RETRIEVING AUSTRALIA FORUM

Hi all!

Just wondering if someone out there has had any experience with neoprene vests? I am thinking of buying one but recently tried one on my dog and it was a pretty ordinary fit (to say the least!)

From anecdotal evidence, they are well worth using so I'm keen to buy one. Now if only I can find one that fits my dog....

Teresa

I use them quite a bit and have for years. Our water doesn't get much above 10 degrees C (50 F) in the summer. I didn't know Victoria water temperatures would get low enough to need a vest.

Generally, I wind up buying several out of catalogs (favorite is Cabelas) before I get one that fits fairly well. Sometimes you have to trim the arm holes as they can rub the fur off a dog if they rub against him when he walks or runs. You'll have to trim around the male parts on some of them too. I just bought a 5mm thick one size L from Cabelas that fits my 10 month old 22 inch high (~56 cm) 55 lb. (25 kg.) lab bitch. I'm going to buy the XL for my 23 inch (~58 cm) 67 lb. (30.5 kg.) lab male.

If you buy from somewhere else those sizes won't mean much as they vary one heck of a lot. They all probably come from China anyway.

I don't like the 3 mm ones to much as the dogs tear them up pretty fast. As if the thicker ones lasted much longer.

Hi Theresa,

We bought some vests at the end of last winter from http://www.dogsafield.com and have just used them on Tike and Ski and they fit well. We didn't have to do any trimming on them at all. To give you some idea of the sizes
Ski - L
Swampy and Tag - XL
Tike and Levi - XXL

I don't know how the others have gone fitting wise but our guys fits ok.

After rolling around trying to rub it off Ski has adapted well and no problems with Tike at all.

Cheers

Kate

What are these vests designed to do and how are they used? Yes, I realise that the dog wears them! I am after a little more detail.

Thanks, Diane.

Hi Diane

Here is a picture of one. They are designed to keep a dog warm (for repeative work in water or in cold conditions), provide a little extra buoyancy (again for repeative work in water or long swims) and provide camouflage in a hunting situation.

There seems to be several different brands. Does anyone have any good or bad experiences to share? I was looking at the Avery ones (the picture came from their website - http://www.averyoutdoors.com).

Cheers, Jason.

Hu Diane,

The vets are used to keep the dog warm, especially during extended winter time water sessions. Dogs like people dog not think well when they are very cold and if you push the boundaries too far your dog may develop a bad attitiude towards its water work. In effect the vest acts much like the wet suits used by surfers, water skiers and is aimed at maintaining dog's core temperature.
BFN, RWT

Hi everyone,
Has anyone used the vests on longer coat dogs like Golden's, or are they mainly designed for the shorter coat dogs. Also would the dog get to hot if doing extended water work in a vest?
Regards Brian Kennedy

I bought an Avery XXL for my male Golden Retriever as I found doing extensive water work in the Canberra winter to try and correct a bank running problem caused him to get cold and then I had to throw fun dummies on land to get him warm again. If I am going to travel to a suitable body of water to correct a problem I want to get more than 15 min of training out of it before he gets cold and loses the plot.

I found I needed an XXL for the chest and neck to fit but needed to do a bit of taking in down the sides as my goldie is not as round in the body as the lab. Even though it is not a firm fit round the body, it still insulates and allows the extension of a training session plus adds bouyancy which again means being able to swim (train) for longer.

I am more than pleased with how it has extended water training sessions and keeping the dog comfortable.

Laraine

You want a snug but not too tight fit. Tailor the vest accordingly.

Dianne,

I have had a vest for quite sometime now and infact had my dog in one at the SA championship last year. He loves the water and in the summer will swim for 20 minutes or more just for something to do. I think part of this comes from the fact the water has never been physically too uncomfortable for him as he wears a vest whenever the water is cold or he will be left in the wind when he is wet. He now looks to put the vest on when I get it out. It is amazing how dry and warm they keep the dogs.

I have found that you vary the use of the vest depending on what you are doing. I leave it on if most work is in the water but if we are doing a land only run the I take it off while he is running then put it back on when finished and the weather is inclement. The cheapest way to buy one is over the internet from somewhere like dogs a field. Try to get a couple of others to buy at the same time as the freight costs dont change much from one to 4 vests.

To me, especially for the breeds that feel the cold and those that train in realy cold climate like Tassie, they are a must.

Gareth