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Frolicking Dinosaurs
11-14-2007, 15:20
Was just talking to a friend whose passion is night-hiking - he is a dog hiker. He was telling me about a new product that he really likes. I did a search and couldn't find any info on it here so I'm posting it so that any who might need such product will know it exists.
http://www.puplight.com/ - manufacturer's web site
http://www.arcatapet.com/item.cfm?cat=10724 - a vendor site with better info on product

cowboy nichols
11-14-2007, 15:25
This is cute but wouldn't a regular head lite serve the same purpose?

wrongway_08
11-14-2007, 15:41
unless its a puplight, it wont work, the elastic is specially desighn to stick to the fur, preventing slipping.

Also the LEDs are arranged so that the current going through them cancels out "electric current" interfernce so that it will not bother a dogs sensitive hearing.

A special reflector is also included that will not harm the rods in the dogs eyes - since they are different from humans - a normal light may harm your dogs day vision by causing a "tan" to occur on the dogs inner eye rods.


Sounds legit doesnt it? I should write the brouchers for this company! :p

I would think a regular light would work.

taildragger
11-14-2007, 15:45
Why does a dog need a headlamp. My lab sees better at night than I can with a headlamp, so whats the need (or is it more of a visual location of the dog)?

Cuffs
11-14-2007, 15:49
I dont hike with my fur-kid, but I do walk in my neighborhood after dark and this would just be the talk of the town!

The Solemates
11-14-2007, 15:57
Why does a dog need a headlamp. My lab sees better at night than I can with a headlamp, so whats the need (or is it more of a visual location of the dog)?

precisely my thoughts

Frolicking Dinosaurs
11-14-2007, 16:00
The thoughts of some of the naysayers were my thoughts as well, but I'm not a dog person.... just wanted you folks to know this product is available if you feel it is needed.

The Weasel
11-14-2007, 16:02
Dogs have vastly superior night vision than humans, due to the way their eyes are constructed, and not only is a headlamp essentially unnecessary, but it may even interfere with the dog's night sight peripherally. It's not even "harmless" since it means the dog doesn't see what he could see otherwise, making his walking harder, not easier.

TW

Gaiter
11-14-2007, 16:10
too cute, but it would mess up their night vision just as mentioned above.

Uncle Silly
11-14-2007, 18:14
unless its a puplight, it wont work, the elastic is specially desighn to stick to the fur, preventing slipping.

Also the LEDs are arranged so that the current going through them cancels out "electric current" interfernce so that it will not bother a dogs sensitive hearing.

A special reflector is also included that will not harm the rods in the dogs eyes - since they are different from humans - a normal light may harm your dogs day vision by causing a "tan" to occur on the dogs inner eye rods.


Sounds legit doesnt it? I should write the brouchers for this company!


Yeah, for a second there I thought you were actually talking about the real product. Took me a couple of readings to figure out you were makin' stuff up. The comment about "tanning" the dog's eye rods was clever -- I'd never thought about doggie eyes getting burn-in before.

As taildragger speculated, this is more for visual location of the dog, by the owner as well as others (eg oncoming traffic), as well as being a lightsource the owner can walk by (so they don't have to carry a separate flashlight). Not incredibly useful, I think, especially for the hiker who already has a good headlamp.

Smile
11-14-2007, 19:47
Doggie tents, doggie headlamps, what's next?
Doggie Trail Magic!

A whole new segment of the industry may want to jump on the all the dog accessories while they can - I envision a GPS companion so you don't lose your dog when he runs off after a squirrell - hopefully not carrying any important stuff in his pack. :)

Adam B
11-14-2007, 21:28
Timber uses one and they are great. I use it so people see me and Timber when we are walking at night and so I can see him at the off leash park. The batteries last a long time but it is too heavy for small dogs. And a normal headlamp would work, this is just a decent light for the price, I think I payed 20 dolars for it. I am not sure how waterproof it is but rain hasn't caused a problem.

