A dog life jackets is a piece of equipment that people purchases to help a dog to remain afloat in the water. Many people purchases dog life jackets based off color and price, but the fit of the dog life jacket are the most important aspect of the purchase. If the dog life jacket is too loose, it will permit the dog to rotate and spin until the dog is lying on its back.
If the dog life jacket is too tight, the life jacket will pinch the dog and cause it to become panic. A properly fitted dog life jacket allow a dog to remain above the water and for the dog’s legs to function normaly. In order to measure a dog for a life jacket, you must first determine the weight of the dog.
How to Choose and Fit a Dog Life Jacket
A veterinary office scale or the dog’s home can be used to find the weight of the dog. After weighing the dog, the chest girth of the dog must be measured. To measure the chest girth, a measuring tape are placed around the dog’s widest part of its chest, which is located behind the dog’s front legs.
The chest girth ensures that the dog life jacket remain on the dog during activity. The body length of the dog should also be measured from the dog’s neck to its tail to ensure that the dog life jacket does not limit the movement of the dog’s hips. Finally, you should measure the neck of the dog to ensure that the life jacket does not gap open or choke the dog while afloat.
In addition to the weight of the dog, the body shape of the dog is also an important consideration. For instance, a boxer dog may have a much wider chest than a dog of the same weight. Conversely, a greyhound may be of the same weight as a boxer dog but have a much more slimmer body and require a different sized life jacket.
Therefore, the measurements of the dog are more important than the weight of the dog alone. A dog life jacket should fit snugly against the body of the dog but not too tight as to cause discomfort; it should also have a handle high on the dog’s back so that the owner can lift the dog out of the water. A good dog life jacket will have certain safety feature.
For instance, it should have a handle that allows the owner to lift the dog out of the water. Reflective strip will allow the dog to be seen at night or in low light. The dog life jacket should have D-rings where a leash can be attached to the dog.
Additionally, the dog life jacket should use closed-cell foam so the life jacket remains buoyant and the buoyancy will not fail if the life jacket is punctured. Finally, the dog life jacket should use a dual-closure, such as a zipper and velcro strap, so that the dog life jacket will not come off of the dog when in use. Some common mistakes with dog life jackets include choosing a life jacket for the dog that is a dark color, which makes it more difficult to spot while in the water.
Many individual guess the size of the dog rather than using a measuring tape to take the measurements of the dog. Many dogs also wear life jackets with worn foam, which does not offer the same buoyancy as new foam. Finally, individuals often forget to acclimated the dog to the dog life jacket, which may startle the dog when in the water due to the added weight of the life jacket.
Depending upon the activity that is to be performed with the dog, different types of dog life jackets may be required. For instance, if the dog will be used on a boat, a rugged life jacket that the Coast Guard rates is a must. For kayaking activities, however, the life jacket should have a slim profile so that it does not catch on the kayakers paddle.
For activities where a senior dog is to be used, an extra buoyancy life jacket for the belly of the dog may be required. Finally, you should rinse the life jacket after each use of the life jacket with water and allowed to air-dry in the shade to ensure the life jacket will last between two to three year.
