I’m starting to get some product review requests. I think it has more to do with my connections to the dog magazine and other media community than the blog, but I’m happy to play with dog products and share my thoughts with all of you.
Because I’m a working journalist, I’ll mention that for ethical reasons I cannot accept free products for personal use. So, should I decide to keep any of the products for Lilly, I will either pay for the product or make a donation to a local humane society or shelter for an equal amount. Everything I try but do not keep, I will donate to an appropriate local rescue group or rescued dog.
Background on EZ Products
EZLeashes are padded martingale-style collars (limited slip) and leashes in one. You can also get just an EZCollar, if you prefer to use your own leash. The company also makes EZHarnesses, but since I do not use harnesses I loaned the demo one to our trainer Gigi to use on her Jack Russell and report back. I’ve not heard if she likes it yet or not.
Puppy and Pet Products International (PAPPI) recently lost its shelf space for EZ products at Petco, when 2,000-3,000 item sales per month did not meet the store’s criteria. So, the EZ products are sold at some regional, smaller retailers. You can also buy them directly online at www.ezleash.com. On the site, you can learn a bunch more, read their FAQ, and even watch videos of the products in use. So, check it out.
Conceptually Speaking
These padded products are designed to protect tender areas of a dog’s body from injury during walks. Love that.
For agility and other uses, I also LOVE the idea of an easy-to-use leash and collar in one. For years, I’ve used a regular rope-style slip lead with Lilly when we’re on and off leash during training. Still … I’ve always felt bad that to the uninitiated it looks like a regular “choke” set-up. And, I hate to give anyone the idea choke training is OK (especially for a fearful dog).
These EZ products are perfect for dogs who do not wear a collar round-the-clock. Personally, I’m not one of those people. Blame it on the years watching “lost” animals be put down in the shelter, but I cannot stand to see my dogs without a collar and tags on. They are microchipped, but I’d rather they have my name and number on their person too. Dogs get loose a lot where we live, and unless I happen to know the dog, it really helps to have an ID to use so that I can either bring him home or call his parents.
I know there are arguments about collar dangers, tags getting caught, etc. I’m just saying that’s not my gig … particularly with a dog like Lilly who has such a strong flee instinct.
I also liked that some of the products come with built-in swivels. If you have a dog like Lilly who spins a lot, the idea of a leash not getting looped up is a good one. (Then, I realized that some of the nicer leashes I have at home already swivel. I’ve been using the wrong one. Doh!)
So, all in all, I totally get the concepts behind these EZ products. I’m 100% on board.
In Practice
In daily use, however, I had trouble. It’s entirely possible that user error is involved, but here’s what I struggled with or worried about in the 5 or more outings each that Lilly and I made with an ezleash (with built in swivel) and with the ezcollar used with one of our leashes from home.
First, I’m not a fan of nylon on the hand. Yes, it’s soft and smooth, but if your dog bolts (as Lilly is likely to do if something scares her), it’s Leash Burn City. And, that’s a pain you never forget.
Longtime readers may recall that our first agility instructor insisted that dogs be off-leash but that they drag slender nylon ropes. After that first night, my hands were so cut up and burned that I cried all the way home. Not an auspicious start to our agility career. In fact, I sometimes wonder if that one night of me being so upset isn’t what set Lilly on this awful path.
Second, for the life of me, I could not keep the collar from spinning around. The black sliding thing that sizes the collar slipped a fair amount. BUT, even when it didn’t, the padded part ended up on the side or back of Lilly’s neck, which defeats the purpose of the padding.
If I really clamped down on the slider, then Lilly spent the entire walk trying to shake the darn thing off. You can tell by her ear position and tight mouth that she isn’t happy with the collar cinched up.
Keep in mind that Lilly looks at me almost the entire time we’re walking, so it’s possible all that looking up is what made the collar shift around. So, maybe if you have a dog that looks ahead most of the time, it’d be a better match for you.
And, finally, the swivel attachment and/or spot where you hook your own leash puts a heavy, metal thing in a weird place. I not only didn’t like feeling that weight swinging around on the light nylon leash, but I worried sick that it would pop up and either conk Lilly on the head or break a tooth. See how it’s right there?
All of the promo photos of the products show dogs with the leashes fully taunt, which puts the swivel and/or leash connection well behind the dog. And, that makes sense, if you have a dog who pulls or is out front all the time. You’d want to protect his neck or his chest with the lovely padding.
So, maybe Lilly and I just aren’t the right size. If she was smaller and I was taller, the weighted point would fall elsewhere. OR, if she was really tall, like our friend Katie the Borzoi, it probably wouldn’t be an issue. But, for us, the geometry of it was all wrong.
Lilly and I also may not have the right walking style for this product. She’s pretty much right there next to me (on either side). So, the swivel and/or leash attachment weighs the leash down so much that both of us tripped on occasion, and I sometimes popped up the heavy spot with my shins.
All that said, I do like the product, but it’s just NOT a good match for me and Lilly. As my writer friends are fond of saying about working with various editors or magazines, “Your mileage may vary.”
Thanks for the update.
I was able to get one of the free EZleashes and I’ve tried it out with my 2 Parson Russell Terriers at agility class and I think it works pretty well. I maybe should have gotten the medium rather than the small, since it takes a little work to put on and take off since the opening is only just a little bigger than their head. But I’m getting the hang of it.
They seem fine with it. I generally use in in conjunction with their regular collar with no problem.
