A Pet's View / March 2006
A New Leash on Life
Life on the line offers fashion, function and freedom for pets in all walks of life. Far beyond practicality, 21st century leashes reflect lifestyles and relationships of pets and owners. Choosing the proper leash isn’t just a walk in the park. It’s a fashion adventure. Originally a prudent restraint intended to ensure good manners, leashes have bounded into the limelight.
Chains and leather are still an option, but a more likely choice would be the matching Silver Mesh Crystal Collar and leash, made with fine silver and Austrian crystals. Neiman Marcus offers the designer Kate Spade leather leash in metallic gold leather.
Few pet owners want their dog to “ruff" it. The Pet and Pamper Me website offers blinding bling-bling with rhinestone studded collars including special heart, star and paw charms. An alternate sartorial selection is matching collars and leashes of brushed black leather and colorfast fashion beads.
Fashion is not just for the haute canine. LL Bean sells a personalized “handsome, full-grain leather leash that offers great performance and classic style”. Many leashes sport a Southwest theme or denim motif.
Earthdog sells four, six and nineteen foot hemp leashes in a variety of styles. Practical, durable nylon leashes do come in basic black, but they also come in every primary and secondary color, striped, piped, beaded, braided, patterned, plaid, flowered–and powered.
The illuminated leash is a bright idea for nightly dogwalkers. Lighted safety leashes provide visibility to oncoming traffic for pets and owners during dusk, early mornings and late evenings. Used with illuminated dog collars, they provide maximum visibility in low light or no light situations. Most have the option of a steady light or flashing LED. The Discovery Pets LED blinking leash has these care instructions: Do not chew.
Another illuminating choice is reflective vests, for the dog and the walker. The lightweight vests are colorful during the day and glow brightly at night. Seriously outdoorsy dogs can be outfitted with a chest and belly guard to protect against heavy brush. The vest doesn’t light up but it comes in blaze orange.
When dogs go boating or fishing, life jackets can be pet savers. Cold water, fast currents, and fatigue get to dogs, too. The K-9 Float Coat from youractivepet.com is a canine flotation device with high-luminescence reflective trim on the sides and top. Dual color panels make sure the pup stands out-and looks cool.
The twelve foot Retractable Safety Leash With Flashlight and Radio from Walmart has lock-in positioning to control the dog’s range, reflective safety patches to alert oncoming traffic and a wide beam flashlight to illuminate dark streets or paths, plus, a full-function AM/FM radio. The Comfy Care Leash has a padded handle to make long walks a breeze. Free Spirit Outfitter designed a unique hands-free Belt and Fanny Pack with leash for walking and running with a dog, hands-free.
The Ruff Wear Flat Out Leash converts from a handheld leash to one that goes around the waist. TheRuff Wear Roamer is a low-tension elastic leash that stretches from five to ten feet, so canine companions can explore without being ‘a drag’.
The Lunge Buster is one of several shock aborbers for dogs that pull or make sudden starts and stops.
A humanitarian pet accoutrement is the Bottom’s Up Leash from EntirelyPets.com, a patented hind-leg support harness for dogs with hip dysplasia or arthritis, or after surgery. Voted 2004 Product of the Year by Dog Fancy Magazine, the harness helps pets up and down stairs or in and out of vehicles and provides rear-end support “to go”.
Wanna-be drivers can rev up with team colored, officially licensed Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon or Bobby Lamonte Dog Leashes from Pit-Stop Pets’n Pals, all displaying the driver’s car number and replica signature.
There’s even a rad DC Ward Leash for skateboarders’ dogs, in black or pink.
Accessories are in, on and off the catwalk. Dogs shoulder the load with doggie back packs, warm their tootsies in non-skid fleece boots, protect petite paws wearing Leather Lace Up Dog Boots or add pizazz with designer kerchiefs. Petguys.com sells the Outward Hound Expandable Leash Bag to carry keys, I.D. and whatnots for dogs on the go. To avoid pupperazzi, celebrity pets go incognito in Pink K9 Optix™ Rimless sunglasses with rhinestone hearts on the lenses and stylish bone accents.
And those that are just dog-tired climb into their Pet on Wheels Travel Bag and leave the leash and the driving to someone else. PL
Copyright © 2005-2006 A Woman's View. All rights reserved.
Femme Fair 2006
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