Riley's Vest is Ready

 Riley's vest is finally complete! I had our tailor sew on the velcro backing for her "Service Dog" and "Training" patches because the vest was too thick for my needle. If you start in the upper left corner and go clockwise her patches are : "Do Not Pet [STOP] Do Not Distract, CGC, AKC Star Puppy, "Training", and "Service Dog". The red heart tag in the middle is her rabies vaccine ID.

I picked this layout because she always heels on my left side. This is the side people will typically be approaching, so I wanted them to very clearly see the "Do Not Pet" and "Service Dog" patches.

We opted for the Ruffwear Web Master Harness in Medium to use as her Service Dog vest. It's a great harness and it's working well so far. I looked at a couple other Service Dog vests and I wasn't too pleased with the construction or the way they fit the dog. Most looked like they would rub Riley's armpits and belly. The Ruffwear harness was a bit more expensive, but it fits her perfectly and she is very comfortable wearing it for long periods.

I ordered two sets of patches. One set was a custom order from Bull Shoals Embroidery on Etsy and the other was from the Mutiny Shop. I ended up using the Bull Shoals Embrodery patches because they stood out more and matched the style of the vest better.

I sewed most of the patches myself using the blind (or slip) stitch method. It took a few hours to get them all on, but it was worth the effort! We're ready to make our first trip to a nearby store. Wish us luck! :)