During your summer doggy adventures, you may have found that your current dog harness is taking a beating and maybe you’re thinking of getting a new harness. Or perhaps, you realized you need a harness to take your adventures further. Well never fear another TollerTails product testing and review is here!
The Rocky Mountain Dog Company is a Canadian company based in Alberta. They have gear for both dogs and humans. The minute I saw their logo with a #Toller in the Mountains, I knew my humans had to test their harness.
For over the last 4 months, my humans and I have been testing the Rocky Mountain Dog Company’s Kootenay All-Terrain Dog Harness.
The Kootenay All-Terrain Dog Harness was purchased by TollerTails.com and neither myself nor my humans received any payment or sponsorship in relation to this product review, nor am I an ambassador for the company. You can trust that my product review really comes Straight from the Snout™.
The Kootenay All-Terrain Dog Harness is designed as a general all-terrain harness for active dogs. It is not a harness designed for specific behavioural or training issues. So, if you are looking for a general all-purpose harness, the Rocky Mountain Dog Company’s Kootenay All-Terrain Dog Harness might meet your needs.
Below is my detailed Straight from the Snout™ review from the other side of the leash and as always the TollerTails.com rating for both dogs and a special Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever rating. Because the Rocky Mountain Dog Company also makes gear for humans, my humans tested a hat and you can read the review of the human hat gear following the more important doggy harness review.
Dog Harness Tested: Rocky Mountain Dog Company Kootenay All-Terrain Dog Harness
Size Large in Orange.
Where Purchased: Online through the Rocky Mountain Dog Company’s website.
Cost: $44.95 (CDN) + Taxes and Shipping
Kootenay All-Terrain Dog Harness Testing Conditions
The Rocky Mountain Dog Company’s Kootenay All-Terrain Dog Harness was tested for a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of 4 months under the following conditions.
Weather conditions: Rain, Spring Snow and Heat
Temperature Ranges: -5°C to 35°C (23°F to 95°Fahrenheit)
Harness was tested in the following scenarios:
typical urban neighborhood walks;
national park wilderness hiking trails;
urban dog parks;
rivers and tolling in creeks; and,
lake shores.
Tested using a standard 6-foot double ply nylon leash, a 6-foot leather leash and a 15 to 30-foot recall/scent tracking leash.
How Did the Rocky Mountain Dog Company’s
Kootenay All -Terrain Dog Harness Perform?
Straight from the Snout™ my humans would buy the Kootenay All-Terrain Dog Harness again!
Based on my doggy and my humans' consumer experience, the Rocky Mountain Dog Company’s Kootenay All-Terrain Dog Harness gets the following rating:
4 Paws & Waggin’ Tail – Excellent. Exceeds expectations! Find our Toller breed specific recommendation at the end of this post (see our rating scale listed at the end of this post for details).
Harness Measuring Instructions: Great.
General measurements for a dog’s girth and neck are listed on the Rocky Mountain Dog Company’s website under “View Size Chart”.
Pictures showing how and where dog owners should measure their dog to ensure the best fit are on the size chart page.
Although there was no breed chart option for sizing purposes offered on the sizing chart, it is not necessary. As the sizing chart is very straight forward and offers a good range of sizing options.
Price Point: Fair. The price of the Rocky Mountain Dog Company’s Kootenay All-Terrain Dog Harness was a fair price for the value. Refreshingly, the Rocky Mountain Dog Company charges one price for their Kootenay All-Terrain Harness regardless of your dog's size. Also, first time buyers of Rocky Mountain Dog Company gear can subscribe to their site and receive a discount and there is a “spin to win” feature on their website that offers a discount.
Online Purchasing: Very Good. There were no issues with online service. Shipping was fast and product delivered without issues. Response to product related questions through their Facebook page was very prompt.
Pros of the Kootenay All-Terrain Harness
Front clip design does work to redirect a dog, if you want. Front clip (aluminum D Ring) doesn't dangle as there is a protective pocket that ensures the D ring doesn't dangle or get snagged on underbrush and also keeps things quiet so there's no dinging or rattling noise to scare away birds! (See photo below)
Easy to tighten clips and when properly fitted the clips don't touch the skin or fur.
Solid box stitching in the key areas where more wear and tear is experienced.
