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Maybe its a Generation X or Millennial thing, but suddenly it seems that every dog (including water breeds!) that I see in a boat, canoe or kayak is wearing a doggy personal flotation device.
Did I miss the memo? Did Trudeau pass a law for our own good and the good of our dogs?
Nope! Pet lovers like to protect their pals. When retrievers don't have to work so hard,they're the same as people,they can last longer on the water or in the field. Work smarter,not harder.Quote:
Originally Posted by ninepointer
My Shepard mix has a tendency to fall out of the boat when he's not paying attention (standing on the bow) he hates water and swimming so he panics when he hits the water and becomes frantic. Without a life jacket with a handle I'd have a hell of a time getting him back in the boat.
Im not sure everyone is using them with the same logic in mind though. More of a fashion statement.
My boy pretty much wore one when hunting late season and the last few years he wore it whenever we were out hunting. Much easier to get him in the boat and they add a lot of warmth in the late season, which is why I didn't put it on him in the early season when he was young. Never wore one when out fishing.
Yep, and I bet their owners are not wearing one!!! Go figure !!Quote:
Originally Posted by ninepointer
My Britt swims like an Otter and has fallen overboard a couple times. He now wears a jacket because of the handle on the back of it. You literally have to near choke them if trying to haul them up out of the water by the collar.
With the vest you yank them up and out no problem.
Those PFD,s also make it more comfortable for your pets, as they do not have to overexert themselves while swimming , and also help in keeping them warm, dogs can and do suffer from hypothermia just the same as humans, unfortunately few people have found this out too late and have shortened their pets lives.Quote:
Originally Posted by ninepointer
They also help in preventing injuries from unseen obstacles that your dog may swim into while in the water.
Not all dogs are good swimmers, while some swim very easily and are comfortable while doing so, others although they are swimming, are actually struggling and overexerting themselves.
I consider myself a fairly good swimmer. I still wear a life jacket out on the boat. The thing about accidents is they aren't very predictable...
I was a triathlete under conservative governments and wore pfd's and inflatable life jackets.
X2. I do 85% of my fishing alone. I'm never without wearing a PFD. I also use a tether extension on the motor so I can move around the boat without unhooking.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cass
I can see in cold and partly frozen water where they would be beneficial to help keep body heat it in the blind or boat. Or in big, rough water. I have my upland dogs wearing chest protection. Still, having had, and hunted with black labs most of my life I would also say that a PFD would likely only really slow them down and make them more tired from the extra drag they cause in the water when the dog is swimming.
A lot of energy in swimming is put towards staying afloat. By adding lift a vest means that more energy is in propelling the dog forward and there is less dog in the water which cuts "drag" more than the vest may add to it.
I hadn't thought of it that way. I just remember my labs wanting to swim beside the canoe rather than be inside of it when we crossed the lake to get to my cabin. They really motored! HahaQuote:
Originally Posted by kickingfrog
Very well stated!Quote:
Originally Posted by kickingfrog
With that extra buoyancy that the vest provides, it is easier for your dog to swim and also aides in his vision of the downed duck as he/she is higher out of the water and is able to see farther.
Have you ever seen some retrievers swimming with theirs eyes and noses just barely out of the water, it makes for difficult swimming for them as they are inhaling a lot of water , this is especially hard on them in cold temperatures, a vest which adds buoyancy helps these dogs a lot.
Is it because they were never taught to be comfortable in a canoe ??, that has happened to many dogs.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff Kavanagh
No, they were great in a canoe or boat or blind. Nice a quiet and calm. Every lab I've had has just always chose the water crossing at the lake there. In rough water or very cold I'd bring them across in the canoe. My setters want to stay in the canoe. They don't like the water much more than getting their feet wet.Quote:
Originally Posted by jaycee
I wish I had thought of a vest a couple years ago. I had a setter that insisted on swimming across the lake at 12 years of age - 1/2 a mile?- My heart was in my throat the whole time.Quote:
Originally Posted by kickingfrog
I actually have an excellent neoprene vest with floater strips down the sides. The first time Burly swam with it on, she hit the water hard as always, was swimming hard...then I saw the moment she realized the vest was helping keep her high in the water, and her ear set changed. The swimming strokes almost had a "hey, wow!" look to them as she visibly swam just as fast but wasn't working so hard. It was a great investment
Responsible pet owners.Quote:
Originally Posted by ninepointer
So are we talking about camo neoprene hunting vests here or the actual pfd floating devise vests that are fluorescent in colour with a hi-vis strip on them???
Take your pick. It all depends on what you and your pal happen to be doing at the time. There's neoprene full camo for waterfowlers and day-glo-hi-viz for general messin' around or hunter orange with reflector strips for hunting hounds.There's a wide variety of both types.Quote:
Originally Posted by duckslayer
Here's the best one I've been able to find.
https://www.cabelas.ca/product/69636...flotation-vest