Dog Vest

[JaKeY1023m]

I have 2 yellow labs and i've been looking around some for a hunting vest for them and i was wondering what would be the best vest for the money.
Thank You For Reading.

[ezzy333]

Jakey, Welcome to our board. Just wanted to let you know there is no advantage in posting the same post in different forums or under different names. When you do that you knock someone elses post off of the page that comes up when you click on "unread posts".

As far as an answer to your question I have never used a vest on a dog and find no need of one for upland work. I do think some people use them successfully in cold cold water retrieving, but they would have to tell you if they have found some better than others. But for working in the fileds about all they do is rub and irratate the skin somewhere so that normally the dog is going to be a lot more comfortable without one.

Ezzy

[dmadis8]

I have an Avery vest that I put on my golden when duck hunting in cold water. The key is to trim the areas around the legs so the chaffing is kept to a minimum. A lot of people use different types of vests depending on where they are hunting. Some dont like the zipper on the Avery vest in case the dog gets caught on a snag, so they use one with only velcro so it can rip right off. I dont hunt where there are a lot of snags and I keep my dog away from the snags that are there. Also keep in mind that the dog will still get cold even with a vest on so a warm dry place out of the wind will be your biggest asset when hunting cold water. There was a post that i read on another forum where a guy almost lost his dog due to hypothermia on a fairly warm day, but the dog was in the water all day.

[wems2371]

I've had 2 Redhead brand neoprene vests so far...as my dog grew. They are easy to custom fit the leg/neck holes with scissors (as are most neoprene vests) and have both of mine have zipper and velcro. Both have flotation pockets and a grab tab. I think Cabelas is one place that sells them, and I think I have read some reviews about zipper issues. I got both of mine off of Ebay for less than $10, in like new condition, because the zipper pull was missing. I ran to Walmart and bought a cheap plastic zipper , cut the pull off, and slid it on the vest zipper. Vests were "new" again for 1/2 the price of new. So whatever brand you decide on, you might want to check Ebay out.

[Rick Hall]

We've enjoyed good service from both Avery and Cabela's vests, but much prefer the Cabela's wide velcro fastener to zippers. In addition to the safety issue that's been mentioned, it affords a good measure of adjustability for proper fit, and I find it easier to deal with when my hands are cold. Have also found that the "armored" version offers more protection than looking at its thin mesh might suggest, as six or eight holes have been punched partially (but not completely) through the big dogs' current vest's neoprene above the "armored" portion, but there's not a mark on the normally much more susceptable to injury lower portion that is "armored".

[JaKeY1023m]

Jakey, Welcome to our board. Just wanted to let you know there is no advantage in posting the same post in different forums or under different names. When you do that you knock someone elses post off of the page that comes up when you click on "unread posts".

As far as an answer to your question I have never used a vest on a dog and find no need of one for upland work. I do think some people use them successfully in cold cold water retrieving, but they would have to tell you if they have found some better than others. But for working in the fileds about all they do is rub and irratate the skin somewhere so that normally the dog is going to be a lot more comfortable without one.

Ezzy

I wasnt sure which main topic to put it in so i put it in both. i would be having the dogs in cold water.

[Jmackk]

Well Im looking for a vest for my lab, and I have always used the "mesh" nylon one for hunting in the desert to protect them from all the sharp, pricaly stuff(cactuse,pricaly bushe's) and Im wondering if the neoprene would give any more or less protection, and/or wold it cause them to overheat quicker. I will probablke get one for duck season anyway but thats still a long ways away(kinda)