Rufflector - Dog Cooling Vest (M)

I purchased this for my adorable chihuahua/dachshund mix. She had difficulty hiking in hot summer temperatures; she would have to stop and "frog out" in the shade for 5-10 minutes during our walks and she had a very difficult time breathing which made me nervous. A 45 minute walk became a 1.5 hour long walk because of her need to stop and regulate her body temperature. I decided to give this cooling vest a chance, though I was quite skeptical since I always thought that dogs could only regulate their body temp via panting. I have used it several times since then, but refrained from writing a review until I could put it through the test. The final test came today when I took her to the park and let her run on her 50-foot lead. She ran...and ran...and RAN. I had to give her a little time out b/c I thought she might pass out in the 90 degree heat. Granted, we were only out for about a half hour and we didn't run the entire time (I don't have a cooling vest for my own body :), but her body under the vest was cool to the touch and, if I had let her, she would have kept running. I know she would not have been able to do so if she didn't have the vest on.

I sent this back. It is much like a car window shield - stiff, and made of the same material. Customer service was GREAT!

I just really like the way it looks on my sheltie when we're out walking. It's just well made and easy to adjust. Always makes me smile when I can tell people notice. If it's sunny enough for me to wear a hat then she gets the vest. She's such a great companion and this is a great way to show my affection. This concept brought back some flexibility to walking times. Mid-day July no problem.My revelation was that the weather's only going to get hotter every year. Try leaving an object like a book outside in the direct sun for 30m and then touch it. Ouch!Caveats:Even with rufflector it’s still important to watch your dog for signs of overheating. It varies from dog to dog. I have always taken care of my sheltie and she is still very active.How to:Measure your dog carefully and use the chart! Any canine friend can be under or over-sized for the breed.

We just moved about a month ago to an area that has coyotes. We've been nervous to just let our dog run loose in the backyard beause of that so have been taking her on more walks and also exploring the hiking trails in the area with her. Summers here are 100+ plus and she's an older black lab/beagle mix so overheats fast. We ran into someone in the neighborhoodl that recommended this product. Their dog wasn't panting nearly as hard as ours and looked comfortable so we gave it a try. It's been about a week with the product and we're seeing a noticeable difference in her energy levels on walks. She seems comfortable, able to last longer on walks without us having to carry her (not easy with a 40 pound dog) and isn't over heating. It's been a game changer for our walks with her.

Rufflector was perfect for my shih-tzu! It gets into the low 90's where I live and just walking around the block was tough on my dog. He would start panting pretty quickly, would walk much slower than normal, and would fight me to sit in the shade instead of continuing with his walk. I felt really bad for him. =(I gave Rufflector a try this weekend and he looked a lot happier on his walk. His pace picked up and he was more interested in sniffing around and exploring. Walks are his favorite time of the day and I'm just happy I found a way to make them more enjoyable for him.

What a wonderfully clever and useful product! We just got this vest for our little terrier mutt and it fit perfectly - just consult the size chart.He never likes to come play with us in the sun and we were worried he was overheating, now we can even take him on short hikes and don't have to feel guilty about leaving him behind. The vest is really easy to put on after you place the harness and before you attach the leash. Our puppy looks hilarious and adorable, and we get tons of compliments from people on how thoughtful this rufflector is! Especially in the heat of this summer, every dog owner should buy one for their best friend.

Very handy product, glad I found this! I needed something to keep my dog cool during our summers here; the "Rufflector" is a simple solution for helping dogs prevent getting overheated; it basically fits on their back like a vest and they go about their day as normal. I found it handy to use on daily walks, especially on sunny or hot days, and noticed our dog (I've got a schnauzer) had a much better time when we were out when she wore the rufflector and stayed cool. When giving her the Rufflector and plenty of water to drink, she seems to do much better on hot/sunny days now.

I decided to give the Rufflector a try after doing a bunch of research on how to keep my bulldog cool on hot days. At 13 years old, she's a bit past her prime - she doesn't last very long on my weekend hikes with the sun beating down on her. I found that she's able to keep up much better when she's wearing the Rufflector. It's a nice fit, and has nice construction as well. Priced fairly compared to the other products on Amazon. I highly recommend giving it a try if you spend a lot of time in the sun with your dog.