Absolutely! Our dogs are some of our biggest supporters—and probably our toughest critics. 😂 Clyde has as many collars as Imelda Marcos has shoes! He’s been a huge contributor to our research and development team, happily accepting each new collar with a sniff, a wag of approval, and his signature bow of the head to make putting it on him just a little easier. Johnny has the neck of a giraffe. He’s also clumsy and has a special talent for finding the stinkiest thing around to roll in, which makes him an excellent gear tester. After a bath, he cleans up pretty nicely and makes a wonderful model, too! In fact, the whole idea for this part of our business started because of Clyde. As both a Service Dog and a Therapy Dog, he’s an active guy. We’re on the go a lot, and our needs are pretty specific. We were constantly frustrated with the gear that was available and found ourselves thinking, “There has to be a better way.” So, we started tinkering, dreaming, testing, researching…and then tinkering some more. Over the years, those ideas turned into gear we actually love, use, and believe in. So yes—our dogs really do wear what we make. They’ve helped us build it, tested it in the real world, and given plenty of unsolicited opinions along the way. We hope you’ll find our gear just as satisfying, useful, and exciting as we do!

BioThane® is the brand name for coated webbing products made by BioThane® Coated Webbing Corp. It’s essentially polyester webbing with a TPU or PVC coating that makes it durable, waterproof, easy to clean, and weldable. Our personal explanation: It’s like the coolest stuff ever!!! Your dog gets muddy? No problem—it cleans right off! BioThane® practically laughs at dirt. Wash it, and it’s instantly dry. No soaking, no fuss, no waiting around for it to dry. It’s tough, practical, and seriously easy to live with—and we love it!

BioThane® offers many of the qualities people love about leather—without much of the upkeep. BioThane® is a strong, long-lasting, waterproof, easy-to-clean, animal-free alternative to leather. It doesn’t require conditioning, won’t absorb moisture and odors like leather can, and is designed to remain flexible in cold weather without becoming sticky in heat. It’s also available in a wide variety of colors, textures and finishes. We use BioThane® products on our own dogs and love that it looks, feels and moves much like leather—soft and supple, but without the maintenance. Unlike leather, BioThane® has very little stretch or “give,” providing a more consistent feel during leash handling. Our customers have also told us they notice more immediate leash communication with BioThane®. While that is based on personal experience and customer feedback rather than scientific testing, its minimal stretch can make leash cues feel more direct. In short: BioThane® gives you the look and feel of leather with less maintenance and greater resistance to water, weather and everyday wear—without using animal hide.

YES, it's strong! Most of the BioThane® we stock boasts a tensile strength of 1000 lbs. per inch. The Super Heavy Beta material that we use is:.140" - .160"3.56mm - 4.06mm The Standard material that we us is:.095" - .105" 2.41mm - 2.67mm The polyester webbing inside the PVC or TPU coating of BioThane® is what gives it strength. The coating on the outside makes it waterproof. This exterior coating can be harmed by chewing or sharp objects. If only the exterior coating is damaged, your BioThane® will retain strength.

According to BioThane®:“Under normal use, BioThane® will long outlast leather and nylon.”According to us:That’s a great little nibble of information, but there’s one important exception: chewing. Allowing your dog to chew on BioThane® will significantly shorten the life of the product, just as it will with most things your dog gets their teeth on. BioThane® coatings can be quickly damaged by chewing. However, if the interior webbing remains fully intact, the BioThane® has retained its strength. If the webbing has been damaged or compromised, the gear should no longer be considered safe for use. Under normal use and with proper care, BioThane® gear is exceptionally long-lasting. As long as your dog doesn’t chew it, you’ll probably get tired of the color long before your BioThane® gear wears out.

According to BioThane® :"Yes, BioThane® is manufactured in our only plant located in North Ridgeville, Ohio in the USA." As for our manufacture at Antique ReVisions/ WaterProofDog:We make the collars lovingly by hand, one at a time, in our rural Pennsylvania workshop. While we buy most of our hardware and parts from local small businesses, our hardware is not all made in the USA. All our BioThane® is made in the USA. Products manufactured for Antique ReVisions/ WaterProofDog:One select stitched collar in our shop is Amish made and hand crafted in the USA. It is made using the same, high-quality parts that we use for all of our items.