Canine Lifejackets...?
 

Does anybody know if any of the dog lifejackets actually work?

I have a small Lab and she loves boating, I am worried if she goes overboard and ends up unconcious will a dog lifejacket keep her "upright"? I realize dogs can swim so under ideal situations they don't need a lifejacket, but where we boat there are a number of extreme factors like weather, tides etc..... it could be possible for her to go over and hit something or be hit......basically wondering if a jacket is worth it or not?

Thanks for any input. :)

My jack russell freaks when he hits the water and the jacket seems to keep him level if nothing else the handle on the back helps me pick him back out of the water easier

Your right, the handle is a big bonus.....when your dog is in the water with the jacket do you see that it keeps him/her, head up? What I worry about is the dog getting thrown out and hitting something on the way out and going unconcious and then the lifejacket holding them "face down" or similar?

problem is you can't get a dog to sit still in the water. the swimming motion is instinctive. find a dead dog the right size and put it in your life jacket and do a float test...

They do seem to float but like he said they don't stay still so it's hard to tell

find a dead dog and do a float test,did u really say that,are u kidding?

FD III, I've had labs as long as I've had my Donzi. Mine have followed me and my daughter into the water from beaches, bulkheads, boat decks and flying bridges. One, Ellie, would jump out of a moving boat if she felt she could swim faster. Because of the wet slippery conditions, and their excitement, I've seen them crash into everything imaginable on their way down and have NEVER seen one knocked out, or even rattled a litlle for that matter. The handle may help getting them out, but it's easier to grab them by the scruff, dunk them a foot or so under, and time your yank up with their pull for the surface. They almost fly out of the water back into the boat(18'Donzi, 17'Whaler)Both my labs weigh(ed) over 85lbs. Maybe carry a vest for the most brutal conditions, but I'd let them do their thing for the most part.

You make a good point, my pup is about 10 months now and loves the boat but has not been on it a lot so still learning, I agree with you it is probably best to let her be and have the jacket when/if conditions get snotty.........

The only reason I brought this up was a family friend told me a story about his golden retreiver, he was approaching the family dock at his summer place on the lake, the dog got excited as they neared the dock and the dog jumped off as he was docking the boat, the dog missed the dock and fell between the boat and the dock, he thinks when his boat came up against the dock he ran the dog over, it panicked and went under the dock, the style of dock was such that there is no gap between the flotation and the water, the dog drowned......not sure if a jacket would have helped in that situation but it got me thinking, thanks for the input.

actually i was. i have had dogs longer than i have been boating. now i have a pair of yorkies. never thought i would become a small dog person, but i love them to death. i am a little worried about them on the boat...

One more trick for your lab...
Bring a golf ball to a fairly calm beach and slowly work the game of fetch to deeper water. Your dog will quickly learn to swim under water with it's eyes open, especialy if you join it down there.

We have a life jacket for our lab/great dane he weighs 115 lbs. He has all the lab water qualities including teh webbed feet, oily skin, and the love to swim. Our issue was he loves to swim so much he gets tired and will not go to shore. In a fear he might drown, we purchased a life vest from Petsmart and he loves it. It keeps him upright and lets him take a break when he needs it.