D-Fa Puff Doggy (Dog) Jacket
October 30, 2011
[Geardog is not in any of these photos, by the way. These are photos courtesy of D-Fa and their professional photographer Fredrik Larssen, which is why they are really good photos and not the utter crap that happens when I pick up a camera.]
Most of you readers know by now that Geardog, my trained search and rescue/avalanche dog is my most trusted and important partner. We spend a ton of time working and training together, and since Geardog looks to me to make sure all his needs are met, I have the responsibility of making sure that he’s able to do his job at any time in all conditions.
There is a perception that search dogs and handlers go racing quickly into the scene to save the day. This is rarely true in the sense that most people think of it – “responding quickly” is done in an organized fashion that looks painfully slow to people used to made-for-TV drama and action movie scenes. No one goes sprinting into danger, especially when responding to avalanches where, though time is of the essence, there are many scene safety considerations that must be addressed before any responders can go to the scene to start searching. This is especially applicable in training, where there is absolutely no reason to take big risks. Therefore, training (and sometimes responding) can involve a lot of standing/sitting/lying around and waiting. If it’s wintertime, we’re talking about standing around in the deep cold and waiting. And waiting some more.
I don’t know about you, but I get cold standing around waiting, and so does Geardog and his compatriots. All the avalanche dogs around here have some form of coat to wear from what I’ve seen, but Geardog is lucky enough to have D-Fa as his sponsor (don’t get the name? Say it fast, D-Fa Dogs…try it with a Kiwi accent. Got it?) so he’s sporting the fab Puff Doggy when the action is slow. He’s got enough fur to compensate for all conditions but standing around in the bitter cold, and the Puff Doggy is just the ticket.
The Puff Doggy is like a down jacket for dogs, with attention to detail not usually found in doggy gear. Puffy coats for dogs are just not that common; manufacturers usually opting for fleece or something similar. The Puff Doggy is the real deal for the dog in the backcountry, with a water resistant Pertex outer layer and a strap system meant to keep the heat in. I like that the Puff Doggy extends over the chest and down over the dog’s elbows, trapping more heat and keeping important joints warm. When Geardog lies down, the coat forms a little tent over him to keep the drafts out. The Puff Doggy, like your down coat, stuffs down small so it’s relatively easy for me to keep it in my 24-hour SAR pack just in case my furry partner needs a helping hand staying warm someday.
D-Fa is not your typical line of dog clothing. It’s designed for big dogs to use in tough conditions. Many of D-Fa’s testers are ski patrol dogs, search dogs, and other working dogs who really do need good gear. This isn’t for the Sunday stroll kind of dog; it’s for the working dog, and in my experience the gear really does deliver.
D-Fa is not too easy to find on this side of the pond but you can buy it directly from the D-Fa USA store here.
Ruffwear Bark n Boots Polar Trex
December 11, 2010
These boots are a dream come true. I’m sure you are all familiar with the regular Bark n’ Boots, which are great for dogs walking on ice or abrasive surfaces. The problem with those boots were that they didn’t stay on well in deep snow, got packed with said deep snow, and didn’t provide any protection beyond that given to the dog’s paws.
Count on Ruffwear to address all that – this year they released the Polar Trex boot. It’s a winter boot with features galore, made to protect your K9 from the ravages of snow, ice, and ski edges. Ski edges?!? Yes, in case you haven’t clued in, they are sharp. My SAR group lost a great K9 prospect when her achilles tendon was severed by the edge of a cross country ski. Other risks of skiing with dogs include soft tissue injuries and stress caused by wallowing in heavy snow (you people who take dogs into the backcountry are not doing your K9s any favors – would YOU be able to run at ski speed through shoulder-deep snow?), avalanche risk, cold injuries, and just plain exhaustion. Some dogs do need to be around skis. Resort avalanche dogs come to mind, of course. Most other dogs don’t need to be anywhere near skis. But if there is one thing I know about dog owners is that they are really good at ignoring risks and potential dog injuries to justify bringing their dogs everywhere they go. So now dogs can enjoy a bit more protection thanks to Ruffwear.
