The suitcase was open on the bed, half full of swimwear and phone chargers, when Hazel’s corgi, Pudding, climbed in and sat on the folded towels. It was the night before a two-night staycation at a pet-friendly hotel in the east, and Pudding had clearly decided she was coming whether or not anyone had packed for her.
Travelling with a dog, even twenty minutes from home, changes the packing list. Food, bowls, a familiar blanket, waste bags. And something that makes your dog easy to pick out in a lobby full of other guests’ dogs.
Why gear matters more when you are away
At home everyone knows your dog. In a hotel, on a beach path or in a café you have never visited, nobody does. A harness is the piece of gear people notice first, because it sits on the chest and back, and a plain one disappears into the crowd. Pudding’s previous harness was grey, and in photos from earlier trips she is often hard to spot.
The harness that went into the suitcase
Before the trip was even booked, Hazel had ordered a personalised dog harness singapore pet owners can make from a single photo, through Little Red Cute. Pudding’s face and name now ride on the chest, illustrated from a snap Hazel took of her on the sofa.
The steps were simple:
- Send one sharp, bright photo in which the face looks about straight at the camera; Hazel’s phone shot was plenty.
- Pick a style.
- Inspect the result on screen.
- Approve, then pay. Until that approval, nothing gets made.
Production happens in Singapore only after an order comes in, and the print goes on through sublimation, a heat process that fuses Pudding’s artwork into the fabric.
Packing notes on the harness itself
Pudding’s harness combines three fabrics (polyester, neoprene, mesh) on a strap Hazel can tighten or loosen. You pick from four sizes, XS to L. Corgis are long and low with a broad chest, so Hazel measured Pudding twice before picking a size, and she suggests anyone ordering does the same with their own dog.
Check-in
At the front desk the next afternoon, the receptionist leaned over the counter, read the name on Pudding’s chest and greeted her before greeting Hazel. Later, on the walk along the beach, two other guests stopped to ask about the portrait. By the end of the weekend, half the floor knew Pudding by name, and Hazel was mostly known as Pudding’s owner.