Product Review: RC Pets Packable Dog Rain Poncho

Markus exploring in the rain now that he has his RC Pets Packable Dog Rain Poncho

Like so many of you, my wife and I are meticulous shoppers. Whether it be online or in-person, we tend to put a lot of research into the things we purchase so that we know we're putting our hard-earned money on the proper products. There are so many options for even basic items like leashes and collars that it's easy to get lost in what we're buying.

We will be writing reviews as we purchase and use these items ourselves. As you do your research for products you're planning to buy, our goal is to add another layer to that research.

Last week, we mentioned that there was a string of rainy days in the forecast in Vancouver and Markus gets that wet dog smell when he gets wet. To control the smell however little we can and for the fact that he’s hard to dry off, we went to look for a rain jacket for him. We stopped into a Bosley's in our area and picked out the Packable Dog Rain Poncho by RC Pets. Since it’s been raining non-stop, we’ve had the chance to test it out on every walk since, so we wanted to give you our review on it today.

The Rain Poncho is pretty simple, but effective. It is a single lightweight layer that sits like a shell on top of the dog from neck to tail. There is a double set of buttons by the neck area that's worn kind of like a cape and then there's a velcro strap right by the belly area that holds the jacket down. There's a hole by the neck area where the leash can be pulled through. Since we've been training Markus with the front clip, we haven't had to use the leash hole in the back so far.

The rain jackets come in a lot of different colours and we went with a classic yellow. At the store, we only saw a handful of colours, so if you're looking for more colours or patterns, you might have more luck looking online. The entire jacket comes folded up and packed into a small pouch that's about 3 by 5 inches. This is great especially if you're not sure if it's going to rain and you wanted to carry the jacket around. We actually since picked up a second jacket to leave in the car since the cost fairly reasonable and they're small.

Markus sporting his new RC Pets Packable Dog Rain Poncho in the Vancouver rain

When we first put it on Markus, he was already trying to shake it off, but he's gotten used to it by now. In the beginning, we even had the hood over his head, but that's one that he's just not willing to wear, so we've stopped trying. As a whole, the jacket does well to keep his back and sides dry, but his belly still gets pretty wet and because we don't cover his head, obviously that gets wet as well. In the end, this product keeps the wet dog smell at bay, so we're happy with the purchase.

The one thing that didn’t work too well for us was the velcro strap underneath. The medium size fits Markus perfectly in length, but the straps are barely long enough to reach each other under his belly. Sometimes the straps will fall apart and the jacket gets blown up, which can be annoying if it happens too often during a walk. To remedy this, we made the strap a bit longer by sewing an extra piece of cloth to one of the straps. We think perhaps most dogs Markus’ size would get a large, but because his tail curls upwards, the medium covers his body perfectly, not including the tail. It’s either that or Markus’ belly is too large and it’s time to lay off the treats!

I should mention that the jacket is a thin shell and it's great for dogs who don't need extra warmth, like Markus. If your dog has short fur, you might need something with an extra layer to keep your dog warm. Since the harness that we're using is basically a few straps, we're able to just wear the poncho overtop the harness, so that is factored into the size. If you're planning to buy this jacket, be sure to bring your dog into the pet store with their normal walking harness (or collar) to try it on.

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