Day after day, service dogs show up for their handlers. Meticulously trained to perform specific tasks, these dogs spend their days on the job guiding, retrieving items, providing mobility assistance, and most of all, giving their handlers independence. Because of their important job as medical equipment, the right gear for the job can make a big difference in everyday life.
Built to Work
Service dog handlers depend on their dogs. Their dogs depend on the right equipment to keep them safe on (and off) the job.
Well-built gear can make a difference in a working canine’s comfort, mobility, and ability to keep doing their work. Gear should be secure without restricting movement, comfortable enough for extended wear, and durable enough to stand up to the demands of daily use.
From the right vests and harness for everyday wear, to specialized eye protection and ear protection for important outings, and even down to the gear that keeps them safe on their days off, high quality gear isn’t a luxury. High quality gear, designed with the dog and its job in mind, is a necessity.
Protecting Working Eyes
One of the most important tools a service dog has? Their eyesight. Both on the job and on their days off, a dog can encounter dust, debris, UV rays, and other environmental hazards that may put their eyes at risk. Protective eyewear can provide a layer of safety when conditions call for it.
Designed specifically for dogs, Rex Specs Dog Goggles offer a secure and comfortable choice of eye protection without getting in the way of a dog’s ability to move and work. Rex Specs are built for dogs with a job to do. Featuring shatterproof polycarbonate lenses that protect from sun, wind, and debris, they’re designed to stay put while dogs move, work, and explore.
Keeping a service dog’s eyes safe in places like the science laboratory in a college or during a fun trip to the beach can help keep them on the job for longer.
When the World Gets Loud
Like their eyes, a canine’s ears are a crucial piece of their equipment. As an important piece of life saving medical equipment, some service dogs may need to accompany their handlers to loud or busy environments. Sirens, construction, loud events like concerts, public transportation, and other high-volume environments can all be part of a service dog’s day-to-day experience.
Just like humans, dogs can experience hearing loss over the years as a normal side effect of aging and from high exposure to loud noises. Hearing protection can help reduce a working dog’s exposure to intense or disruptive sounds, while allowing them to remain focused on their work.
Rex Specs Ear Pro was built specifically to protect working dogs from temporary and permanent hearing loss that can arise from noise exposure. By providing hearing protection in a durable, low-profile design, the Ear Pro is ideal for working dogs of all types, from owner handled service dogs to military working dogs, and more.. The Ear Pro works to attenuate, or reduce, the frequency of noise by 18-24 dB A (decibels). The louder the frequency of the noise, the more effective the Ear Pro becomes for the dog.
The right hearing protection can be an important piece of gear that every handler keeps in their working dog’s kit, from seeing a favorite band in concert to doing their job on a construction site.
Working Tails from the Rex Specs Community
Every working dog has a handler who is just as dedicated to them as they are to their job. The Rex Specs Community is full of teams who put in the hard work day after day.
Tracy and Fundy
A purebred border collie and Medical Alert Service Dog, Fundy’s job is to let Tracy know when her blood pressure/heart rate are heading in the wrong direction, keeping her safe before fainting.
After nearly a decade of handling a service dog, Tracy is a firm believer that service dogs deserve to be comfortable in their day to day work. Sometimes, this means having the right gear to keep them content.
“If my dog is working in a scenario and I notice discomfort, it is then my job to find solutions to that discomfort. And that comes down to research!” she says. “For Fundy and I, traveling by plane comes once or twice a year. We had flown a few times when I had noticed she was visibly uncomfortable during landings, with the roar of the plane putting on the "brakes." It is loud for us, I can only imagine how loud it is for her.
So I started looking for ear protection for her. I needed something credible but also minimal and comfortable because she tucks into a small ball of black and white fur under the seat ahead of me during flights and anything on her head that was bulky wouldn't have helped. It was the Rex Specs Ear Pros that checked all the boxes," Tracy shares.
The real test? That came when this team had their first flight with the Ear Pro in their gear kit.
"Instead of Fundy sitting up during the landing, she snoozed right through it.
The Ear Pros have become an essential part of our flying routine! Fundy's comfort when working means everything to me and these sound protection ear coverings gave her the comfort she needs to fully snooze from take off to landing.”
For Tracy, Fundy doesn’t just keep her safe from unexpected falls, she also takes on the role of best friend. Fundy’s joy, comfort, and feelings matter most of all.
Shea La and Krueger
Krueger is a 13.5 year old American Pit Bull Terrier, and for Shea La, a once-in-a-lifetime dog.
Over the years, he’s built an incredible career across a wide range of sports, including Scent Work, Weight Pull , Slat Mill, Lure Coursing, Wall Climb, Dock Diving, Barn Hunt, UKC Conformation, Rally, Obedience, Dash, and Precision Coursing. But Krueger’s most important role goes far beyond sports; he is also Shea La’s Medical Alert Service Dog.
“He took to his job right away and has excelled in any situation he is put in,” Shae La says.
Whether it’s work or play, protection matters for a dog with an important job like Krueger.
“We live on 40 acres and when playing with something like his ball or the flirt pole, dirt and debris are constantly getting kicked up. It’s easy for something to get in his eyes and cause irritation or injury. Rex Specs are a simple way to prevent that,” says Shea La. The clear lenses keep debris out during everyday play, and the darker, mirrored lenses help keep him comfortable in bright conditions.”
Protection is important on the job so that Krueger and Shea La can enjoy their time off duty, too. “He loves soaking up the sunshine and the beach just as much as I do. When at the sand dunes or the beach, his Rex Specs keep sand out of his eyes. If I need eye protection, he probably does too.”
Krueger got his first pair of Rex Specs for his birthday in October of 2016, and nearly a decade later, that pair is still going.
Doing More, Together
The bond between a service dog and their handler is built through thousands of hours of training, trust, communication, and teamwork. The right equipment for the job can be an important part of performing an essential task, staying comfortable in loud environments, or enjoying a well-earned day off. Service dogs do incredible work every day, and they deserve equipment built to support them.