A Thing for Gear

I came to the dog world from the horse world. I mean, my family had dogs before we had backyard horses. But I got into competitive horse sports in high school and while my dogs had collars, my horse had exquisitely crafted (and expensive) tendon boots; winter-, spring-, and summer-weight turnout blankets; at least a dozen different brushes and combs for dealing with his coat, mane, and tail at various lengths and conditions as the seasons changed; an entire array of bits for his bridle; and so on and so on. Probably a literal ton of tack and gear for riding and caring for my horse.

When I was offered the job of being WDJ’s founding editor back in 1998, I had a dog, and he had a collar, a leash or two, and . . . maybe he had his own dog bed? Did I own a crate? I probably did have stainless steel bowls for him to eat and drink from—a carryover from an appreciation of the high-quality stainless steel bucket I used to milk my dairy cow in high school (which I still own and use for the dogs’ outside water, 40-plus years later!). But I doubt I had any more dog gear than that.

Well, that has changed. The more you learn about a field, the more you gain an appreciation for the stuff that is used by professionals and dedicated amateurs in that field, and then you find the really good stuff. Dog gear is  a lot smaller than horse gear, so I doubt I have a ton of tack today, but I do have boxes and boxes of stuff stored in my office, waiting for just the right dog and the right situation—and I get the greatest feeling of satisfaction when a dog comes along who would benefit from a certain piece of gear and I already have just the thing. It’s a feeling not unlike fitting the last piece of a 1,000-piece puzzle into place. Ah, YES!

I had this experience the other day when rooting through my collection of stuff trying to find a harness for my current foster dog, Emmy. She’s suspected of being a Labradoodle or maybe a Schnoodle; she was brought to my local shelter along with 27 other doodley dogs from the home of a breeder who passed away, and she’s the last one lingering in our shelter. She’s an estimated 3 years old, as sweet as molasses, and she sticks to every human she meets, but she doesn’t know anything about the world or leash manners. So while I am introducing her to cars, streets, walking paths, the woods, and so on, I want her to be comfortable and not at risk of being hurt by any gear she’s wearing if something suddenly frightens her and she tries to bolt in fear. That rules out attaching a leash to a collar, at this point.

Emmy has a narrow neck, a deep chest, and a tiny waist. That physique eliminated some of the harnesses I have on hand. Also, we had to shave her very closely, to get rid of all the mats that were pinching her skin, so I didn’t want to put anything on her that’s rough, stiff, or prone to rubbing.

First I thought of curli’s Belka comfort Harness, which we reviewed in 2022. I couldn’t get enough of the craftsmanship and choice of materials used to make the harness—and, especially, the magnetic buckles that fasten in the fraction of a second and release just as quickly with the tug of a string. But it slips over a dog’s head (which not all dogs appreciate) and the opening for the neck is both not adjustable and too small for either of my dogs—perfect for Emmy! It fit her neck and shoulders like a dream, but it felt just a tad too long on her slender (too skinny) body, and shifted from side to side more than I liked.

After taking her on one long walk with the Belka, I went back to rooting through boxes and found the absolutely perfect replacement: The Perfect Fit Harness, which we reviewed back in 2017! This harness has three separate components, each of which can be ordered (and adjusted) separately, to ensure a perfect fit no matter how out of the ordinary your dog’s dimensions are! And it’s fleece-lined, which which will protect Emmy’s newly shorn coat and tender skin. Once I got it all adjusted, it fit like a glove, whether she was sitting, laying down, romping around my property, or on a hike. Ooh, the satisfaction!!

It’s also wonderfully gratifying to have just the right piece of equipment for specific situations. I own an array of martingale collars (which are perfect for staying securely on dogs with necks that are the same size as their heads), long lines of various lengths (for relaxing walks with dogs who do not yet have a good recall), at least a dozen leashes. I have leashes of all lengths: traffic leashes (which are just about a foot or so long, and used in situations where your dog must remain in the “heel” position for the entire walk), 4-foot leashes for walking in town, 6-foot leashes for training (you can work on “stay” with such a leash), a chew-proof leash, a super-grippy rubber leash, super narrow light-weight leashes for tiny dogs, and more!

The converse of this puzzle-completing satisfaction is when I meet someone whose dog is wearing gear that fits badly, or is (to my eye) far too thick, wide, or heavy, or skinny and potentially punishing for the dog. It offends all of my sensibilities to see dogs wearing greasy, stinky collars or a constantly jingling mass of outdated ID and rabies tags on their collars. My fingers always itch to remove those garments and help the owner see how annoying they must be for the dog!

How deep is your love for or involvement with your dog’s gear? Do you own more than three leashes for your one dog? Or are you a gear minimalist?