Nylon front and back pieces have a webbing so it’s more comfortable to wear and did not cause any skin irritation, chaffing or rubbing. (See photos below)
Sturdy back clip does not increase any pressure across the dog’s chest when used.
Reflective piping actually reflected more light than other harnesses using only reflective stitching. (See photo below)
Minimal fraying after 4 months of daily rugged use.
Easy to clean with laundry soap and water in a kitchen or bathroom sink.
Did not shrink after being in water and plastic clips are sturdy.
Tail Wagging Bonus: With each purchase of a Rocky Mountain Dog Company's harness or products, a portion of the proceeds from your purchase goes to support Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society (AARCS) and the Alberta Wilderness Association.
Cons of the Kootenay All-Terrain Harness
No built-in handle. The narrowing shape on the top of the Kootenay All-Terrain Harness allowed my humans to use it as a handle to hold me back from chasing a sunk. My humans think that having a handle to grab in emergencies would be handy. But, this is a nice to have and not a major point detractor in the TollerTails rating scale.
Harness instructions: The Kootenay All-Terrain Dog Harness design is straight forward and there was no need for complicated instructions.
Did Henry Slip this Harness? No. Boy did I try to slip my harness. Since the harness was well fitted and designed in a way that made it hard for me to backout of or slip, I had no luck slipping out. But I will keep trying!
How rugged is the Kootenay All-Terrain Dog Harness? Pretty rugged. The Kootenay All-Terrain Harness has held up well under all the testing conditions and shows only minimal fraying in the stitching and material of the harness after 4 months of steady use.
Did the Kootenay All-Terrain Dog Harness cause any skin irritation? No. The main body of the harness has a very light webbed padding for comfort. It didn’t cause chaffing like some harnesses and wasn’t too heavy.
Why the 4 Paws & Waggin’ Tail Rating? – Rocky Mountain Dog Company’s Kootenay All-Terrain Dog Harness performance exceeded expectations. Plus, a portion of the proceeds of their products go to AARCS and the Alberta Wilderness Association making a positive social impact. Also, they organize local hikes in the Rocky Mountains situated near Calgary, Alberta for dogs and humans, which fosters and grows a happy dog community.
Is This Dog Product Toller Friendly?
Yes, Straight from the Snout™ my humans and myself would recommend this harness for Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers.
The Kootenay All-Terrain Harness fits the Toller’s deep chest and physiology when properly measured and fitted. The founder of Rocky Mountain Dog Company has a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, named Butch, who tests their prototypes. This may account for the harness’s Toller friendliness.
The Rocky Mountain Dog Company logo features a Toller in their logo. Considering how special us Tollers are, it’s really cool to see our breed represented in the company’s logo. You can even get your human a hat, shirt or other human apparel with the Rocky Mountain Dog Company's logo. (See photo of logo below)
My Human's Rocky Mountain Dog Company's Trucker Hat Apparel Rating
4 Paws & Waggin’ Tail for the Rocky Mountain Dog Company’s Trucker Hat.
One of my humans purchased the Rocky Mountain Dog Company’s Trucker Hat for sun protection on hikes and walks. They highly recommend it for its durability, style and especially for #Toller lovers given that the company’s logo includes the image of a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. While my human looks good in the Rocky Mountain Dog Company’s Trucker Hat, the truth is that I wore it better!
Toller Tails Product Rating Scale & Product Review Pledge
No paws – Want money back.
1 Paw – Below average. Would never buy again.
2 Paws – Average. Okay performance.
3 Paws – Good. Would buy again.
4 Paws – Very Good. Would buy again and tell a friend.
4 Paws & Waggin’ Tail - Excellent. Exceeds expectations! Totally buy again, then buy it for a friend and product bonus has positive social impact such as proceeds of product sales helps animals.
Toller Tails Product Review Pledge
When it comes to the TollerTails.com product testing and reviews, giving you an honest assessment that is Straight from the Snout™ is our goal.
We pledge to provide you information that is accurately based on both my humans' experiences and my personal doggy experiences. All the products we test for TollerTails are tested for a minimum of 30 days.
The Rocky Mountain Dog Company Kootenay All-Terrain Dog Harness was purchased by TollerTails.com and we did not receive any payment or sponsorship in relation to this product review.
As with all our product or service reviews, the Toller Tails.com Straight from the Snout™ rating is based on my own and my humans’ consumer opinions based after testing the product under the testing conditions outlined in this post.
—Henry🐾