Review on Premium Leather Padded Dog Collar by Soft Touch Collars - Ultimate Luxury for Your Canine Companion by Jeff Davidson

First of all I can say that Vaun Duffy Products is a company that really cares about design, quality and first class customer satisfaction. I recently purchased a large Soft Touch collar and Soft Touch Heavy Duty braided leash. I think the collar and leash are the best you will find in a similar product. For dogs who value comfort and owners who value comfort, good design and quality with a touch of style at a reasonable price, this is the right choice. Now I will explain in detail why I made this statement; because I'm a retired Process Engineer and Quality Engineer, a defense industry executive who loves to tell stories. I recently adopted a 15 month old Louisiana Leopard Catahoula (I know I've never heard of her either). This dog is a very affectionate, selfish, "human" dog who likes to sleep a lot, with big bursts of energy between them. This is a water dog that likes to run off the end of the pier into the lake, swim back to shore, jump up and down in search of admirers; and then recharge to do it over and over again. He always attracts people who want to pet him. When this dog shakes your hand or gives you a "love stroke" on your arm, leg or chest, you'll immediately understand why it's called the leopard dog. I really regret that someone taught him to "sit and shake" sooner. I want them to stop at "sitting". I usually walk/train him on a collar. It flatly refuses to move and is only an inch from the back door during the intense run I forced it to do because of the strong clip and cable leash pulling on the collar. I bought him a cheaper quality 1" x 22" leather collar; because I wanted to reward him for swimming without a collar and make walking more comfortable for him. The cheaper 22-inch collar dangled slightly at its narrowest point, but no other heavy leather item from the local national pet store chain or local pet store would fit. He immediately attempted to remove the collar, attempting to chew on the loose end that remained after adjusting it to the tightest notch. After his first dip in a boutique dog collar, I let him run out on deck to dry. I came back 15 minutes later and he almost sprained his collar. The 1" x 22" collar is now 7/8" x 24". The 24-inch soft-touch collar fits perfectly at its narrowest point, leaving room for growth (I hope not). It has an inner layer of soft quality leather that is 1 1/2 inches thick when flat and is stitched throughout with quality cord to a thicker outer layer of quality leather that is 1 3/8 inches wide. Delta has made no attempt to remove this collar. The stitching only breaks where the leash loop attaches to the top of the collar. The boutique collar features a swirling stitching pattern along the edges. The soft-touch collar closes with a double seam of thick, folded leather. The stitching is actually 2 cord loops around the outside of the leather. The boutique buckle is held in place by two rivets, followed by a lanyard eyelet and a single stitch of pleated leather. The Soft Touch collar has two leather loops for attaching an extra strap so you're not tempted to chew on anything sticking out from behind the buckle. The separate tag loop attached to the buckle is also a big plus as Delta's name tag is visible and easy for his fans to read while holding the leash and trying to keep him from getting a "love pet". Soft touch leash made from the same high quality leather. From the human side, a soft inner skin layer fully sewn into the braid. Both ends are braided which not only looks good but also provides cushioning and increases the overall strength of the line. The braided design at the dog end even seems to increase the leash's tensile strength. Having designed an escapement for it that I didn't want any component rated for less than 400 pounds, I know how difficult it is to find a lead clip rated for 90+ pounds. I don't know the load capacity of this solid brass clamp; but it seems at least as strong as the 210lb coated steel clip I found. Now the topper. I received the leash less than 48 hours after ordering. I put them on my dog and went for a walk. The dog and I were happy with the surroundings. I put the dog in the back seat, left the leash on, and went to change my shirt. A minute or two later I was gone, he chewing through the leash just above the braid. Delta didn't work for me. I decided to write Vaun Duffy Products with a picture to explain what happened. As I told them, this is clearly not their fault; but i like the leash even if the delta isn't so and i asked if i could get a discount on a replacement. Gary from Vaun Duffy replied to my email within 30 minutes and sent me a free replacement. Based on my experience, I think I know world-class values when I see them. I don't know if Gary is the owner or an employee; but he's a great actor with a great product.