All Things Dog Blog

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Our recent trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway took us on many a beautiful hike through dark, damp woods. We had lots of dirty paws, plenty of wipes to clean them up, and more importantly, we had safety vests to assure that our dogs were easily seen.

With the peak of Fall colors coming soon, many of you may be contemplating a hike to view the explosion of Mother Nature in the trees and forests near you. Please be sure you're hiking in areas that are not open to hunters, and as an added safety measure, we recommend use of a safety vest to give your dog a standout look that no one will mistake for a wild animal.

We like the Gold Paw Series that includes a great selection of eco-friendly (made from recycled poly knit with low-impact dyes) sports coats for dogs. For hiking, we chose the Visibility Vest shown in these photos. You won't need lights since the glow in the dark trim needs no light source to glow. These USA-made vests are dayglow yellow and include an emergency information card to add your pet's important facts--health facts, name, contact info.

If you'll be hiking on a chilly day, you may wish to consider a stretch fleece under the vest to keep your dog warm. All Gold Paw wearables are machine washable in the gentle cycle. The Visibility Vest may also be rinsed off and hung to dry. Easy peasy!

Clear pockets make room for storage of a few waste bags and a whistle is attached with a lanyard for the owner, just in case you risk an off-leash session in a safely guarded area. To be sure, this is not something I would recommend while hiking in the woods, but an enclosed area could appear in an abandoned farm, so it's a nice touch that could be useful.

While the Visibility Vest comes in 5 sizes to assure the perfect fit for your hiking buddy, we love the adjustable elastic, no-clip front to keep the vest snug again Fido's chest so as not to catch on underbrush. A good fit is important to keep your pup from getting snagged.

Got a hiking club? Gold Paw can help with bulk orders. Visit their Visibility Vest page here. You'll also find a Store Locator on their website so you can visit and view products to feel their tremendous quality. There's more to learn on their Facebook page, so be sure to "Like" Gold Paw on Facebook and tell them I sent you!

Of course you know what's coming up next--a giveaway. Three winners will get to select the size needed for their dog and Gold Paw will custom make the perfect Visibility Vest for their next hike. Watch for the giveaway post to open soon.

Happy tails,

While we did receive samples of the Visiblity Vest for review, we have included only our own opinions in this article. No compensation was accepted for this review.