Review by Sydney Ryan of @expeditionego

Nothing ruins an outing with your pup like bad weather. No matter where you live, we’ve all experienced foul weather. Whether it’s snow, rain, slush, or mud, picking out the right gear can make or break your outdoor experience. The fellow dog pawrents at Kurgo heard your concerns and designed the Portsmouth Foul Weather Jacket to protect your dog from whatever Mother Nature decides to throw your way.

If you’ve ever been outside in the pouring rain or in the chilly snow, you were probably wearing some sort of jacket to protect your body. Many dogs benefit from the same type of protection. Yes, you could wait out the weather or seek alternatives to a walk outside, but if you live in one of the many regions that have long bouts of bad weather, the torture of being cooped up indoors is never ending.

Aside from making your dog look fashionable, there are many great reasons to consider a sturdy, all-weather jacket.

● Skin protection

● Warmth in cold weather

● Comfort

● Enables walks in rougher weather

● Helps keep your dog as comfortable as you

Our Review

Ego and I moved to Portland Oregon at the beginning of June and if you know anything about the Pacific Northwest, you know that it’s known for a lot of wet weather. Well, all of the rumors are true, and it rains just as much as everyone said it would. With the rain comes high winds, colder weather, and lots and lots of mud. These factors can make it very difficult to enjoy a hike in such a beautiful area.

Ego is a 3-year-old Border Collie who loves the outdoors. Keeping him confined to the indoors is just not an option. We both love to explore and hike far too much to wait out every rainstorm that will hit our area. I have a plethora of rain jackets in my closet and after attempting a hike in a rougher PNW storm, I wondered why I didn’t have the same protection for Ego. The Portsmouth Foul Weather Jacket is different than other rain jackets we’ve tried because it’s not just designed to repel water OR keep your dog warm, it does both!

The outside is a heavy duty, waterproof PU coating on top of the classic Kurgo rip-stop fabric and also has a mesh lining to keep the jacket breathable. The red color helps with visibility as well as the reflective piping for night visibility which is important for my lifestyle because we hike at all hours of the day. The outside of the jacket is waterproof and makes it extremely easy to rinse off when mud inevitably gets on it.

When I shop in larger pet stores, I also find it difficult to find the right jacket fit for Ego’s lean figure. He’s long and narrow but has a deep chest and many coats are either too short or too large. This jacket has an athletic cut and is designed to fit all body shapes. The arm holes aren’t too narrow and won’t rub against the armpit area. The strap around the stomach protects the belly from mud and sticks, but still allows for a full range of motion.

The Portsmouth Foul Weather Jacket comes in 6 sizes which allows for a great fit on a wide variety of dog breeds. It also is suitable for all sorts of hikes, whether it’s a short walk in the city, or a 7-mile hike in the woods.

I personally love that the jacket was designed with the dog in mind. The fit isn’t uncomfortable, the material is thick and won’t rip with one use, and they even included a mesh inside to allow for airflow and breathability. As someone who hates how sticky and stiff human rain jackets can be, I really appreciate this feature and wish that more human rain jackets came with this feature!

If your dog is sensitive to rougher weather, I highly recommend checking out this jacket. The tough outer coating can help deflect rain, sleet, branches, or anything else that you might encounter on the trail. It can also help build your dog's confidence and encourage them to brave the weather.

The jacket has a couple more handy features like a collar that can be flipped up or down depending on if your dog needs the extra protection as well as an adjustable slide on the belly strap to customize the fit to every dog’s body shape and of course an opening for a leash attachment. This allows you to pair the jacket with harnesses like the Kurgo Journey Air that can be worn underneath the jacket.

Be sure to measure your dog correctly to get the right size. You can find a video on how to measure as well as a size chart on the Kurgo website. Happy Adventuring! 

Sydney Ryan is a talented photographer and avid outdoor lover who enjoys adventuring with Ego, her border collie. She has also done extensive training and agility work with Ego. Follow their adventures on Instagram: @expeditionego