GoKawiilHildegard in her new gear
While much of the country was staying put during COVID, I moved to the SF Bay Area and adopted Hildegard. The Bay Area is a paradise for dogs, but what I didn’t know is that a silent danger lurks in the grass [cue dramatic music] the foxtail weed!
Foxtails are a pernicious seed that find their way into dog’s ears, nose, eyes, and skin. They have unidirectional barbs that cause them to quickly migrate into the dog, causing infection and even death. The majority of dog owners seem to think that the risk is low enough to chance it. We got unlucky - Hilde got a foxtail in her ear two weeks into the season, which meant a trip to the emergency vet and negative 400 dollars.
The Outfox, looking like a cross between a dog muzzle and a piece of lawn furniture
Our first response was get an “OutFox Field Guard”, which is a $50 vinyl coated mesh bag that covers and protects the dog’s head. I noticed the Outfox had a few problems:
it triggers aggression in certain dogs, who bite at it and rip it off her head. This is a little dangerous for Hilde, and quickly puts purpose-defeating holes in a rather expensive mesh bag.
some uninformed humans mistake the Outfox for a muzzle, and assume your dog is dangerous.
it’s much harder to dispense treats quickly, which is an important part of conditioning your dog to associate treat with action. Since her mouth is blocked, they have to go in the side. Awkward.
she can’t catch anything in her mouth, although she can carry a ball (again, puncturing the expensive bag when she chomps down).
If you set aside the lovely universality and simplicity of a bag, I thought it might be possible to make foxtail protection that fits better, is more durable, and doesn’t block her mouth for treats and fetch.
... continue reading