Fraggle Rock Collars - Biothane

I was looking for something very specific in a collar this time around.  My sister's dog, Matrix, had been wearing a nylon martingale collar for a few years and was looking for something new.  I already had a few biothanes in my arsenal and knew that they would be perfect for her.  My parents had also gotten a new dog earlier in the year, Netti, and I thought she needed something pretty.  Off I went in search of someone who made martingale collars out of biothane.  I got in contact with Fraggle Rock Collars.  They make nylon/ribbon & biothane collars, along with leashes.  She had never made a limited slip martingale out of biothane, but was up for the challenge.  I sent her the measurements for the two dogs and she got to work.  Pretty soon, these two lovelies were at my door, with matching utility leashes.

My sister's dog, Matrix, is a city dog so his collar doesn't get as much wear & tear on it, but he wears it pretty darn well.  

Netti-Pot may not look it, but she is a good ol' farm dog.  She catches rodents and all. My parents have some land behind their house that is full of trees, trails, and critters.  Netti and my Dad spend a good amount of time out there, cutting down trees and searching for critters.  There also a small creek for getting really dirty.

I also may have bought a 30 ft tracking lead at the same time.....I have a problem.   Anyway, the turn around time was slow, about 3 or 4 weeks if I remember right, but everything is holding up great.  I would definitely recommend them to anyone who has the time to wait around.

Fraggle Rock Collars
 

All K-9 Biothane Leash and Tracking Line

If you have read my Biothane collar thread, you know how much I love biothane.  The All K-9 Leash & Tracking Line were my first experience with Biothane.  I pulled them out of the box and said, "Yep, I'm ordering the biothane collars."  What you have to know about me is that growing up, we had horses.  I like good leather.  Nice, soft, supple leather and had been toying with getting a leather leash to go with my nylon one.  An internet friend made a most about All K-9 having  a sale, so I jumped on it and now have no desire to buy a leather leash.  Of course, if I found a good sale on a leather leash, I'd probably be all over that since you can't beat the smell of leather.  The one thing Biothane is missing :(



I ordered a 5/8" wide, 6 ft leash and a 1/2" wide, 10 ft tracking line.  It took a little while to arrive, but I think my view on that is kind of skewed by being an Amazon Prime member and getting 2 day shipping on everything.   The 10 ft line is my main leash.  I'm still trying to decide if I like it because of the extra 4 ft, or if I like it because it is narrower.  I have freakishly small hands and hate wide, flat leashes. Hate them, will not use them. But anyway, the 10 ft leash is small enough and flexible enough that I can easily fit it in a jacket pocket, but it is also strong enough that I don't worry about it breaking when Hudson pulls against it.  I'm also a terrible dog owner and let Hudson grab the leash and tug on it.  He loves playing tug and if he knows it's OK to tug on the leash, I always have a toy with me.  So this poor leash has taken quite a bit of abuse and still looks really nice.  I think there are a few small areas where you can tell it has been in a dogs mouth, but it is still holding up great.

When we were in NC, I had a long rope to use on the beach, but had a biothane for walking too the beach and any other walks.  When the leash got sandy, I just dunked it in the ocean and it came out as clean as could be.  My rope is still covered in sand.

I love my Biothane leashes, they are awesome and I want to own all of them.  I have heard that not all biothane is not created equal and have heard some people complain about biothane leashes that they got from companies other than All K-9, so I wanted to issue that word of warning.

TufFlex Biothane Collar

I love these.  I love these so much, there aren't words to describe how much I love these.  They are bright, colorful, easy to keep looking nice, sturdy.  Basically, I think Biothane is God's gift to mankind.  This stuff is awesome.  Ok, I'll stop gushing now.  Just kidding, this review is basically all gushing.

If you have never experienced biothane, it is a synthetic leather.  They are advertised as being mildew resistant, doesn't hold smells, easy to clean, and virtually indestructible.  This is another product I own multiples of. Hudson has a 1 inch neon green collar and a less obnoxious 3/4 inch black one.  I ordered mine from Gun Dog Supply Company and it comes with a name plate.  Hudson's has just his name and my cell number.  I use them a lot when we are traveling so I don't have to worry if I have his tags on him or not.  When (not if, when) I order another one for him, I'll also add to the plate that he is micro-chipped.  I used these two collars exclusively when we went to NC for vacation this year and after a week of fun in the sun, sand, and waves, they are not any worse for the wear.  I don't have anything bad to say about these collars and I think everyone should have one of these collars in their collection.

I personally like the 3/4 inch width on my dog.  Hudson is about 35 lbs and wears a 16 inch collar.  I just think the 1 inch width is a tiny bit too wide on him.  He doesn't seem to mind it.  I also have a 1 inch wide Lupine collar that I also think is a little too wide, so I don't think it is a biothane phenomenon, I'm just not a quick learner.

When my MIL suggested we get my husband's great aunt something dog related for her birthday, I automatically thought of this and sent her one.

8/2016 Update

It's been a few years and I still LOVE these collars.  I have been using the 3/4" collar almost exclusively for Hudson.  He has a few fancy collars for special occasions, but his normal collar is this biothane.  After 3 years, the name and phone # on the collar are still crisp and clear, which is one of the reasons I really like it.  I never have to worry about moving tags from one collar to another, or the tag falling off.  Some people do worry about the collars breaking the coat on the longer haired dogs.  Personally, I haven't noticed much of it.  Sure, I do find some fur wrapped in the rivets, but not enough to think it is doing any real damage.  My only real complaint, after all of these years, is that I got the 3/4 in black and not a brighter color!.

TufFlex Collar