Pictures of super dogs with very cool eye protection always catch our eye.  There’s a lot more to the subject than looking uber cool.  Rex Specs is a leader in the field and the goggles I use with Gabriel, my Malnois/Husky mix in the Florida sun.  While dogs look super cool wearing them, that shouldn’t be your primary reason for getting them.  Canine eye pro isn’t something I seriously considered until finding out how many challenges exist for my four-legged friend.  This is what I learned.

My first introduction to Rex Specs was at last year’s Shot Show range day watching a good-looking dog taking pictures with two good looking models.  (There’s a joke there I’m not going for.)  I stumbled across Rex Specs again on the showroom floor.  Not once, but three times and took it as a hint I needed to chat with them.  I soon learned how much I didn’t know about the hazards to our dog’s eyes and how Rex Specs is the answer.

Rex Specs offers a variety of options in color and size but what spurred me to research the subject was the story of their founding. Jesse & Aiden, the founders, lead a very active outdoor life.  Their dogs are intimately involved.  They learned both dogs eye issues were caused by the sun.  One suffered eye sunburn due to light eyes and extended exposure.  The other suffered Pannus which can eventually blind a dog and is prevalent in Shepard breeds.  Protecting their eyes would require curtailing their activities, an unacceptable solution. So the search began for eye pro. Not finding anything that covered all their needs they decided to create their own and Rex Specs were born.

Rex Specs are a one piece vented google for dogs featuring a variety of lens and a unique/quick mounting harness. They come with a clear lens and a colored lens you can select from three options (smoke, mirrored red or mirrored blue).   They are ideal for the police, hunting, working and “living life to its fullest” dog as they allow for full range motion and peripheral view while worn.

Rex Specs’ web site is a must explore and I can’t stress this enough, while the cool factor is off the charts, you can’t just slap these on your dog.  Besides getting the right fit, one must accustom/train one’s dog to wear them.  If not your dog won’t enjoy them, and you’ll waste your money as you use them less and less.  The site has a plethora of info covering dog eye health topics, proper fitting and training.

While our dog Gabriel is not exhibiting eye issues, the sun is no joke in Florida.  Our three dogs before Gabriel did have eyes issues as they aged.  Would sunglasses mitigate that in the future?  I notice my buddy flinches when on the beach and the wind picks up.  The wind can bother me also when it sends the sand blowing.  Wind blast isn’t a minor issue in our open topped jeep but I wear sunglasses. Why shouldn’t Gabriel?

As most dogs do, Gabriel loves sticking his head out the window but recedes as the speed increases.  I wear sunglasses for comfort in the Florida sun.  Why shouldn’t Gabriel?  He’s also a go getter when he catches a scent and prickly bushes don’t slow him down.  I remember well scratching my eye with a branch moving through the woods at night.  These thoughts were all under consideration even before I learned of Rex Specs.  They offered a clear and rational solution.

Now Gabriel is a quick learner and routinely wears a muzzle.  We introduced him to the muzzle gradually and very similar to Rex Specs approach.  Rex Specs suggests putting the goggles on without lenses and rewarding your dog to make it a pleasant experience.  The dog also learns there’s nothing to fear.  Gabriel took to them so quickly that we skipped inserting a clear lens and went straight to the mirrored red sunglasses.  He was tentative at first but within 30 minutes he was himself.  Don’t expect the same quick results with your dog.

Gabriel wore Rex Specs for several months in a wide variety of Florida environments.  Their protection is excellent, and I especially like the one-piece curve lens. It maximizes Gabriel’s view unlike some other solutions.  The substantial mesh between the foam comfort padding and the rubber lens gasket allows a good amount of airflow.  We didn’t experience any fogging.  Another advantage is the one snap buckle required to don or remove his eye pro.

Gabriel hasn’t scratched the lenses of his Rex Specs but if we need replacements they’re available and very affordable on the site.  An interesting tidbit I discovered is that human vision acuity is three times more sensitive than our canine friends so that means lenses need to scratched up pretty bad before it impacts the dog’s vision.

Dog eye pro may not be at the top of our “get list” for our dog.  If he’s active and/or spends a lot of time outdoors one should probably reevaluate the list.  Besides the long-term effects of sun on our dog’s eyes, we need to be concerned about other hazards.  Gabriel has a heck of a prey drive and iguanas aren’t safe on our property.  If I let him, he’d be off like a shot into the underbrush.  As I mentioned, I’ve had my eye scratched by a branch moving through the woods at night.  I wouldn’t want Gabriel to have to learn the lesson of wearing eye pro.  If I had a working dog/K9, Rex Specs would shoot to the top of my list.

Rex Specs are an outstanding product and THE solution I recommend to those looking for dog eye pro. If you do decide to outfit your dog keep in mind the training part.  It’s crucial to ensuring your dog becomes properly accustomed to his Rex Specs.  Your four legged partner will also instantly become more photogenic and a smile inducer.

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