Imagine the scene: your dog is jumping to go outside — is it excitement, or is it a full bladder? — and you’ve got one hour between meetings to fit in an adventure. You probably want to spend minimal time packing, right?
And, oh darn, no time to change, so whatever you’re wearing will have to do. Those elastic shorts you’ve grown to love during the pandemic — it was just an excuse, really — have a price to pay: no pockets. But if you wear feminine clothing, you’re probably used to the no-pockets situation.
Thankfully, DogiPack has the perfect solution: the hands-free dog-walking accessories belt. Can it help us pet parents get to walking our dogs quickly when we’re in a rush? Here’s how it worked for my dog, Leia, and me!
What Is The DogiPack Accessory Belt?
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When the folks at FreshStart DogiPack reached out to ask if we’d like to review their product, Leia and I jumped at the chance, as it was clearly the answer to our dog-walking challenges.
The belt is a dog walker’s dream come true, with five perfectly-sized compartments for:
- Your phone
- A beverage holder
- An included collapsible bowl
- Included waste bags (with dispenser hole)
- Miscellaneous odds and ends (cash, I.D., treats, etc.)
The three pouches close with Velcro flaps, the cell phone holder closes with a strap with a snap on it, and the beverage holder is open on top to accommodate whatever size of beverage you’re stowing, whether it’s a water bottle, coffee cup, can, or whatever you’re drinking.
It also has a built-in clip, where you can attach your keys. You can attach the collapsible bowl to it, which has its own hook, to free up the middle compartment for even more storage.
Trust me, you’ve never felt like a more prepared dog parent — and, let’s be honest, somewhat like a superhero, especially when paired with sweatpants — than when you’re wearing this belt.
My Favorite Feature: The Collapsible Silicone Bowl
I think my favorite component of this belt is the collapsible silicone bowl that clips to the belt.
Ingeniously paired with a built-in water bottle holder, you can dispense fresh water for your pup whenever they may need it. Of course, you could hydrate yourself with the water bottle, too.
I love this idea; how many times are you on a walk longer than you anticipate, with perhaps less shade and more heat than you anticipated, too? This way, you don’t have to worry about your dog getting dehydrated, and it can help to stave off heat stroke, as well.
Kudos to Dogipack for thinking of such a great safety measure. The collapsible bowl is so easy to use and clip back to your belt to dry — no hassle at all.
Leia loved this bowl and lapped up water from it right away! She enjoys taking breaks in the shade on our walks and comes back to this water bowl a few times between lie-downs before she’s ready to resume walking.
Pro tip: don’t pour all the water you have into the bowl at once if you’re on a walk. That way, you’ll be able to refill the bowl during other breaks.
So Helpful! The Poop Bag Dispenser
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Another of my favorite features on this belt was the built-in dog poop bag dispenser, with easy-to-pull bags ready to go for when nature calls.
It comes with three rolls of dog poop bags, and all you do to set it up is insert it into the applicable pouch, unspool one of the bags, and pull the bag through the hole in the bottom of the pouch to keep them ready to dispense.
You can use any of the pouches where you have space to store the used poop bag for your walk back, if you don’t want to carry it. Just don’t forget to take it out once you get home!
See Your Notifications With The Cell Phone Holder
The wide cell phone holder pouch with adjustable strap will fit a wide variety of cell phones.
One neat feature is the clear cover for it, so you could tilt the pouch up to see notifications without having to take it out.
Also, you can flip the camera around so the camera is facing outward, if you want to record video of your dog walking — you can never have too many videos of your dog — or if you want to use the flashlight feature.
Store Your Treats With The Miscellaneous Pouch
The compartment all the way on the left can fit a variety of items, including treats, cash, your I.D., a full poop bag, a small toy, or really whatever you need.
It’s pretty large, at 5″ x 5,” so it can hold a combination of items, too.
We used it to stash a small bag of treatos from Two Bostons, and there was plenty of room to spare.
Make It Yours With The Customizable & Adjustable Belt
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The belt is not only reflective, for nighttime safety, but it is adjustable to fit any waist up to 42″, and I’m sure any belt extender would work beyond that, if needed).
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The Dogipack Accessory Belt comes in four different colors: gray — of which I am the lucky new owner — red, pink, or camouflage.
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Also, on the manufacturer’s website, you can get custom embroidery if you’d like to add your pet’s name, or perhaps your superhero alias.
Should You Buy The DogiPack Accessory Belt?
Leia and I loved this belt. It will hold anything you can think of for any length of walk you might be taking — just as useful for a potty walk around the block as it would be for an hours-long hike.
It’s very comfortable, too, more so than a backpack or shoulder bag might be. We highly recommend it!
If you’d like to pick up the DogiPack Accessory Belt, you can check it out on Amazon here!
Meet The Person Behind DogiPack
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The owner, founder, designer, and CEO of Dogipack, Megan O’Brien, is such a neat person and very nice to work with, if you need any guidance on which products to get. She is a dog rescuer and fosterer, herself, so you know she believes in the products she’s created.
The idea behind Dogipack came to Megan when she adopted a senior terrier, Prudence, and brought her home to three other foster dogs. Prudence brought home some souvenirs herself — surprise puppies.
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Megan was having great difficulty walking the eight dogs together and juggling poop bags. Thus, the DogiPack shaped itself in her mind, an idea borne from necessity. To read more about Megan’s story, check out this great article Forbes wrote about her.
The article describes a time when Megan donated many DogiPack belts to a group of veterans, which is an extremely kind act in and of itself, but DogiPack’s philanthropy doesn’t stop there.
A portion of the proceeds from each purchase of DogiPack products goes to a dog rescue. They invite suggestions of rescues you’d like them to support. Tell them at www.dogipack.com.
Keep Up With DogiPack & Leia The Maltipoo
You can buy the DogiPack Accessory Belt on Amazon here or on the manufacturer’s website here.
To follow DogiPack on social media, please see their Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter pages.
To follow Leia on social media, please visit her Instagram and Facebook pages.
If you’d like to see a scaled-down version of this belt — dog poop bag dispenser only — check out our review of the Dogipack Party Poopers Waste Pack Dispenser (value pack) coming to DogTime soon!
Do you think the DogiPack Accessory Belt would help you carry everything you need on your dog walks? How do you hold your poop bags, keys, phone, and other stuff when you walk your dog? Let us know in the comments below!
