I am a confessed gear junkie; however, it is rare that I find a product that I am absolutely satisfied with and don't find myself looking for ways to improve the product in some small way. One exception has been the kennel cover from Mud River Dog Products. I first met the guys from Mud River at Pheasant Forever's Pheasant Fest in 2006. At that time they had only one size of the cover, which was too big for the crates I was using for the setters. One look at the cover and it was immediately obvious that there was nothing even remotely like it on the market.

Last fall I was doing a seminar at Sportsmen's Warehouse and ran into Bryan from Mud River and was elated to see they were making the kennel cover in multiple sizes. I immediately bought two and have been incredibly impressed. From a functionality standpoint the multiple pockets essentially provided a trainer's bag right at the kennel. I kept collars and leashes for each dog stored in the front pockets. I am notorious at not putting things back where they should be and then having them wind up misplaced. With the pockets right at the kennel doors it resulted in me going an entire season without losing a leash or searching for an e-collar.

One of the biggest selling points for me was the degree to which they insulated the crates during cold weather, but with enough ventilation to not over-heat them during warm afternoons. I had always been one who wanted a fancy dog box set-up for my truck, after a season with these covers I'll never want anything else. They turn a plastic dog box into a luxury box for the dog and hunter.

For more information about the kennel covers, dealer locations and other Mud River Products visit the Mud River Website.