Frolicking Dinosaurs
11-14-2007, 21:30
Doggie tents, doggie headlamps, what's next?
Doggie Trail Magic! ::: Dino adds doggie treats to list for next year's trail magic :::

Nest
11-14-2007, 21:34
::: Dino adds doggie treats to list for next year's trail magic :::

If I see you out there on my thru, can I have some. I won't be hiking with a dog, but I do get really hungry a lot.

Frolicking Dinosaurs
11-14-2007, 21:44
If I see you out there on my thru, can I have some. I won't be hiking with a dog, but I do get really hungry a lot.I'll give you human food (unless you are so shaggy at that point that I mistake you for a dog :D

Nest
11-14-2007, 21:48
I'll give you human food (unless you are so shaggy at that point that I mistake you for a dog :D


In that case I like Beggin Strips.

Nest
11-15-2007, 00:20
Removed
David


I let my dog off the leash on my uncles farm. 80 acres fenced in, and he recognizes the faint pop of the electric fence.

For him I have a red blinking strobe about the size of a grape. Doesn't mess with his night vision, and the strobe makes it easier to find him in the brush.

The Mechanical Man
11-15-2007, 00:35
We have been doing Trail Magic for dogs and hikers for 18 years here at Smith Gap Pa. :welcome See your thru hiker handbooks for more information on us.

There is a good reason you may have never known we provide this special canine magic until now.
If you know ahead of time before you get it, ..........it isn't magic anymore, it's Doggie CATERING. HE HE


Have A Safe Hike

Smile
11-15-2007, 00:40
Catering, now you're talking! :)

After a hard day of dog hiking, they need some special treatment too some days. Nice touch Linda and John, will check out the book !

Nearly Normal
11-15-2007, 01:54
:eek:
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
I needed a good laugh..................

.......an I thought I was only

Nearly Normal

Seriously, maybe a reflective collar is all he really needs!

Uncle Silly
11-15-2007, 10:31
Doggie tents, doggie headlamps, what's next?
Doggie Trail Magic!

Doggie trail magic already exists. Katy & I got a ride from a fellow in Daleville who kept dog treats in his truck and gave us some. (Can't remember his job, but it had to do with making house calls, and he kept dog treats around to bribe unfriendly canines.) And dog owners doing trail magic are likely to bring something for the pups as well as the human hikers!



A whole new segment of the industry may want to jump on the all the dog accessories while they can - I envision a GPS companion so you don't lose your dog when he runs off after a squirrell - hopefully not carrying any important stuff in his pack. :)

Yeah, too late, that's not new. GPS companion, MP3 player, cell phone (??!?). All these products already exist in collar-mounted models. If you build it, some idiot will think it brilliant and buy it. An MP3 player for a dog? Why???

Adam B
11-16-2007, 02:29
Alot is made of dangers to the dog's night vision. I haven't had this problem and use the puplight quite a bit. You can only see the light if you are facing it because it uses simple led technology. I didn't like it around his neck because I had trouble seeing it. I now attach it to his harness. This way people can see it clearly when we are walking. This is not a tool to assist the dog find his way around. It is meant to allow others to see you. The only danger to somethings night vision is your poor hiking or walking buddy who gets blinded by the extremely bright light. I get yelled at around camp when I blind my fellow campers.

dixicritter
11-16-2007, 09:36
This is the Dog Forum folks... Let's remember that. Thank you!

Frolicking Dinosaurs
11-16-2007, 10:26
Alot is made of dangers to the dog's night vision. I haven't had this problem and use the puplight quite a bit. You can only see the light if you are facing it because it uses simple led technology. I didn't like it around his neck because I had trouble seeing it. I now attach it to his harness. This way people can see it clearly when we are walking. This is not a tool to assist the dog find his way around. It is meant to allow others to see you. The only danger to somethings night vision is your poor hiking or walking buddy who gets blinded by the extremely bright light. I get yelled at around camp when I blind my fellow campers.If the only reason to use this product is so that the dog can be seen by others, wouldn't something that glows for its entire length (or much of its length) as it goes around the dog's neck or body be preferable to a single or panel of bright LEDs :confused: (Be kind, my experience with dogs is limited to owning a prissy miniature long-haired dachshund whose idea of an outdoor experience was going to the backyard to potty. She didn't like the outdoors)

mudhead
11-16-2007, 10:29
Reflective collar. Have you no night vision? Or do you have a black dog?

