EzyDog Dog Life Jacket Review

Which dog life jacket for your dog? We review the best dog life jackets, for tiny/small, medium and very large dogs.  Safe dog life vests for every dog.

See all small/tiny dog life jackets by Honey Pets

See all EzyDog Seadog flotation vests – small, medium and really large dog life jackets

Last year we had to replace Dougie’s dog life jacket, as his original one had served him well on numerous boat and beach trips but it had ripped slightly (our fault) and was a little dated with safety features having improved somewhat since we had bought his over 5 years ago when we were in the States.

We knew what had annoyed us about his old D.F.D. (doggie flotation device) – for example the Velcro on the straps going under his belly was always getting stuck to his fur, the dog life jacket was a little rigid and finally having to fit it over his head (he didn’t like this at all).  However, there were good features that we wanted this time round too, like a strong grab handle – this is invaluable if we have to double moor a boat and I have to lift my dog from one boat to the other, then again onto the quay.  The grab handle also acts as an important safety aid in that if your dog ends up in the water accidentally or tires whilst swimming, you can use a boat hook or similar to bring your dog to safety quickly.  We also wanted high buoyancy – his previous dog life jacket had still supported him even when it had ripped a little – it got caught on a hook.  Another thing, we liked the D-ring on the back, as often, after a swim, we’d put him on his lead to walk back to the boat – it saved removing it and putting his harness on again.  So lots of original features we appreciated and some room for improvement with the new dog life jacket we were shopping for.

 

Armed with our check-list we set about our research online and we looked at some dog life jackets that we had seen other dogs wearing on The Norfolk Broads where we often hire a boat and here in Cumbria where we walk and swim regularly in lakes – weather permitting!  We decided also to look at the best dog life vests that are being used by dogs doing water sports, like surfing and such, as they must surely be safe and durable to stand up to those sorts of activities.  We were on the right track as finally, after much comparisan of various dog life jacket reviews, we chose an EzyDog doggie flotation device – D.F.D.  Why – firstly because their dog life jackets are safety tested and also we were familiar with the high quality of other EzyDog products we had used – harnesses and leads – and being an Australian company, they know about dogs’ safety in and around water – dogs surfing in Australia wearing life jackets for dogs is commonplace, a far cry from us wanting just safety and peace of mind for our dog swimming in The Lake District or to get him out of water he shouldn’t be in on holiday on the canals or the Norfolk Broads!!

Dougie is a small size in EzyDog dog life vests – we measured his girth and length, this is really important to get a comfortable fit for your dog.  EzyDog offer a range of sizes to fit small breeds right up to huge dogs and even puppy life jackets! (we have full measure instructions and size measurements on our EzyDog dog life jackets).  If your dog is smaller than a Westie you will need a tiny size – for which we recommend our Honey Pets design which offers only tiny/small dog life jacket sizes.

After a whole summer of use, what do we and Dougie like about the doggie life jacket ? Well, Dougie loves getting it on – just place over your dog’s back, clip the parachute clips together around the front neck and then click in the two side buckles, no stepping in, no over-the-head and no Velcro! Dougie gets so excited the minute he sees me with it in my hand – he just knows we are going somewhere exciting!  When you first get the dog life vest, you need to spend some initial time adjusting it properly on your dog to get the best fit, but thereafter it’s plain sailing.  Our dog is comfy, we walk him when he’s wearing it, just clip your lead to the back ring which isn’t made of metal – so cannot rust, in fact there is no metal at all on the jacket.  Dougie has swam in his and the buoyancy is super with the jacket being thicker than his previous one – these life jackets for dogs are a little regid when brand new but as soon as it had been in the water a few times, it moulded better to Dougie’s body.  The grab handle is very strong and we love the zip compartment across the bottom – useful for a small roll of bags for you know what and a few treats!  So all in all a happy purchase.

See full product details and watch the video of these best dog life jackets in action

EzyDog Seadog flotation vests and EzyDog dog life jackets