Keep Your Dog Safe Around Water
With A Dog Life Jacket

If you and your dog like water sports, you'll definitely want to consider getting a dog life jacket for Rover. Even though dogs know how to swim and many love to swim, they will get tired if they are in the water for very long or trying to swim in a strong current.

Your dog may be a natural water hound and loves doing his retriever thing from the lakeshore, but putting Rover in a Dog Life Jacket is still a wise practice. You've no doubt heard the saying - if anything can go wrong, it will! So bear in mind, the majority of accidents usually happen when we're least expecting them.

Some other factors to consider:

• Not all dogs are comfortable around water and may really panic if they fall in.
• Senior dogs and those with handicaps would be especially vunerable without dog lifejackets.
• Small dogs may not have much natural floatation or stamina.
• Dogs often jump in the water without warning if they spot something interesting.
• You can't watch your dog every minute on a boat and even the best dog sailor could fall overboard.
• Boat docks can be busy and hazardous places
• Boat decks can be very slippery and sudden swells can make everyone lose their footing

Safety Tips - Benefits of A Dog Life Jacket:

It's not uncommon for dogs to go along on boating trips during family vacations to wilderness areas. We love to take our doggies on adventures and have them share in the fun. We just have to remember that safety comes first when we are in unknown waters.

So if Rover is joining the party, he has to have a life jacket along with everyone else. Having got that out of the way and before you board the boat, check its weight limitations so that you don't overload it. If you are in an area where the water is cold, wear clothing to protect against hypothermia as an extra safety measure.

In the event of an accident, you will be more able to help others if you are not getting overly cold yourself. And a dog life jacket provides some insulation for your dog so that he doesn't use all of his energy to stay warm in the water.

Another important tip is not to tether your dog inside the boat. If your boat should capsize, Rover's chances of survival would be very slim tied to an overturned boat.

Camping trips to idyllic settings beside a shallow stream may seem like a safe place to let your dog have a paddle. But you could be fooled. Even innocent looking waters can have patches of dangerous undertow and a dog with a wet coat will have little buoyancy to fight a strong current. A dog life jacket in this situation would for sure be his best lifeline.

If you like the more rugged sports of rafting or canoeing that often take you into rough waters and you want to take Rover along, please do it
s l o w l y. Even if your dog has lots of stamina for land based fun, water sports are an altogether different matter. So you'll want to ease into these trips until you get to know his limitations.

Being that river rides are so much more challenging, there is no way Rover can go along without a dog life jacket. It's just not an option. You can't afford the risk of being distracted when you're dealing with the ever changing conditions and hazards on a river. Even the most experienced navigator can have an upset - nuff said.

Lifejackets for Doggies

Here are some of the features you can expect to find in a good quality dog life jacket:

• Provides excellent buoyancy
• Highly durable yet comfortable materials
• Adjustable straps so that jacket can fit snugly
Handles on the back to assist in rescue
• Provides warmth
• High visibility neon colors
• Easy to put on your dog
• Easy laundering
• Allows your dog to move freely in the water

Did you notice the handsome doggie at the top of this page? Here is where you can get a dog life jacket just like the one he is wearing.

Next time you go to the waterfront for some fun, you'll be glad you planned for Rover's safety too.



Return from Dog Lifejackets to Dog Seat Belts

Return to dog spoiling - Home