Uncle Silly
11-16-2007, 14:12
If the only reason to use this product is so that the dog can be seen by others, wouldn't something that glows for its entire length (or much of its length) as it goes around the dog's neck or body be preferable to a single or panel of bright LEDs :confused:

Why not just spray-paint the dog with glow-in-the-dark paint? Or just a stripe down the back if you don't need to see the whole dog? :D

Dakota Dan
11-16-2007, 14:32
Was just talking to a friend whose passion is night-hiking - he is a dog hiker. He was telling me about a new product that he really likes. I did a search and couldn't find any info on it here so I'm posting it so that any who might need such product will know it exists.
http://www.puplight.com/ - manufacturer's web site
http://www.arcatapet.com/item.cfm?cat=10724 - a vendor site with better info on product

MY POST WAS REMOVED
I had an innocent post explaining that if any dog needed a headlamp it would be a sled dog team, you don't see them used because they are not needed and actually can impair the vision of the dogs. I like dogs, just don't want them hurt. Maybe someone is getting a cut from the products advertised and has the power to remove any negativity.

dixicritter
11-16-2007, 14:54
Cool your jets Dakota Dan. I'm the one that did the moderating on this thread. I will recheck your post but if I recall correctly it was not such an innocent post as you'd have everyone believe.

Adam B
11-17-2007, 19:43
Frolicking Dinosour, you are right that a collar that glowed through its length is a better choice. A guy at the dog park bought one at a fair that glowed like a flying saucer, it was amazing but I never was able to find one and the puplight was a good option. My dog travels with me constantly and at night I like people to see us. He is orange and white but at night is very hard to see.

PupLight
12-07-2007, 07:27
Greatings from PupLight! We would like to give free PupLights to the first 5 people who e-mail us ([email protected]) their name and address.

It looks like there is confusion about our product in the forum. PupLight was developed to make dogs visible so they won't get hit by a car or lost. It lights the way ahead if your walk on leash. Although younger dogs see well in the dark, older dogs don't. PupLight helps older dogs and vision impaired dogs se better.

PupLights do not interfere with night vision. It has a rim on top so the light doesn't shine in their eyes. It uses wide angle LEDs that illuminate forward and sideways. Most dogs like their PupLights. Some we're told won't go outside at night without it.

PupLight was specifcally designed for dogs and therefore works much better than a light designed to be worn on a person's head.

We're giving some free PupLights so you can see for yourself.

nitewalker
12-07-2007, 08:49
Why does a dog need a headlamp. My lab sees better at night than I can with a headlamp, so whats the need (or is it more of a visual location of the dog)?



i didnt read every post but this was my initial thought before reading the 1st post...dogs do not need headlamps. it is natural for most animals to adapt to the conditions. nite,day,hot,cold,dry,rainey and so on....now if its an excuse to carry an extra headlamp then your in...

berninbush
12-07-2007, 10:02
*sends the listed address an email*

*hopes that's not a hoax or a phishing scheme...*

The Mechanical Man
12-07-2007, 22:58
I just asked him, he thought about it and got back to me with a YES.

"Nemo" is a Doberman, a very smart breed, ..........when I ask him to go get the paper, he brings it to me after he is done with the local section.

Very cool offer from the Puplight folks.....thanks!
I just sent my Email information, will wait and see..............

warraghiyagey
12-07-2007, 23:00
"Nemo" is a Doberman, a very smart breed, ..........when I ask him to go get the paper, he brings it to me after he is done with the local section.

..............
You can still get the pages apart after he pees on it??

The Mechanical Man
12-07-2007, 23:38
No, No, you don't understand at all.................BTW, what is your IQ? :) hehe

YOUR dog pees on the paper,........My dog READS it,...........get it now?

