A New Travel Bowl, Barrier and Window Lock - Oh My!

The weekend of April 12-13 brought 90-degree plus record-breaking temperatures for Southern California!  That however, did not deter the crowds from coming out to enjoy the Orange County Pet Expo. The air conditioned buildings were crowded with people and pets. I was competing at the Splash Dogs event (yes, a big pool with lots of cold water!) but took some time to walk thru the vendor areas to see what was being offered. I tried to make it quick thru the aisles while outdoors in the heat but one vendor called "CycleDogUSA" got my attention with a couple of their products.

The first is a water bowl that has a special baffle inside to eliminate the slopping and spilling while traveling. I use buckets for water, but a friend of mine has this product and he loves it!  It's called "The Road Refresher" and it includes some velcro "feet" to help keep the bowl fastened to the vehicle's carpet while in motion.

The second product that actually grabbed me is a new type of vehicle barrier. I love barriers because they allow you to increase your usable cargo space when an actual crate might not fit and they provide some safety for the dog - and you - if you have to stop suddenly. The traditional barriers are wedged between the cargo floor or vehicle floor to the ceiling. They don't stay well because they're normally kept in place through pressure between top-bottom which means

every bump in the road that jars the barrier allows it to shift and become less stable. This particular barrier, called the "WalkyGuard" fastens to the bars of a vehicle's headrests. It looks to be very strong, easy to mount and does not have the movable parts that many cargo dividers have. It's not inexpensive, but looks to be a very good, sturdy product that would withstand a lot of pressure. 

CycleDogUSA also has a product called the "WalkyLock," which allows a vehicle window to be open and still secure. I was too busy looking at the barrier to notice if it was at the booth, but it's reasonably priced and might be a good alternative to the Ventlock.