Outward Bound Gear for Dogs

If you’re the outdoorsy type—and you tend to take your pooch on NOLS-ish trips on the weekends—it’s worth looking into RuffWear. They have some really cool accessories for dogs of all sizes. For instance, if your pup goes boating, kayaking, or dock-diving (and may or may not have subpar swimming skills), you could get him a Float Coat (as in, a life vest).

A "float coat" from RuffWear

I love the idea of these because they’ll give you piece of mind—whether you’re far from shore or your dog just isn’t in peak swimming condition. Another pretty cool accessory are dog packs for when you take long hikes. With one of these, he can carry extra water, food, and even first aid supplies.

The Palisades Pack from RuffWear

To see more RuffWear products and performance gear, go to http://www.ruffwear.com/.

New iPhone App Can Locate Dog Parks

Eukanuba has announced that they’ve developed a new iPhone application—Off Leash—to help you find the nearest dog parks using your current location or zip code.

How it works: You use the application’s “Locate Me” feature, and within just a few moments, the five closest dog parks will appear on the screen. You select the park you want, and it gives you directions and a map.

Eukanuba is continuing to update its database every couple of weeks, and they encourage users to send them any parks they may have missed.

If you want to download the new application FOR FREE, click here.

Dog Carriers That Don’t Suck

“Can’t you just put her in one of those carriers under the airplane seat?” my dad asks me, wondering why I’ve chosen to drive my dog 800 miles rather than fly home with her. “No, Dad, 35-lb dogs don’t exactly fit in a little bag, and it’s logistically impossible for one to be stowed under an airplane seat,” I explain. Again.

Admittedly, around the 10th hour of my recent New York to Chicago road trip, I became pretty envious of anyone who can bring their dog with them as a carry-on. But what’s with some pet owners carrying around their little yorkies and maltese in a tacky Juicy Couture dog satchel or a Reebok gym bag circa the mid-90s? If you must cram your dog into a bag, why not make it one that’s actually aesthetically appealing and roomy? I saw some cute ones at Wagwear and Bowhaus NYC.

Wagwear Boat Canvas CarrierBowhaus Toile Carrier

New Pet Airline to Cater to Dogs

A new airline strictly for pets is starting flights to major US cities this July. Pet Airways—which will fly to select cities such as New York, Chicago, Washington, Denver, and Los Angeles—will allow your dog to fly in the main cabin as opposed to in cargo. The airline ensures that your pet gets multiple potty breaks and a pet attendant to check up on his or her progress every 15 minutes. You can even track your dog on the Pet Airways website.

A couple of issues: The airline does not always go to a city’s largest, most convenient airport, and it flies only certain days of the week.

We’ve all heard horror stories about dogs being mistreated on regular airlines. It can get a little complicated when you’re planning a trip and want to bring your dog, but it’s not exactly a short driving distance. I checked on the price of a few flights, and it didn’t look too insane. A round-trip from New York to Chicago this July was about $350.

What do you think of this new service? Would you use it?

These Dog Travel Bowls = Genius

I'm taking a few road trips with Riley this summer, so the other day I was looking around from some travel bowls to use when we're in the car, at the beach, or just staying with friends. I found these amazing bowls on eco-friendly dog boutique earthdoggy.com.

There are so many cheesy dog products out there, and I love that these are unique. Even better: They cinch at the top for food and open if you just want to use for water. They're also collapsible, waterproof, and machine-washable. Earthdoggy.com has lots of other cool stuff too—from beds to treats to gifts—and the best part is, the bulk of the products they carry are earth-friendly.