep Your Dog Warm this Winter with a Summit Parka from Hurtta! Review

Hi everyone! I hope you are all having a fantastic day! Today I have an exciting new review on some beautiful coats from Hurtta. The brand new Summit Parka is the new and improved version of Hurtta's best selling winter coat!

In Oregon, when it rains it pours. In winter, if it's not raining then it's cold and windy. Sometimes the girls' coats are still wet from our first outing by the time they need to go outside again! We can't do laundry every single day because Zoe is afraid of the washer and dryer. My dogs absolutely hate the cold so having extra coats is very helpful.  I've heard so many wonderful things about Hurtta's coats, I was definitely thrilled when they asked me to review the Summit Parka!

The Summit Parka is a great coat! It's designed to keep your dog warm by complementing the thermal insulation capacity of short-haired dogs and dogs with no undercoat, preventing them from freezing in cold weather. The coat is also great for longer haired dogs as well, especially if you live in a cold climate. Wearing a coat has added benefits of keeping a dog fairly clean! When the girls played in the mud, I only had to hose off their legs and belly versus having to do a whole bath, which saved me a lot of time.

This coat has the same great qualities as Hurtta's old winter coat but with new features: a neck cover for added warmth and protection, new design of the front leg holes for added protection, re-closeable opening on the back to feed a leash through to a harness (on sizes 12"-35"). The two smallest sizes has an integrated harness (on sizes 8" and 10"). Another amazing feature on this coat is the adjustable back length. There are drawstrings that help you to shorten the coat to the perfect length to fit your dog, even if your dog is in between sizes, as my dogs generally are. The coat comes in two colors: Raven or Cherry. 

Phoenix shows the opening for the leash and the adjustable back length.

Being able to easily access their harnesses is a major plus for us!

The coats are made with Houndtex laminated outdoor fabrics. That means that the jackets are smoother, softer and quieter than many other jackets. This really improves the comfort of the jackets and is helpful for dogs who are not used to wearing clothing. The inside of the coat is a soft fleece lining and between the fleece and Hountex outer shell there is a thick insulating layer. These coats are definitely designed to keep your pooch warm on cold winter walks!

Phoenix gets some air jumping the fence at the park!

The Summit Parkas are dirt resistant and waterproof. The materials used in the Hurtta Outdoors collection were developed for very demanding conditions and heavy wear. My dogs like to be really active, so these coats are perfect for them. The coats are breathable and light. The dogs had full range of motion while wearing them. The dogs were able to run, play and jump like normal, as if they were not wearing anything.

The dogs ran, played and jumped as usual as if they weren't wearing anything.

Zoe plays on the freezing beach in her Summit Parka

The Summit Parkas are easy to put on and take off. You just need to slip it over your dogs head, bring the chest flap between the front legs and snap it closed on the back with the plastic buckle. With previous coats that have a chest flap (not from Hurtta), we've had issues with the dogs being rubbed in the armpits. I was really pleased with the Hurtta Summit Parkas, the fabric is so soft! After running 8 miles (two different outings) the coats did not rub their legs and they did not have any chaffing or irritation in their sensitive armpits!

Zoe shows the elastic hind leg straps.

The coats feature elastic hind leg straps to ensure the coat stays in place. The elastic hind leg straps were the only issue we encountered with the coats, my dogs are girls and the elastic sits right in their private areas. They didn't pee on them, though but Zoe did show signs of being a little uncomfortable wearing them. Depending on if she gets used to them or not, we might not use the elastic straps anymore for this reason. The coats seem to sit just fine without them being used, they didn't blow up in the wind, so it's not really that big of a deal for us. If they were boys, it probably wouldn't be an issue at all.

Phoenix shows off the reflective material!

The coats feature 3M reflectors for added safety on night or early morning walks. Even the drawstrings glow! Being visible is so important when you're walking around in the dark. I love the added safety this provides us with since we go on a lot of late night walks.

We tested these coats on one of the coldest days of the year, so far. It was 35f degrees with a windchill of around 32f. The girls were nice and toasty warm. They even decided to play a little in the river and if these dogs are cold they will not touch the water.

The coats also held up to the girls running and playing in the forest. Even though the coats are made from durable materials, they are not made from rip-stop nylon. I made sure to keep them out of the blackberry bushes while wearing them. (I've been trying to keep them out of the bushes, anyways, because they keep cutting themselves and coming out with injuries.) Blackberry bushes have killed a previous coat that was made from ripstop nylon so I am extra careful now. These coats are made with lightweight materials, they are durable but not indestructible.

I would also like to note that the bungie cord in the neckline was not designed for a leash to be hooked up to it. This bungie was made to cinch the neck down so the wind can't get in and will not hold up to a dog pulling. The best place for you to hook your leash is to a well fitting harness, through the recloseable snaps on the jacket or to your dog's collar. (I don't recommend walking dogs with leashes attached to collars. You can go here to find out why.)

I love how visible the dogs are out in the field, especially since it's hunting season!

The coats are machine washable on a gentle cycle, I would recommend using a lingerie bag. The Summit Parkas should be air dried. I've put the coats through one wash cycle prior to this review and they came through just fine.

My dogs do not like running around in the cold at all! The Hurtta Summit Parkas have made them very happy. Instead of dragging me back to the car, they were eager to run around the park and play like normal, even though it was freezing. The Summit Parkas also kept them dry in all the wet weather we've been having! The coats are high quality and stylish. They are well made and we really like them! I think it's also great that they added so many features that make the coats more customizable so that they fit the dogs better!  

I would recommend checking out the Hurtta Summit Parka! 

You can find retailers in North America by going here: Hurtta247 Stockists.

I would also highly recommend checking Hurtta out on Facebook and liking their page. They often look for product testers and run their own giveaways. The best way of finding out all the Hurtta news is by liking their page. 

ZoePhee was provided with (2) two Summit Parkas in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are our own and Hurtta is not responsible for the content of this blog post.

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.