Planet Dog

Do you include your dog in your outside fun?  We do – and we are excited that 4alloutdoors.org will be reviewing the following products for Planet Dog!

Travel Bowl

Travel Bowl

Weekender Travel Feedbag

Weekender Feed Bag

Cozy Hemp Adjustable Collar

Cozy Hemp Adjustable Collar

Zip Lead Retractable Leash

Zip Lead Retractable Leash

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June 20-21

We’ve continued to use the Planet Dog items over the last few weeks, with the leash and collar getting more use than the bowl and feed bag.   We’ve had way too many rainy days over the last month or so, which has cut into our time outdoors.  The dogs still need to go out rain or sun, so we put the retractable leash on Chip, and a rain coat on the humans and out we go.   The rain doesn’t discourage Chip from sniffing every tree and spot on the ground.  The retractable leash makes it easier to let him do his thing, while I walk.   I can maintain a more regular pace, and not have him pulling on me while he is sniffing around.   Chip will keep going no matter what the weather.  I guess that’s a good thing, since we live in Maine, and the weather is always a challenge.  He will hike with me off-leash if there aren’t too many other people around.  Luckily, he doesn’t chase deer or other animals if he sees them, so I can count on him staying close by.   If there are other dogs around, or a lot of people I keep him on leash, just to be on the safe side.

The collar is easily adjusted to fit securely on his neck, and not slide off if he pulls on the leash a bit.  The hemp on the inside is soft to the touch.  Surprisingly, it doesn’t absorb much water.  Nice, considering our recent weather.   The collar isn’t showing any wear, and still looks clean, which is so strange considering how much it has been used – and how many time it has been soaked.

We’ve used the bowl and feed bag on some car trips, and they are so convenient!  No spilled food or water and easily accessible.  I am very impressed, and wonder why I never tried them before.

Check back soon, I’ll be updating as soon as we have a sunny day or two!

May 24-26

From Chip:

Chip is our 8 year old English shepherd, he is a great hiking partner, and is always ready to go another mile or two.  He is lucky enough to be trying out some neat products from Planet Dog.  This past weekend, he wore his new  Hemp Collar and Retractable Leash and we carried his Travel Bowl and Feed Bag on our hikes.  My son, Mike put the collar on Chip and it was immediately covered up by Chip’s coat, but it fit perfectly, and attached securely.  The inside of the collar is lined with fleece, which seems like it would keep the collar from rubbing uncomfortably on the dogs neck.  Short haired dogs would most likely appreciate that quite a bit!   The collar is adjustable and has a metal ring that the leash hooks on to.  The retractable leash snaps on to the collar quickly, and extends enough that Chip could walk ahead of us, but not far enough to get tangled in brush or branches.  The leash extends out 6 ft.  Once we were away from the parking area on our hike, we unhooked him and he hiked along with us.  The leash extends and retracts smoothly, without catching.   The leash portion has a reflective surface, great for night time walks.  A funny side note – the leash was put in my pack after we returned home, ready to use next time.  Chip watched me put it in there, and then sniffed the pack a few times.  When I got out of the shower, he was sitting next to the pack, and would occasionally sniff it.  I think that means he liked it!

The other two items that Chip is using, are the Weekender Travel Feedbag and the Travel Bowl.   The bowl was a big hit after he got used to it.  On our first hike, I pulled the bowl out of my pack, filled it with water, and Chip starred at it.  He sniffed it, but wouldn’t drink.  We sat for a while on some rocks and had snacks.  After about 10 minutes, Chip walked over to the bowl, and sniffed a few times, and then drank the water.  After that, as soon as the bowl came out, he was right there.  At the end of the hike, we set the bowl out, and were just air drying it before packing it away for the ride home.  Chip kept picking it up, and carrying it over to us.   We used the feed bag to carry his food, and I was definitely impressed on how securely it held the food, without any spilling out.  We’ll be using these items frequently over the next few months and will be updating the information as we go.