Product Maintenance and Care

Product maintenance and care is a serious game! When investing in any dog equipment, it makes sense to look after it, after all, money doesn’t grow on trees. So, having been in this game for a few years, we wanted to share some tips on how to make sure your product maintenance and care regime is nailed. Regular maintenance and care extends your products’ lifespan and makes sure it stays safe for you and your dog.

Your product aftercare starts with washing techniques. There are a few things you need to know so as you don’t ruin your dog’s equipment.

• Always wash at low temperatures.
• If it has heavy hardware on it, wrap it in something like a sock or a pillow case.
• Alternatively, you can more easily hand wash your collars and leads, by just rubbing them gently with a cloth or just your hands. By all means use soap, but make sure it doesn’t bleach, so no harsh chemicals.

Moving on to the drying phase of product maintenance and care. It’s important not to rush this as your products may discolour.

• Don’t dry in direct sunlight.
• Don’t dry over a radiator.
• Don’t put anything in a tumble dryer.

All moving parts such as carabiners and trigger hooks must be regularly oiled, especially in situations where they get wet on a regular basis. Even more important, is when you use your leads by the sea. Salt will attack the parts of a nickel trigger hook, so make sure your product upkeep is done regularly and in this scenario, after each use.

• Use WD40 or 3-in-1 Oil, just a little drop on the moving parts.
• Make sure the moving parts of trigger hooks and carabiners aren’t sticking or jamming.
• Sometimes plastic hardware can crack if damaged, so check regularly for these types of faults.

Regularly inspect your dog’s kit. Check for the following things when giving your dog kit a servicing.

• Fraying.
• Stitching.
• Rusty metal parts.
• Broken or damaged parts.
• Chewing damage.

Storage of your leads and collars is important, especially if some things are not used regularly. Our webbing has some fancy data on mould growth which I won’t get into here, but after time, we are all a bit vulnerable to deterioration 😉

• Store away from damp areas.
• Check before use if not used for a while.
• Check moving parts are not seized.

I have had some of my dog leads for over 10 years and I have customers who come back to me saying their collar, for example, is due to be renewed after buying the last one 8 years ago!

This is why I have every confidence Meg K9’s equipment is the best you can get. Paying for quality dog equipment that lasts, is a good investment and testament to our dedication to sourcing only the best components.