Photo by Lands' End

Alternative to what, you ask? We have a canvas tote from Wagwear that I reviewed in August 2009. It’s still available, it’s still an admirable product, and it now comes in a third size (XL, measuring 15Hx17Lx8W). It’s still pricey, too, so I was happy to see a canvas pet tote on the Lands’ End site yesterday.

The Canvas Tote Pet Carrier comes in a limited set of colors — off-white canvas with either red or navy trim — and only one size. It measures 12.5Hx16.5Lx8W, so it’s comparable in size to the large Wagwear tote we already own. That fits Chloe well, so I expect that the Land’s End tote would also fit a pup in the 13-15 lb. range. Like the Wagwear tote, it has a zippered top, a cut-out for your dog’s head, a small side pocket, and an internal tether to clip onto your dog’s harness. It has the advantage, however, of having a fleece pad in the bottom, attached with Velcro and removable for washing. And the price is good: $50 (though this tote too can only be spot-cleaned, like the Wagwear tote and the other Lands’ End totes).

I haven’t seen or held the Lands’ End pet tote, so take this post with a grain of salt. I do own several of the company’s other canvas totes, and they’re splendid. It’s a little goofy that a pet carrier can only be spot cleaned, but the fleece insert can certainly be washed, and in my experience, the Lands’ End totes resist dirt — and respond to spot cleaning — pretty well.