Living in the San Francisco Bay Area means that winter and spring are often quite rainy! And since this has been the first rainy season with my dog, Spruce (whom I adopted from Oakland Animal Services last June), I've had to learn all about how to take care of a 60lb toddler while keeping my house and car clean.

Read on for 3 of my favorite products and wet weather must-haves!

1. Kurgo Halifax Rain Shell

The Halifax Rain Shell was my first wet weather purchase when I started walking Spruce in the rain, and it's worked out incredibly well. Because Pitbulls like Spruce have very short fur, they can get cold easily. When it's both wet and cold outside, it is important to keep him warm and dry so that he's safe.

This jacket has a heavy-duty outer layer that is covered with a waterproof coating and can withstand all kinds of weather, not just rain and drizzle. Its mesh inner layer keeps him warm and comfortable as well. Now for my favorite feature...I love the little collar that pops up to keep his neck dry—it kind of makes him look like a doggy vampire!

The other morning, I went to let Spruce out to the front yard, and he stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed that it was raining. He literally waited until I put his Foul Weather Jacket on before he would venture out! That's a good enough endorsement for me!

One of the jacket’s most notable features is its sturdiness. It stays in place and still covers Spruce, even when he romps in the mud and puddles on playdates with his dog pal, Ozzy. The zipper on the top is also perfectly placed so that you can attach any leash to your pup’s harness underneath the jacket.

2. Kurgo Heather Hammock

Now, I have no idea what took me so long to get rid of the towel-on-the-backseat approach to transporting my dog, but I am so happy that I did! Spruce and I finally have something that works and looks great.

My new Heather Hammock stays in place thanks to the straps that fit around all 4 headrests. I was surprised to see that it fits my Subaru perfectly; it actually covers the entire seat right up to the edge.

It also works well with the Direct to Seat Belt Tether, which attaches to Spruce's Journey Air Dog Harness and keeps him from jumping up into the front seat—he feels like he needs to be literally on top of us 100% of the time! A few years ago I was rear-ended (and my car was nearly totaled) by someone who was distracted by his dog jumping into the front seat, so this is really important to me.

I love the fact that you can also use it as a half hammock (there's a partial zipper in the middle) so that you can accommodate a person in the back seat, or so your dog can use the foot space to jump up into the car.

Spruce seems to enjoy the feel of the hammock and I love that the fabric stays in place, is thick enough to stand up to his talons, and can easily be wiped off when dirty (though it's machine washable if needed), as opposed to the towel that I used to wash constantly.

3. Kurgo Mud Dog Travel Shower

Now this is my favorite little invention! I hike in the woods every day with Spruce, so even on dry days his paws get quite dirty just from running around on the trails. The Mud Dog Travel Shower has been the quickest and simplest way to clean off his paws, or even to give him a full bath. The best part? It's so small and portable that you can bring it with you in the car or on adventures as well.

The creative design allows you to just twist the nozzle on to any standard plastic bottle and shower away! I like to use a larger plastic bottle for full on dog showers, and a smaller, portable one to just clean off his paws. It’s such an easy and creative solution.

Save this article as a reminder on how to get through the wet weather seasons easily with your pup!