HawkVest

Are you worried your small dog might be attacked by a large bird of prey? Raptors are a serious threat because from above small dogs look like normal prey. In the terrifying event of an aerial attack our patented HawkVest can help protect your dog from serious injury and provide a chance to escape.

The HawkVest is made with super tough puncture resistant ballistic fabric that can resist sharp canine teeth and a large collar reinforced with genuine DuPont™ Kevlar®. It wraps around your dog easily and stays snug and secure with two wide Velcro belts. There's a D-ring for connecting your leash and reflective features that make your dog more visible at night.

Our patented HawkShield attaches to the back of the HawkVest with Velcro and it's very lightweight and does not affect comfort or mobility. The purpose of the HawkShield is to reduce the chance of being stabbed in the back by a raptor and provide your small dog with an opportunity to escape. It's constructed with three layers of genuine DuPont™ Kevlar® designed to withstand a violent strike by sharp talons.

The HawkShield is attached to the HawkVest with just enough Velcro to keep it securely in place, while at the same time allowing it to release when needed. If a raptor attacks and attempts to carry your pet away, the HawkShield is engineered to release under the pet's weight. The bird flies off with only the shield, giving your pet a precious opportunity to run away. It’s a life-saving feature inspired by nature, similar to how a lizard can shed its tail to elude a predator's grasp.

DuPont™ and Kevlar® are trademarks or registered trademarks of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company.

Optional Accessories

The best outcome is that your dog is never attacked in the first place. To help deter birds of prey from attacking we highly recommend adding a set of CoyoteWhiskers (sold separately) to your HawkVest. Even though the whiskers are flexible and not dangerous, the birds don't know that. It's likely they will hesitate before making violent contact with a bunch of bright sticks pointing straight up.

If a bird is harassing your small dog we recommend adding a set of HawkEyes (sold separately) to your HawkVest. When seen from above these large scary eyes give the impression there is a dangerous predator waiting below. The possibility of becoming prey will often intimidate an aggressive bird and convince them to move on to a safer place.

Choosing a Size:

Measure the length of the back from the shoulder to the start of the tail (do not include the neck) -- make sure the dog is standing up and not sitting. Hold the ruler straight do not bend it down over the dogs behind. We have found that measuring the back length by following the dog's back curvature can add to the length and throw off the sizing. The vests are designed with a straight back and do not have a curve to them. So when measuring, it's important that your dog is standing and you're measuring a straight shot from the front shoulder to the start of the tail without curving the measuring tape.

After measuring if you're still uncertain which size to get, it is usually better to go with the smaller size. We receive more returns/exchanges with the vest being too large rather than too small.

And if you're still not sure we can help. Just email us your measurements and a good side-view picture of your dog and we can give our best suggestion.

Please Note: For the HawkVest we also recommend measuring the neck circumference and waist (not chest) circumference. If your dogs waist or neck is larger than than the ranges shown we recommend ordering an Extender for the waist and/or the neck. If your dogs waist is at the lower end or less than the given range we recommend ordering a Stay Strap to prevent the flap from dangling.

Click here for more sizing information.

* The back length is the most important measurement. Use the Weight range to help choose but the weight of different breeds varies significantly.

Notes:

*XS, XXS vests have 1 row of collar spikes.