The Mechanical Man
12-08-2007, 00:59
I just got an email from the good folks at "Puplight", and now I can't wait to be their newest "bark"person for the product. Thanks again!!
:banana

.................................................. .................................................. ....
Great John,

We'll send you a PupLight.
All the best,
Jackie

berninbush
12-11-2007, 20:44
I received my Puplight today (at work, where I asked them to ship it), pulled it out and had a look. They even included batteries. It's a bit clunky, but not ridiculously so for my golden retriever.... a chihuahua might find it a bit more of a burden. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring it home today. I'll let Lucy try it out and I'll write a review in a day or two. :-)

The Mechanical Man
12-12-2007, 04:10
waiting..................

Frolicking Dinosaurs
12-12-2007, 08:57
It's Christmastime - the mail and package services are overwhelmed.... patience is a virtue.
**** Dino has no affiliation with the Puplight company.... she's been having to say this to He-Dino who is waiting on something too ****

The Mechanical Man
12-13-2007, 20:29
Tapping foot, and biting nails.................................

The Mechanical Man
12-14-2007, 14:21
My new puplight has arrived............my new puplight has arrived!

I am more excited than a pack sniffer at trail days. hehe

It looks like a Petzl zipka on a dog collar, will try it out as soon as it gets dark.

wrongway_08
12-14-2007, 14:21
I put in for one but no response if I was one of the first 5 people?

The Mechanical Man
12-14-2007, 14:26
Sounds like a trail name doesn't it?

You have got to have a fast trigger finger to get a puplight.

Thanks again to the folks at Puplight. http://www.puplight.com/

JAK
12-14-2007, 16:11
How many dogs have thru-hiked?

The Mechanical Man
12-14-2007, 17:51
Anyone know how many dogs know to have done a thru?

I can tell you for a fact, "Jake" a great dane, is the LARGEST dog on record to do a thru.
He slept at my place on the way, and he bragged about it all the way to Maine.
hehe

wrongway_08
12-17-2007, 18:41
Got my pup-light today, bright little sucker - clean light also!
Well made, I dont see any problem with it lasting a long time, even while being bounced around the dogs neck.
Thanks Puplight!

doggiebag
12-17-2007, 18:50
Got my pup-light today, bright little sucker - clean light also!
Well made, I dont see any problem with it lasting a long time, even while being bounced around the dogs neck.
Thanks Puplight!
I remember when we ran out of light when we were heading to that first shelter a couple of weeks ago. The group took almost 15 minutes or so trying to get everyone's light on in that snow field. At least we know your dog will have his light handy.
Note to self: Make sure headlamp is functional and on my head before it get's dark.

wrongway_08
12-17-2007, 18:54
That was fun playn pick up everytime you and Sasquatch bent over to pick up items that fell out of your pack.

doggiebag
12-17-2007, 19:00
It was a royal pain in the butt, digging through snow for the little things that fell out of the pack's "brain". Keys, batteries ... etc. Plus the added bonus of hiking away not knowing if everything important was located and secured. The little joys of hiking. By the time we made it to the shelter my house and car keys were dangling by a neckstrap from the packs brain/top which was not completely zippered shut. Got lucky with that one.

wrongway_08
12-17-2007, 20:25
For the ones not there, myself and Fool helped Doggiebag and Sasquatch find their headlamps after dark - which were in their top section of the packs.
We got the headlamps on them. Then I think it was Doggiebag's GPS unit that fell from the top of his pack, being that he now had his headlamp on - he bent over to see where it fell to, then the rest of the items in that top section of the pack fell out - into the snow :D !

Next it was Sasquatch's turn - he learned nothing from Doggiebag's display of backpacker's prowlness :) :cool:

doggiebag
12-17-2007, 20:27
Thanks for sharing. Keep coming back.

berninbush
12-19-2007, 21:37
Ok, the people at Puplight were nice enough to send me one for free (and even included batteries!) so the least I can do is write a little review. :)

My dog Lucy is a 3-year-old golden retriever-- that's an energetic dog, in general, but she's been "down" for a while with heartworm treatment. (Her previous owner apparently didn't have her on preventative. :mad:) I'm still supposed to keep her "quiet" for a week or two, so no long hikes just yet, but I'm taking her for short walks and letting her loose in a nearby field to burn off a bit of energy. We tested out the Puplight there tonight.

