Dog Life Jacket ?

southerngirl

southerngirl

Honored Member
I've been thinking about getting Missy a life jacket because this summer I want to take her to the lake and waterfalls with me and the family, also we plan on camping a at a waterfall with Missy. She has only been in water deep enough to swim once and she got tired quickly cause she never really swam before. I would like to be able to go out further and stay in longer instead of going back to where she can touch every few minuets. Should I get her one? Has anyone else gotten a life jacket for there dog? If so do you like it, does your dog like it, does it work?
 
Tâmara Vaz

Tâmara Vaz

Experienced Member

This is a human-child life jacket... I used just on the first times in the pool and in the beach , but my dog didn't liked it... The mobility wasn't good(maybe because it was for human!). I let her without it: when she is tired she leaves the pool or sea relax then go back.....
 
tigerlily46514

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
i bought one, i loved it.

Buddy did not quite "love" it the way i love it, but, he wears it just fine. Because he only wears it in deep water (my dog is lousy swimmer, and we live by a lake) he sort of has to be re-introduced to it, each summer.

Because i was so afraid he'd drown, (he was very weak the first year we had him)
and because we were not quite as broke then as we are now, i did shell out some dollars for it.
It wasn't crazy expensive, but, it was good life jacket. Had a handle on the back,
really made getting Buddy into boat easier, (before my guy built an entire doggie boat ramp for Buddy).
 
southerngirl

southerngirl

Honored Member
Thanks Tamara and tigerlily.
And tigerlily how long have you had the life jacket, what brand is it and do you use it a lot? I'm just curious to how long it will last I don't want to get one and have it last for only a 1year or so. How did you introduce it to Buddy?
when she is tired she leaves the pool or sea relax then go back.....
Click to expand...
Tamara that is a really cute picture of her. Problem is when Missy gets tired I have to get out to cause she has to be leashed(leash law and she doesn't have a reliable recall, I'm working on it) that's why I'm considering getting one cause getting out every few minuets is annoying.

I don't have a lot of money cause I don't have a job yet:( so I really want to make sure I should get one they're about $30 including tax I only have $60. Once when I was swimming with her she was tired and started pawing at me scratching and making me go under the water so that's another reason why I'm considering getting one.
Also could someone give me some points to why a dog should have a life jacket so that if I get one my mom will see that I'm not wasting my money that Missy actually needs it to be safe and to be able to enjoy the water.
 
tigerlily46514

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
//And tigerlily how long have you had the life jacket, what brand is it and do you use it a lot? I'm just curious to how long it will last I don't want to get one and have it last for only a 1year or so. //

Off the top of my head, i can't quite recall the brand i got. Tomorrow, i will go out to the boat and look at it to see. I've had it since spring of 2009, so almost 3 years, and it still looks like new. Buddy does wear it several times each month in the summer.
the one i got, looks a lot like the one Dogster has, might be exact same one. It seems very well made, and i expect it to last for Buddy's whole life, really.

For extra bargain price, once you pick out which one you like,
you *might* consider looking for that exact one, IN THE CORRECT SIZE, on Ebay or Amazon, and buy only from a seller who has great rating, and has been a seller there for a long time, too. But check their return policy, too, in case you don't like it or get wrong size...

IT'S VIP YOU MEASURE YOUR DOG by the manufacturer's website. Each brand has their own lil sizing charts to know what size to buy for your dog, after you measure your dog.

On mine, one of the velcro straps was a tad too long so i cut it shorter,
and i worried the sharp corner of a velcro strip could poke my dog, so i trimmed all the corners of the strips to be rounded. and other than that,
i loved the whole thing.


//How did you introduce it to Buddy?//

I gave him treats AND PRAISE for wearing it. :D I kept his first times wearing it, (in the house) VERY brief. My dog is usually a pretty tolerant lil creature, even lets me put halloween costumes on him, cut his toenails, etc. He didn't strongly object to it, he just didn't love it. It was not too hard to get him to wear it.

HOwever, in the lake itself,
his jacket is last thing on his mind. :ROFLMAO: He is way too busy swimming and looking at everything, too much to even realize he has on his life jacket.:ROFLMAO: I don't think it is that hard to get a dog to wear his life jacket.....but, i guess, each dog is unique.