It’s a long way off that soapbox, but I made it. Now I can tell you about the features of the Polar Trex. Like I mentioned,it’s tall – it extends a good long way up the dog’s leg. This helps the boot stay on and thanks to tough Cordura, protects the leg from ski cuts. I’d love to have seen Kevlar there, but I think that might take the price of the boots out of reach. The boots do not rely on velcro at all, which is great because it doesn’t work well in the snow. Instead, there is a flat-strap buckle with a cam closure at the top of the foot, and a drawstring cord closure on the very top. These closures allow almost infinite adjustments and a much better fit for the dog. Reflective trim, snow-specific tread pattern, and internal cuff add key fit and performance features.
Getting them on can be a bit of a process; you’ll need to have a well-behaved and patient dog to get it done. Like the original Bark n Boots, they are made for bigger dogs and you may need different sizes for the front and back paws. Geardog is 50 lbs and wears a small in front and an extra small in back – so if you’ve got one of those itty bitty purse dogs, you’re out of luck. Which is fine, because those dogs aren’t exactly winter climate dogs anyway; just leave them in the purse. The accompanying sock liners are longer than the last iteration, and they may help avoid irritation and pressure points if the dog needs to wear the boots for a long time. I usually only use boots when we’re standing around or when it’s really, really cold, so Geardog doesn’t have to wear them for long periods. They’re still a lifesaver during cold snaps and long trips – if you’ve ever seen a dog limping because of cold paws, you’ll know what I mean. All dogs get cold paws; that’s why Iditarod mushers use booties. Even then, you’ll see dogs limping along because of the contact with the cold ground. I’d wager that Iditarod mushers can’t really afford the hundreds of Polar Trex booties they’d need every year, so they use the easily replaceable felt ones, but I’d love to see these boots tested by a musher to see how they do over long, long miles. Lance Mackey? You listening?
I’m really happy with Ruffwear for taking a lot of customer feedback on the original boot design and coming out with an improved model. I really like these boots and Geardog is ready for some grand adventures in the snow, no matter how fall the mercury falls.
D-Fa Moon Walker Dog Jacket
October 11, 2010
Rain. All the time. When are we done here again?
We took a trip from the Canadian southwest to the American northwest. Sounds pretty epic, eh? Believe it or not, the two regions are not that far apart. And despite my disappointment with a southwestern region that does not feature cow skulls, alien desert landings, and, most importantly, hot dry weather, we found some pretty fun stuff in the American northwest. But we also found lots of rain.
I’m not a rain fan.
I am also not a fan of how dark things get when it does nothing but rain. There’s no snow to reflect moon and star light, there are no northern lights to provide a helpful silhouette of the trees, and whatever light there is reflects in confusing ways on dark wet streets. It’s not a very safe situation for our canine friends. Geardog is good off leash but I had serious concerns about his safety.
Along came Geardog’s search and rescue sponsor, D-Fa (“D for Dog” in a Kiwi accent, get it?), to save the day! D-Fa provided this incredible rain jacket that is not only good for keeping your dog dry, but is extremely high visibility and reflective for dark and stormy conditions. Now, I’ve NEVER been one for putting clothes on my dog, and yes, I think you are an idiot if you do it, but spending time in the Canadian southwest has taught me that a rain jacket for your dog is not the same as clothes. Even if your dog – like most dogs – doesn’t care if it gets wet, you might potentially get tired of putting your soaking wet dog into your car for the umpteenth time. You might also get a little weary of the wet dog-print your tired pooch leaves in the carpet after he goes out for a long romp in the rain. A rain jacket for your dog can give you and your car a little break from the damp. The huge stripes of super reflective fabric on both sides and the top of this jacket are great touches for low light conditions.
I was concerned that high-energy Geardog would get too warm in a jacket, so while testing out this item I carefully monitored his body heat, putting my hand under the jacket to make sure there was no heat buildup. And there wasn’t! This thing breathes really well, so well that I hope D-Fa makes jackets for people someday. It kept Geardog really nice and dry, and as you can tell from the pic, very highly visible. Even in the daytime it would serve as a great safety tool if you live in an area with a big deer hunting season. If you live in the desert or in a snowy clime, you can get the Moon Walker in neon green as well. I chose the blaze orange, because it seems silly to put a green jacket on your dog for visibility if you’re in the green woods all the time. Incidentally, there is a SAR team in this region that uses green jackets as their official uniform. Does this completely not make sense to anyone else? Don’t you want to be seen if you’re doing search and rescue work?
Anyway, for wintertime in the American northwest/Canadian southwest, this is a vital piece of dog gear. Like I said, I’m not a rain fan, so I give D-Fa credit for perhaps saving my sanity with this jacket.