As advertised, the Puplight has three LED's that attach to a regular collar. It comes with its own collar, a stretch red adjustable double-loop nylon, or you can put it on the dog's own collar. I used the one included so I didn't have to take Lucy's off (or try to put it on while she was wriggling around), but I made the mistake of only attaching it to the outer loop. This meant that by the end of the walk, it pulled the inner loop tight and the outer loop was sagging under the weight of the light. I think putting both parts of the collar through would fix this.

The light itself is pretty lightweight and puts off a good amount of light-- not like a car headlight, of course, but it makes a spot on the ground in front of the dog's head. The weight was no burden to my dog, but I wouldn't put it on a chihuahua.

Lucy was so excited about going on a walk that I don't think she noticed the light at first. It certainly didn't seem to bother her. By the time we got to the field and I turned her loose, she seemed to notice it reflecting off the tall grass and shrubs. Then she went a little nuts... I think she was actually "chasing" the beam around, which was pretty funny. She ran way off into the brush, and the Puplight did live up to its promise of making her easy to spot at a distance in the dark (though she disappeared a few times when she was completely behind something). When I called her, she ran back towards me and it was very amusing to watch the light bob up and down as she ran! I noticed that even head-on, it wasn't bright enough to be annoying (at least until she got very close)... not like having a flashlight shined in your eyes.

So I can see this thing being useful if you're planning to spend a lot of time outdoors with your dog in the dark. As the Puplight folks said, it's more about making your dog visible and lighting your own way than helping your dog see, but after this short test I'd say it's pretty good at that. I might take it camping with us whenever I take Lucy for her first trip. :)

berninbush
12-19-2007, 21:38
One question I'd have: what happens if the dog jumps in the water while wearing it? (A very real possibility with a Golden Retriever!).

Adam B
01-02-2008, 00:01
Hi, I have owned the puplight for 4.5 years and I was hoping to contribute some overall feedback to the community and the manufacters of Puplight.

Bio:
Adam- 24
Timber SD- Rodhesian Ridgeback x Nova Scotia Duck Toller 3.5yr altered Male 100lbs 28.5 inches at the shoulder

Lived in Toronto for the first 3 years and the last year I have been in suburbs:(. Nurmerous camping and training trips with the light along with day to day use while working at night.

Battery life isn't bad. I replace the batteries every couple of months with regular use. I use decent batteries. I would like to see on option for using lithium cells.

The size and weight is difficult and hard on smaller dogs. I would like to see a smaller and lighter overall package. My last dog did not enjoy wearing it for longer periods and I removed it at every stop because of the weight.

It came provided with two elastic straps. One formed a collar and the other I assume a strap to hook either to collar or harness. The collar was alright for a large dog but was not adjustable and did not quite fit my last dog. I would like to see an adjustable collar instead. The collar gets in the way of my correction collar at times. The attachment on the light is so ridged that most collars won't fit in the atachment. If you adapt the attachment point on the light to handle your average nylon collar or rolled leather collar; you could do away with the collar entirely. The collar is too long to attach easily to my service harness and the second strap was too difficult and the light twisted. I have made a small strap of elastic that fixes this.

Light- Good visability, the only thing to avoid is having it on around camps with lots of people sitting around a fire because for me it got in people's eyes. Otherwise it hasn't been too bright but is visable when in direct and slightly angled sight. I like that. It would be nice to have a flashing option and perhaps a low light level.

Waterproof- It isn't waterproof. When it has gotten really wet, i.e. gone for a swim the light goes out. I got to say I am used to the light and not seeing it is disturbing. Once it dries out it works again and life is good. Still I would like to see some more thought given to waterproofing.

I use it mainly in day to day work whenever on the roads at night. It enables people to see us and I assume has kept us visable at night.

Interestingly I was attempting a winter hike a few weeks ago with a new pair of dog boots. While long story short the boots sucked and frooze to his feet and the trip was cancelled.:mad: I hiked out to the highway and called a cab. Timber wore his light to signal the cab. The first cab didn't stop probably because of the dog. The second cab did and on the way to the motel he laughed and said there was no way the first cab missed us by accident because he could see Timber's light at least 1KM before he saw us. Lucky everything has turned out fine, bad boots and all but it reminds me why I like this little light.

