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Duo designs slick canine covers Mail Tribune / Jim Craven photo Andrew Lotz, 2, plays with his best friend, Jackson, who sports a K9 Top Coat made by Lotz� parents, June and Richard of Phoenix. The comfy, breathable suits help control shedding and keep dogs from licking or biting at healing wounds. Love your pet but hate the hair? There�s a solution By Mark Freeman PHOENIX � When Ashley the sun-worshipping whippet developed skin cancer, Pamela Courtney thought the days of her skinny, greyhound-like dog lapping up the rays were over. "Whippets love the sun," says Courtney, of suburban Sacramento. "But her doctor said she couldn�t go out without sunblock and a T-shirt on." Little Ashley now lies belly-up and cream-less in the bright sky thanks to a full-body suit of Lycra, crafted in comfort and chicness just for canines. "She likes it just fine," Courtney says. "She looks so cute, like she�s wearing a little Speedo." Courtney is just one of many dog owners who are trying a new animal bodysuit developed by a rural Phoenix couple who have turned to the garb of cyclists and gymnasts to cure headaches caused by the hair of the dog. June and Richard Lotz have found worldwide interest in their K9 Top Coats, which they admit is a weird yet lucrative twist to the nothing-is-too-good-for-my-dog crowd. "Lycra on dogs is a fun thing," June Lotz says. "At first, it�s something that makes you smile � having your dog in a Lycra bodysuit. But then you realize it�s so practical." The stretchy Lycra suits with Velcro straps and heavy zippers have been on the market only five months, but already they have proven that the "Friends Don�t Let Friends Wear Lycra" mantra apparently doesn�t translate for man�s best friend. The suits, which come in five colors and run $57.50 to $67.50, are in high demand from people looking to curb shedding, keep quaffed coats clean and keep dogs from licking or biting at healing wounds. And, of course, looking to keep sun-sensitive whippets healthy. "The last thing on our mind was developing a garment for a cancer-stricken whippet,�� June Lotz says. "But it�s nice to have a variety of uses for this suit.�� The suit is the product of a personal dilemma last spring when the Lotzes had to choose between their young son, Andrew, and their three family dogs � two German shepherds and a white lab. "We had so much hair in the house that we were vacuuming every day or making the dogs stay out,�� Richard Lotz says. "We didn�t want our 2-year-old ending up with a mouthful of dog hair." They have a Lycra hood for their horse, and they theorized that a similar full-body suit would be just the ticket for keeping the hair on the dog. They sketched designs, talked to other dog owners about their idea, and then contacted Ron Supat, a Lycra sportswear designer in Central California, with their ideas. The Lotzes field-tested their various prototypes on their shepherds, Kody and Jack, as well as dogs from friends, neighbors, even an animal shelter. The suits fit over a dog�s head, then the feet are inserted into sleeves. A zipper holds it tight to the belly, and Velcro straps keep it secure around the leads, neck and abdomen. Enough room is cut out the back for a dog to wag its tail and do its business without soiling the suit. The fabric is machine-washable and rip-resistant. The lightweight material does not appear to overheat the dogs and seems comfortable enough that dogs don�t resist wearing the suits, they say. The Lotzes debuted their garrments at a Portland dog show and have had dog owners panting ever since. Now, orders fly in from around the globe through the K9 Top Coats Web site. "It�s amazing to us,�" June Lotz says. "We went in one year from having an idea in our heads to selling suits worldwide." The suits come in 15 sizes and in five colors, including a yellow pastel. They are made in California, with orders filled at the Lotzes� hous, shipped through a Talent mailing address. Richard Lotz, a nurse- practitioner in Medford, has yet to quit his day job. But enough interest has developed that the couple believes the K9 Top Coats has the chance to become something big. They already have made a believer in dog owners like Courtney, whose 9-year-old Ashley looks as good in her red Lycra as she feels. "I was so pleased to have something that looks good on her, " Courtney says, "instead of an old T-shirt." Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA