Dogs playing or working in any kind of inclement weather usually end up in a bathtub. For us on our farm if it is raining snowing or even the slight bit muddy I cringe at letting our dogs out that back door. Especially when you have high energy, double coated, long haired dogs like ours who are determined to get into some kind of messy trouble when the weather permits! I cannot tell you how many times our dogs have come in the house from working with us and their legs, bellies and rear ends are covered in shavings, mud, burrs, hay and dust. Hurtta Downpour Suit has provided the PERFECT solution for the active farm dog life (and city dog life) because a clean dog is a happy owner!
Holley, our young Australian Shepherd is the worst at getting filthy in any situation. Her long leg hair and belly are always collecting any kind of dirt and debris she runs through. The Hurtta Downpour Suit covers her chest, 90% of her front and rear legs, and her belly! For those with male dogs, the suit is designed for both male and female canine bodies! The belly coverage is perfect, and enough for male dogs to relive themselves without incident on the coat!
I was surprised at how light and breathable the material is. Even on days where it was muddy and 75 degrees Holley did not overheat or feel hot underneath the suit. The Downpour Suit is designed to be quieter than the typical waterproof apparel products. The laminate coating on the material is water and dirt resistant. We also never had a rip or a tear in the fabric while Holley was out working with us! The Downpour Suit washed well and looked new after a wash, I did wash on gentle with detergent and line dry. The windproof waterproof design allows any dog no matter how sensitive to be comfortable wearing the suit. While Holley was in motion, there was minimal rustling / sound coming from the material and she could run, jump, shake, and dip under fences without being restricted.
Hurtta provides a VERY helpful fitting tool and guide on the website to provide the most accurate fit! For us it was spot on, and the size that was recommended for Holley fit very well. The Downpour Suit is also equipped with elastic drawstrings that pull and tie to further customize the suit in the legs, neck, and waist. I was very impressed with the taped seams and the smooth heavy duty zipper closure. Even after literally rolling in a mud puddle Holley was clean on all covered parts of her coat!
This suit is also surprisingly easy to put on and off for early morning or late night potty breaks/walks. When I first pulled it out of the package I was slightly worried. It took me a minute (okay a lot of minutes) to figure out how to effectively apply the suit to Holley. The first time I tried to fit it to her I had it backward, it kept falling off, it was not a good experience. We practiced a few more times and now it takes me 60 seconds to put the Downpour Suit on any of our dogs! (SIXTY seconds will save you over an hour of grooming and bathing, I PROMISE..)
It has a very generous cut out in the legs, belly and rear to accommodate male and female bathroom breaks!
This suit is an absolute must for your “mud puppy” and it has been a crucial (and convenient) staple in our equipment for our canine companions!