A few times I have offered it to people in the car to read a map or book and loaned it to people around camp to use and it has survived well with no sign of damage besides some minor scratches and preformed properly. It is a good back up light in emergnencies.

All in all the best dog light I have used on the market. The only better I have seen was a collar that glowed evenly throughout. The guy bought it at a market and I never saw another again, oh well. Please bear in mind that I bought my light a while ago. Any of the features might have changed and I am looking forward to other people's posts.

If puplight wants to send me a new one I would love it. I the mean time hope this light works for most people.

Adam

The Mechanical Man
01-02-2008, 00:49
Adam, ................
That was some great info on the puplight, I too will make a report after we use it a while.

My dog NEMO was one of the lucky winners from the puplight folks free offer, back a few posts.

See. http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showpost.php?p=487174&postcount=60

Adam B
01-03-2008, 03:18
By the way- Timber is a service dog so he wears the light more then most. Some of the problem like waterproofing, size and collar are more general problems with the harness problem and battery type bring normal for me but others might not care. Frankly the additional collars seems to be an attempt to make up for the attachment point not being flexible enough to handle a normal collar.

The Mechanical Man
07-24-2009, 01:58
It's been a while since our last post on the Puplight, a good product made for dogs. It's now time for an update.....................

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showpost.php?p=487647&postcount=55

Nemo and I have been using our Puplight all the time since we recieved it, and we both love it for it's brightness.

We have used the Puplight for after dinner local AT hikes and trailwork, to weekend family camping trips, and even snowblowing the driveway during the winter.

If you are thinking about getting a good headlight for your dog, Puplight is the way to go.

http://www.puplight.com/ (http://www.puplight.com/)

Piicture coming soon..........................

Drake777
06-02-2011, 17:36
This is cute but wouldn't a regular head lite serve the same purpose?
Hello,
I bought a few Doggyheadlights and they work great! I have a 100lb dog that I go hiking with at night. With the Doggy Headlight, your dog lights the way and makes it safe for me. I can also see him in the dark when he is off leash. They also become aware they have a flashlight on their head which is fun to see.

Very good product! I bought mine on ebay.

kanga
06-02-2011, 17:54
Dogs have vastly superior night vision than humans, due to the way their eyes are constructed, and not only is a headlamp essentially unnecessary, but it may even interfere with the dog's night sight peripherally. It's not even "harmless" since it means the dog doesn't see what he could see otherwise, making his walking harder, not easier.

TW


too cute, but it would mess up their night vision just as mentioned above.
ditto. not good for the dog.

mweinstone
06-02-2011, 18:48
seeking funding to make a dogumentry on the thruhiking dogs of hikerdom.they all love me best so this one should do the trick. any takers send large box o money. also, i will require my own dog. any dog.

mweinstone
06-02-2011, 18:51
starting a sobo now with camera equiptment and sponsorship should allow me to pass all this years dogs comming north as well as staying in front of sobo dogs letting them catch me . then i could do the oftrail trail legond dogs later. it would feature me giving away tons of bacon dog treets and puplights and stuff.

Drake777
07-26-2011, 17:50
Was just talking to a friend whose passion is night-hiking - he is a dog hiker. He was telling me about a new product that he really likes. I did a search and couldn't find any info on it here so I'm posting it so that any who might need such product will know it exists.
http://www.puplight.com/ - manufacturer's web site
http://www.arcatapet.com/item.cfm?cat=10724 - a vendor site with better info on product


Try doggyheadlight.com they make a great dog flash light for hiking. I bought 3 and they do a great job. I will not go for a night time walk without a doggy headlight. It's too dangerous without one. Traffic cannot see you or your dog.

Drake777
07-26-2011, 17:58
I tried out a pair of doggy headlights from doggyheadlight.com What they do is allow nighttime traffic to see you and your doggie. Wow what a differience! People stop me all the time and ask where did you get that doggie headlight! I did not see you until I saw your dog with a light on it's head! Too cute! (http://doggyheadlight.com)

http://doggyheadlight.com