OH, i got one jacket prior to getting a 'good' one, which i did NOT like at all. It was a white foam rubber half-life vest, which looked great in the photo, but did not fit my dog even though i measured it correctly, it rubbed his arms, severely restricted his arm movement,
and i was not impressed with it at all.
here is the one i got that i did NOT like:
http://pooltoy.com/whfodoglive.html



Tomorrow, i will find his jacket in the boat, and tell you what brand i got, i did love it.
 
tigerlily46514

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
Here is an old old thread, on when i was in your exact shoes, Southern Girl, wondering which jacket to buy. I was looking at it, to see if i ever did post which jacket i had bought, but, doesn't look like i did...

but, there are some nice links from other members on that thread:
http://www.dogtrickacademy.com/members/forums/threads/dog-life-jackets.2476/

lol, i'd forgotten how much Buddy did NOT like the lake at first!!:ROFLMAO:
 
tigerlily46514

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
LOOKS LIKE GOOD VEST, SGIRL!!
I think that is the one i got, but, i'm not sure. I might have bought the "Ruff Wear" life jacket...i have not looked at Buddy's life vest in over half a year now...

wow, i don't know where that company wants you to measure the dogs "girth"??:ROFLMAO: Would that be the widest part of the dog's chest? (not sure).

here is another site, with slightly more info,
but still does not say where the "girth" is...

http://www.petco.com/product/103848/Paws-Aboard-Doggy-Life-Jacket-in-Yellow.aspx#description-tab

PawsAboard products are sold on many various websites, as well as Ebay, so you *might* be able to snag a good price somewhere!


this seller seems to have 99% good rating, offers 14 day return,
and is selling what look like nice "Guardian Gear" doggie vests for $11, any size. One of many Ebay deals....
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ANY-SIZE-AQUATIC-PET-PRESERVER-DOG-LIFE-JACKET-VEST-/350561036159?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item519f10e77f#ht_5634wt_902
 
southerngirl

southerngirl

Honored Member
I'm either getting the Paws aboard life jacket http://www.ebay.com/itm/Paws-Aboard-Pink-Blue-Dot-Dog-Life-Safety-Jacket-Vests-/360278239110?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item53e241a786#ht_2335wt_1270

http://www.petsolutions.com/C/Dog-Play-Time/I/PetSavers-Dog-Life-Jackets.aspx?pID=PetSavers Dog Life Jackets - Pink Large&utm_source=Froogle&utm_medium=comparison&tum_term=10605272&utm_campain=PetSavers Dog Life Jackets - Pink Large&gclid=CLaoqLWt4K8CFUSR7QodbjVDOg I think she needs a medium, not sure. the sizing chart is at the bottom. What do you guys think? I'm getting one of the brands, might not get it form those sites.
35pounds
length 21inches
Girth behind front legs 26inch.
in front of back legs 22inch.
neck 15
 
tigerlily46514

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
SCORE!!! FOR ONLY $14!!!!!! YESssssssss!! AND from a great-rated seller, too!
even with $6 shipping, it's lower than your first link, right?

seems a good deal, do check the return policy for that seller, too. LOoks like that seller has a 30 day return, cool, but do read it all carefully.

but, those top Ebay sellers do seem to work hard to get great scores...many of them do not want anyone lowering their "score" by being unhappy customers.

btw, if you don't have a Paypal account yet, or if your mom or whoever doesn't,
that is nice way to pay for stuff online, way way safer,
and Paypal also has a dispute thing, as well, which is nice.
so does Ebay, btw.
 
tigerlily46514

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
Re: the sizing....you can always contact the seller, too, for her sizing chart, or ask her to measure the thing. (?) Sellers tend to get right back to potential buyers.

see, i am not sure if the Petsaver brand sizing chart you linked there, would be same for a PawAboard life jacket?? i think, possibly, some brands may use different criteria for "medium" or "small" and so on??? not sure, really.

GOOD LUCK, hope you get what you want!!
 
Dogster

Dogster

Honored Member
I'm not sure.:unsure: I went to Ren's when they had a summer sale (:p) and got her life jacket. We tried them on her, so we didn't need a sizing chart. But I think Missy would be a medium or even large in the paws Aboard Life Jackets.:)
 
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