BioThane® is a high-quality, vegan alternative to leather that's designed for durability, comfort, and everyday adventures! It has the soft, flexible feel of broken-in leather without the maintenance.

Unlike traditional materials, BioThane® is waterproof, odour-resistant, easy to clean, and incredibly durable. It won't absorb moisture or hold onto unpleasant smells, making it perfect for muddy hikes, swimming, and everything in between.

With proper care, BioThane® gear can last for years, making it a practical and reliable choice for your dog's everyday adventures! 

At Top Dog Gear, we offer a variety of high-quality hardware options to suit your dog's style, needs, and adventures! Our selection includes stainless steel, solid brass, black gunmetal-coated solid brass, rose gold-plated, and nickel-plated hardware.

All our hardware is selected for its strength and durability. However, different materials and finishes require different levels of care. All hardware will naturally show signs of wear over time, especially with frequent exposure to water, dirt, friction, and everyday adventures.

Stainless Steel

Silver Finish

Stainless steel is one of our most durable hardware options. It is strong, wear-resistant, and highly resistant to rust and corrosion. It's an excellent choice for dogs who love swimming, hiking, and outdoor adventures. Stainless steel requires minimal maintenance and is designed to withstand years of regular use.

Solid Brass

Gold Finish

Solid brass is a strong, durable, and naturally rust-proof material, making it another excellent option for everyday adventures. Unlike plated hardware, solid brass does not have a decorative coating that can chip or peel. Over time, brass may naturally tarnish or develop a patina, which does not affect its strength or functionality. It can easily be polished to restore its original shine. May discolour light fur due to tarnish.

Black Gunmetal-Coated Solid Brass

Black Gunmetal Finish

Our black hardware is made from solid brass with a durable, scratch-resistant gunmetal coating. This provides the strength and rust-proof properties of solid brass while offering a sleek, dark finish. The coating is designed to resist everyday scratches and wear, making it an excellent option for active dogs. While highly durable, the finish is not completely scratch-proof and may show signs of wear over time, particularly with heavy friction or rough use. May discolour light fur due to tarnish.

Rose Gold-Plated Hardware

Rose Gold Finish

Our rose gold hardware features a steel base with a decorative rose gold plating. It offers a beautiful finish while maintaining the strength needed for everyday use. As with all plated hardware, the coating may gradually scratch, fade, or chip with regular wear. If the underlying steel becomes exposed, it may be susceptible to rust, particularly when frequently exposed to moisture. May discolour light fur due to tarnish.

Nickel-Plated Hardware

Silver or Gold Finish

Nickel-plated hardware is commonly used in certain components, including some of our quick-release buckles. It features a strong steel base with a protective decorative finish. Although durable, the plating may gradually wear, scratch, or chip over time. If the underlying steel becomes exposed, rust may develop, especially with prolonged moisture exposure. May discolour light fur due to tarnish.

Our BioThane® gear is designed to withstand everyday adventures, from muddy hikes to swimming and everything in between! With a little care and regular cleaning, your gear can stay looking its best for years to come.

BioThane® Care

BioThane® is waterproof, durable, and incredibly low-maintenance, making it an excellent choice for active dogs. For everyday cleaning, simply rinse your gear with warm water and use a mild dish soap with a soft cloth or old toothbrush to remove dirt and buildup. For more stubborn marks, a small amount of rubbing alcohol may help, but we recommend testing it on an inconspicuous area first and avoiding prolonged contact.

Although BioThane® is highly resistant to moisture, odours, and everyday dirt, it is not completely stain-proof. Certain substances, including skunk spray, ink, dyes, adhesives, and harsh chemicals, may cause permanent staining or discolouration. Lighter BioThane® colours may also show staining more easily than darker colours.

Hardware Care

All hardware will naturally show signs of wear over time, particularly with frequent use and exposure to moisture, dirt, and friction. Stainless steel and solid brass offer excellent resistance to rust, while plated and coated hardware may gradually experience fading, scratches, or chipping.

Our black gunmetal hardware features a scratch-resistant coating over solid brass, offering excellent durability and rust resistance. However, even scratch-resistant finishes can show cosmetic wear with regular use.

To maintain your hardware, rinse away dirt, salt, and debris after outdoor adventures and thoroughly dry all metal components after exposure to water. This is especially important for plated steel hardware, as prolonged moisture exposure can contribute to rust and deterioration.

Please note: Cosmetic wear, including scratches, fading, tarnishing, and damage to plated or coated finishes, is not covered under our one-year hardware warranty.

Tarnishing & Buildup

Over time, some hardware may develop tarnish or dark residue from exposure to moisture, oils, dirt, and everyday use. This is particularly common with solid brass and is a natural characteristic of the material.

In some cases, this buildup may transfer onto your dog's fur or lighter-coloured BioThane®. To help prevent this, regularly clean your hardware using mild dish soap, warm water, and a soft toothbrush. Solid brass can also be polished with an appropriate brass cleaner when necessary, taking care to avoid contact with the BioThane®.

Regular cleaning will help minimize buildup and keep your gear looking its best.

What Should I Avoid?

While BioThane® is waterproof and designed for outdoor adventures, proper care of the hardware is just as important as caring for the material itself.

Avoid using bleach, harsh chemicals, abrasive cleaners, or stiff brushes that may damage the BioThane® surface or hardware finishes. Do not leave your gear soaking in water for extended periods, and always rinse thoroughly after exposure to saltwater, road salt, or chlorine.

