Dog life jackets

sarabande

sarabande

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My dogs' real owner (daughter away at university) has taken me severely to task for taking her dogs sailing and not kitting them out with a lifejacket each.


So, as practical risk mitigation, and to ensure that offspring talks to me again, what's the forum's experience please ?

Mr Ebay has many different types, but they look almost simple enough to make up as a DIY project.

Any suggestions or comments, please ?

Oh, if anyone has a medium / large one for sale.....:)
 
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I bought a dog life jacket for my Rottweiler but I had to send it back because was to too flimsy. I finally found a good one (cant remember the make; its on the boat at present) it is very strong with a good handle on top; it was more expensive but so much better. So it does worth spending the extra money.
Rottweilers don't like the water, actually they sink like a lead weight.
 
Our dogs hated sailing & skidded all over the place when the boat heeled. Don't assume that all dogs enjoy what you do. taking them for "Exercise" can be a problem & a wet dog takes a long time to dry - and smells a lot while drying!

In our case, the dogs definitely preferred to stay with Nan & Grandad for extra fussing & walks to going on the boat. We missed them, but enjoyed the freedom & Nan & Grandad enjoyed the company. A far better solution for all concerned.
 
We opted for the crewsaver version for our labarador. She is a lightweight field dog Labrador type build and this copes fine with her frame
She tends not to lie down in it and permanently sits/ stands as the straps go round her tummy. Would be glad to have it on her if recovering fro the water as hauling her in without could damage her a good grab strap runs across the jacket. The only downside is it tends to catch as she catapults her way on board under the guard rail. It is easier to have removed it before this operation. You can get various sizes and it is best to have the dog with you to size up IMHO.
 
Our dog, collie springer cross, goes sailing when we do, he is more interested in the places we visit than the process of getting there but the highlight for him is going ashore in the dinghy, particularly if I row. He and my wife are not that keen on beating in strong winds and tend to cuddle up together on the cockpit coaming when it is rough. We do not let him go below when sailing as he threw up in a pilot berth once, he is never sick when on deck but has looked a bit miserable when it is bouncy, another thing he shares with my wife.
He wears a Baltic lifejacket with a stong handle on the back, which he has had since he was a pup, he is a much stronger swimmer than me, but really awkward to get hold off when you try to recover him under way, so the handle is the vital part, though the orange flotation makes him more visible and does keep him a bit warmer when it is really wet.
 
we use this modell from Baltic, has lifting handle and D-rings for attaching a safty line,

DSC00868.jpg
 
We've used crewsavers for our golden retriever (now sadly deceased, 24 hours after her last trip from Fowey to Plymouth) and for our old English sheepdog. no problems at all. certainly never stopped either of them from sleeping!
 
CaptainBob said:
We use the "Up Buoy" one. Seems good. Here's Lunar in hers.

I don't honestly think the buoyancy helps all that much, she still floats very low in the water, but it makes her much more visible and the handle makes it very easy to retrieve her when she's fallen in. Which does happen.

They're for sale on here:

http://www.buy1or2.com/classic/index.html

And eBay I believe.
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I tailor made one for my dog similar to this one. I was surprised to see most of the bought ones have all the flotation on the dogs back and in a lot of cases does nothing at all. In my case the flotation is down the dogs side and around the neck and is under the water when he swims. He enjoys test runs. He is also a good swimmer anyway. The important points are lifting handle, high vis colour and I reckon some reflective tape might help.
 
My dog's real owner (daughter away at university) has taken me severely to task for taking her dogs sailing and not kitting them out with a lifejacket each.

Any suggestions or comments, please ?
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As I recall, there's a school of management that cleeves to the view "Don't bring me problems. Bring me solutions...."

And as I further recall, the dogs are fine. They're no trouble - except when cadging biscuits, just like the local waterborne ModPlods. She's raised her concerns about it. It's her problem. Insist she takes ownership of it; that she comes up with an effective answer that meets her need - and provides it.....

As for her not talking to you until she gets her way, that's 'Three-year-old' stuff. Some of us are made of sterner stuff. She'll be back when she wants something else....

Oh, I nearly forgot. You bought her that cutesy little designer hand axe. Be afraid - be very afraid......!

:D
 
sarabande said:
My dogs' real owner (daughter away at university) has taken me severely to task for taking her dogs sailing and not kitting them out with a lifejacket each.


So, as practical risk mitigation, and to ensure that offspring talks to me again, what's the forum's experience please ?

Mr Ebay has many different types, but they look almost simple enough to make up as a DIY project.

Any suggestions or comments, please ?

Oh, if anyone has a medium / large one for sale.....:)
Click to expand...

I vote for the Crewsaver, mind you I took the lifejacket and my dog (chester) into the factory and had the jacket adjusted by Crewsaver as the straps didn't fit him as well as they could have. They were very helpful and have used their brand ever since.
 
sarabande said:
now there's an idea ! Any pics of your version please ?
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Ignore the sullen look, he just hates cameras. Took this shot this morning. This afternoon I stitched another strip of flotation above the blue bit along his flanks. The side flotation is a section of pool noodle split down the centre. Around his neck and over his chest is closed cell foam about 20mm thick. No flotation over the back and I will be sewing on another longer handle flat down the centre.

100_0902.jpg
 
Lilly, the devildog, has two lifejackets. One is a crewsaver which cost about £30+. The other looks like the Up-Bouy one above. It cost less than £7 from a shop in Barnstaple that sells cheap junk for the beach, Lilos, beachballs, buckets and spades. As said above, (1)the handle and (2)bright colour are important. I would add (3)good support under the chest/tummy area. The crewsaver is maroon and has just two straps under the body. The handle also goes across the body so most of the dogs weight goes across her chest. The cheap one is bright orange with loads of support and a handle along the back.
Allan
 
benw said:
We opted for the crewsaver version for our labarador. She is a lightweight field dog Labrador type build and this copes fine with her frame.
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You and all the others have all aboard here rolling around on the deck laughing at the silliness. Dogs can swim - most of them very, very well. Your behaviours are all much like putting lifejackets on ducks.

Have you ever looked at your Labrador's paws, they are built for swimming and the breed is widely used for retrieving shot gamebirds from the water. Report back here to tell us all what you find between her toes.

Some examples of dogs on board -

Our own on board watch dog (we cruise to some worrying places) is a bull terrier/Australian Cattle dog cross. Bred for hunting and watch, not for swimming at all and not a big dog but can happily swim a mile or two with enjoyment. If we take him ashore and we walk along the beach he will run out and swim along parallel to the shore rather than walk.

Saw a boat in one anchorage with a Labrador living on board and every day the owner took it in his dinghy a ways from the boat and the Lab would jump over the side and swim around after the dinghy for half an hour for exercise.

A big breed dog (can't remember the breed) living on a power boat and every day the owner would sit a couple of hundred yards off the shore and throw the dog over the side and motor off a mile or so along the coast. The dog would swim ashore run along the shore and swim out to the boat again thinking all great fun.

Frankly, none of us have ever seen a lifejacket on a boat dog - you are all suckers to the dog lifejacket salesmen or to your lack of dog knowledge. Perhaps you are all treating them like little humans dressing them up in human gear that they don't need.

If at sea and our dog is on deck in rough weather he just has a harness (and our persian cat the same).
 
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