Review on Warm Step-In Dog Sweater - Gooby Zip Up Fleece Jacket for Small to Medium Dogs - Perfect for Indoor and Outdoor Use on the Go by Tara Wilson

First of all this is a great jacket. It's a good quality fleece, the zip is great - it tucks into a little fold that stops the dogs pulling it down, it covers the tummy well. Both dogs I tried on seemed to like it - they didn't need to learn, they liked the feel and warmth. But he had two problems. The biggest problem is the suspension function. There are two plastic rings where you can attach a leash to walk your dog. I got this vest because of that and also because my dog hates having things on his head so a zip was necessary. Unfortunately, the suspension slips off easily. In fact, the jacket comes off every time the dog turns to you and steps back a little. Using it as a harness means the dog is now free to roam. When this first happened I thought it was due to landing issues (see below). However, we recently got a foster dog that goes well with the jacket. Today the fur of the adopted dog fell off. I walked three dogs, my dog and the adopted child were on a leash. Foster stopped in the middle of a busy intersection to sniff around. I asked her to move, she didn't, and my dog pulled the plug forward. The jacket went out faster than I could do anything about it. I managed to grab the foster mother before she knew she was free and carry her home, but she could easily get lost in traffic at a busy intersection. As this is clearly not suitable and does not require the dog to attempt an escape, I strongly recommend never using it as a harness. You can use a harness or collar over this vest, but it is not safe to use it as your dog's sole protection. Second, it doesn't work for all dogs, even if they're in the right weight range. I have a small 10 lb dog that looks like a mini pin or Italian greyhound - lean and tall. Her front paws get stuck in her jacket, causing her to lean on her face while walking or get stuck and cry until someone comes and helps her. Looks like there was too much room for her in the chest. I thought of taking it apart and trying to sew it back together with less fabric in the chest when we got an adoptive Chi Dachshund mix. Even though the orderly was only a pound heavier, it fit him like a glove. The adopted dog has a bigger chest and I think that makes a difference. I didn't deduct a single star for this because they obviously can't make something that works for every dog. But I want those with thinner dogs to know that this may not work for them. I still have the foster family wear a Gooby fleece jacket under the harness because it's cold inside too. For the other dog, I use a Highline fleece jacket over the harness. The jacket itself is great, but for safety reasons it should not be used as a seat belt.