Always dry your hardware thoroughly after swimming, bathing, or wet-weather adventures. Once clean and dry, store your gear in a cool, dry location away from prolonged direct sunlight.

A Little Care Goes a Long Way! 

Your Top Dog Gear products are handmade with durability and adventure in mind, but no material is completely indestructible. Regular cleaning, proper storage, and routine inspections will help extend the life of your gear and keep your dog looking their best!

We recommend checking your gear regularly for signs of excessive wear, loose hardware, or damage. If any component appears compromised, discontinue use until it can be repaired or replaced.

At Top Dog Gear, every piece of BioThane® gear is carefully handcrafted to order in our home workshop. We take pride in creating high-quality, durable products that are made to last!

Our current estimated processing times are:

Other Gear & Premade Items: Up to 1 week

BioThane® Gear: 2–3 weeks

Exclusive Colours: 2–4 weeks

Please note that processing times are estimates and do not include shipping transit times. During busy periods, holidays, or large sales, processing may take a little longer.

Before your order leaves our workshop, we carefully inspect each item to ensure it meets our quality standards and is ready for all your dog's adventures!

As a small business, we truly appreciate your patience and understanding while we work hard to get your orders completed as quickly as possible. Every order is handmade with care, and we promise it's worth the wait! 

Need your gear sooner?

We offer a Rush Order Upgrade for customers who need their gear a little quicker! This option prioritizes your order in our production queue for faster processing.

Please keep in mind that rush processing does not include expedited shipping.

At Top Dog Gear, we take pride in creating durable, high-quality gear that's built for everyday adventures! We stand behind our craftsmanship and offer a one-year warranty on our BioThane® gear and hardware against manufacturing defects.

Our One-Year Warranty

Our warranty covers defects in materials or workmanship under normal, intended use. If your BioThane® gear or hardware breaks due to a manufacturing defect within one year of purchase, we'll happily repair or replace the affected component at no additional cost.

If you experience an issue, please contact us at contact@topdoggear.ca with your order number, a description of the problem, and photos of the affected area. Our team will review your request and help determine the next steps.

What Isn't Covered?

While our products are designed to be strong and durable, they are not indestructible. Our warranty does not cover damage caused by chewing, biting, cutting, improper use, accidents, or excessive wear and tear.

BioThane® is not chew-proof or bite-proof, and any damage caused by chewing or other external forces is not considered a manufacturing defect.

Cosmetic wear to hardware, including scratches, tarnishing, fading, chipping, or deterioration of plated and coated finishes, is also excluded from warranty coverage.

Product Safety & Responsibility

For your pet's safety, customers are responsible for inspecting their gear upon arrival and regularly throughout its use. Always ensure that buckles, clasps, rivets, and other hardware components are secure and functioning properly before each use.

Pets should always be supervised while wearing collars, leashes, and accessories. Never leave your dog unattended with gear that could become caught, tangled, or chewed.

If you notice any damage, loose components, or signs of excessive wear, discontinue use immediately.

Top Dog Gear is not responsible for injuries, accidents, or damages resulting from misuse, improper fitting, inadequate supervision, or use of damaged products, to the extent permitted by applicable law.

Warranty Repairs & Shipping

If your item qualifies for a warranty repair or replacement, we'll take care of the repair or replacement at no charge.

All shipping costs associated with sending products to and from Top Dog Gear for warranty repairs are the responsibility of the buyer, except where otherwise required by law.

We're Here to Help! 

We want you and your dog to enjoy your gear for years to come! If you have any questions about product safety, care, or a potential warranty issue, please reach out to contact@topdoggear.ca.

Our warranty is provided in addition to any rights and remedies available under applicable consumer protection laws.

We understand that sometimes you change your mind about a colour, size, or hardware option! We're happy to accommodate changes whenever possible.

Order modifications must be requested within 24 hours of placing your order. Since all our BioThane® gear is handcrafted to order, production may begin shortly after your purchase. While we'll do our best to accommodate your request, changes cannot be guaranteed once production has started.

If you need to make a change, please contact us at contact@topdoggear.ca as soon as possible with your order number and the requested modifications.

Absolutely! If you've placed a second order before your first has shipped, we're happy to combine them whenever possible.

Simply send us a message with both order numbers, and we'll do our best to arrange combined shipping. Please note that combining orders depends on their production status, and shipping charges may not always be refundable.

Mistakes happen! If you notice an incorrect or outdated shipping address, please contact us at contact@topdoggear.ca as soon as possible.

If your order hasn't shipped yet, we can typically update the address for you. However, once your package has been dispatched, we cannot guarantee that changes can be made.

If your order is already in transit, we recommend contacting Canada Post or the applicable shipping carrier directly to see whether a delivery adjustment is available.

Please note that customers are responsible for providing accurate shipping information at checkout. Any additional shipping charges resulting from an incorrect address, returned package, or reshipment will be the buyer's responsibility.

We understand that plans change! Orders can be cancelled within 15 minutes of being placed without a cancellation fee.

After the initial 15-minute window, cancellations are subject to a 10% cancellation fee to help cover payment processing, administrative costs, and preparation of your handmade order.

Since our products are handcrafted to order, cancellation requests may not be accommodated once production has begun.

Please contact us as soon as possible if you need to request a cancellation.

We're always happy to chat about all things BioThane®, sizing, colours, hardware, and everything in between!

If your question hasn't been answered here, feel free to reach out through our website chat, Instagram, or email at contact@topdoggear.ca.

We're always happy to help make your Top Dog Gear experience a great one!