8 people have responded to the FREE collar, leash or harness, so there are still a few samples left in this impromptu promotion… We’ve been receiving great feedback, thanks to everyone that has participated.
It’s entirely possible that I’m just not skilled at handling Lilly with this style of collar. If I’m not comfortable, though, I think it translates into her behavior. It’s the old when mom is happy, everyone’s happy. And, goodness knows we need both of us to stay as calm as possible as we work through our issues.
I do think it’s easy to just use whatever you come across, but through the blog and through training, I’m finding that some things work for me, some don’t. As a member of my writer’s critique group always says when she comments on someone’s draft, “Keep what you like. Ignore the rest.”
Yippee!! I’ve heard privately from others as well. I’m happy to hear that some of my favorite people (and dogs) are getting to try them out. Can’t wait to hear how they work out for you and the crew.
Yay, they’re going to send me a free one. I’ve always like the idea of a slip lead for agility competition where I can’t have a collar on the dogs but I’ve never had much luck with them. I have pullers and I hate the way it chokes them, even the limited slips which never seem to hold, esp. when they’re excited before a run.
I’m wondering if part of the problem is that you don’t usually use a martingale collar? re the nylon on the hand, I only have my first leash now that has padding. I must have been missing something all this time.
Thanks for the review though. It has made me think of things that I like or dislike about leashes.
If the handle (and even the leash itself) was fluffy like the collar, I would LOVE that. I won’t see Gigi again until early June, but I’ll ask her about her experiences with the harness.
I did not mean to imply that the EZ products were for daily wear. I’m sorry if it reads that way.
The whole collar/no collar thing is interesting. It was meant as an aside to my regular readers, some of whom I know swing toward the naked neck more than I do. I absolutely did not mean to imply a risk from the product. I was just chatting about what I see as the risk of pets not wearing collars and tags as a routine thing.
Your FAQ does talk about collars: “The EZLeash™
products can be used in conjunction with existing collars or as a replacement.
You can safely apply the EZLeash™ or EZSwiveLeash™ over your pet’s neck with or
without a traditional collar. These products are ideally suited for pet owners
who do not maintain collars on their pets at all times, or wish to improve the
comfort of walking their four-legged friends.”
What made the greatest impression on me, though, (being a TOTAL visual learner) is that none of the dogs in the photos I saw and the videos I watched were wearing regular collars & tags. That stuck with me when I was writing.
I’m so glad you brought up the “emergency leash” idea. I thought of that too, but forgot to include it. If, like me, you often pick up loose dogs, this is a great, safe way to do it.
There must be something weird about Lilly’s neck or walking style, then, because the collars kept spinning on her so that the slip part (not the padding) was at the front of her throat. As I said, it’s entirely possible user error is involved. :O)
I can absolutely see this being VERY useful at a trial, where dogs cannot wear collars in the ring and where you’re mostly getting them from crating area to the ring and outside once in a while to potty. And, to TEST THAT POINT YOURSELF …
Nicholas has offered a free sample to the FIRST 10 people who email him (or his colleague Ginger) and mention Champion of My Heart.
Nicholas@ezleash.com or ginger@ezleash.com
How nice is that?
Thanks for the comprehensive review. A few comments for your edification:
1) Nylon handles are standard for most leashes. Our newest products have fleece handles — apologize if you didn’t receive. The products in PETCO and all EZHarness™ come standard, and see if your friend, the trainer, liked this feature.
2) Our products can and are used with standard identification collars, since most pets should have. I don’t think that you quite grasped the concept; our products are all intended for walking, not meant for being left on your pet. They are a much safer and comfortable option for restraining and walking your pet — particularly compared to standard nylon, leather or metallic collars.
3) You’ve almost slanted that dogs using our products could be lost more easily instead of wearing ID tags — these are actually mutually exclusive points. I have actually personally rescued over 3 dogs in the past two years because I keep several sizes of EZLeash® and EZSwiveLeash™ products in my SUV at all times. Dogs that wear ID collars and have our EZ products will greatly diminish the incidence of injury or chaffing, and actually exhibit improved behavioral patterns as a result (which is why PETCO’s corporate veterinarian recommended our products for inline sale)
4) I think it is almost a mechanical impossibility for the collar component (on EZCollar™, EZLeash® or EZSwiveLeash™) to slide in the opposite direction when the dog has any kind of pull/tug. We’ve sold over 100,000, and this is the first report? The “loop adjuster” does slide, and the only dilemma we’ve heard is that dogs with neck and head sizes of similar size when pulling hard can actually slip out of the collar, which can also be problematic with standard solutions. We offered a limited amount of products with locking loop adjusters, but most consumers preferred the standard version, and we can also offer a plastic component that hold the loop adjuster firmly in place. We don’t market it, for very few customers have complained, and it’s typically requested for the EZHarness™.
During the Sino World Games in 2005, we sold over 300 products in less than 3 full days, in a very small booth, and off the beaten path. People that were showing their dogs in agility or confirmation needed solutions like ours; they are not permitted to have collars during competition. There is a good argument that our products are probably the “best in class” for off-leash activities, in competition or casual (off-leash parks, visits to the groomer or vet, emergency drives and activities with their owners, etc.). Our products are ideally suited for everyday use, and affordable. As I mentioned when we spoke, I started this business because I like dogs, and I genuinely believe and have had confirmation that our products are one of the safest and most convenient solutions available in the market.