# Life Jacket Recommendations for Standard Poodle



## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

And recommendations for a life jacket for Elroy? I'm checking into dock diving. For dogs that don't swim yet, they recommend a life jacket. Elroy is around 25" and 60 lbs.


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

I've found there are four things to watch out for in poodles:
1) The deep chest means some jackets simply won't stretch around the torso unless you go up a size (see issues #2 & #3).
2) The narrow chest means some jackets are too wide and slide back. Chest adjustment straps can help.
3) The underbelly straps are sometimes too wide or set back too far, interfering with the dangly bits on boy dogs.
4) Some jackets are simply too stiff; they bump against the hips when the dog sits down, and they get caught against things when the dogs move around.

Elroy sounds like he might be around the size of my Snarky boy, which unfortunately was slightly between sizes. I had Snarky in an Outward Hound jacket, which fit adequately but not perfectly. The same Outward Hound jacket fits the slightly smaller Galen at 24.5" and 50 pounds quite well. When Pogo (26" and 70 pounds at peak) was younger I could squeeze him into an Outward Hound as well; eventually he outgrew it and ended up between sizes. Overall the Outward Hound has been the best compromise between comfort and practicality for my crew, but Galen is the only one where I've been fully satisfied with the fit. Unique to the jacket: a weird little floating flap on the front and two handles for hoisting the dog out of the water.

Here Galen is modeling a size large. (Apologies for the bad background blurring on this and subsequent pictures; photo editing is hard to do from my phone.)











When Pogo developed his portly middle aged physique I put him in an Obrien neoprene jacket I found in a water sports shop. I had to go up to an XL and then shorten the chest strap on the Obrien to keep it from sliding back. The cloth panel underneath flopped uselessly when the straps were appropriately tightened. 

Ritter, also 70 pounds but bigger boned than Pogo, fits into a large Obrien. The closure is a single back zipper. There is a single reflective handle on the back as well. I don't trust the leash loop on the shoulders to hold if Ritter were to pull hard while on land. Nor do I entirely trust the single back handle to support the weight of a 70 pound dog. I'm not sure the floatation is sufficient for a dog stuck in the water for an extended period. However, this jacket seems to be the most flexible and comfortable for a dog to wear while lounging around on a boat. I see its primary value as helping me to locate the dog if he goes overboard in murky water and also giving me something to hang onto while we get a rope around him to hoist him back into the boat.

Here is Ritter modeling a size large Obrien. Note the way the adjustable rear strap does not line up with the non-adjustable cloth belly band.










Another jacket I tried was made by EzyDog. I think this is the jacket I'd want my dog to be wearing if he went overboard while blue water sailing. It has a lot of flotation in it. The straps are sturdy and seem to fall in the correct places to hold the jacket on the dog and prevent sliding. Like the Outward Hound, it has two handles suitable for hoisting the dog out of the water. There are a pair of small zipper pockets, handy for a few poop bags, some ID, or a lightweight slip lead. However, the bulk and stiffness definitely affect the comfort for the dog. The jacket sits on the dog's back, flaring out like the wings from a fairy godmother costume instead of wrapping down around his flanks. That's fine if the dog is swimming in open water, but it's not so great if the dog is trying to maneuver around chairs, landscaping, or boat furnishings. It definitely affects his ability to lie comfortably on his side while wearing the jacket. Each belly strap also has a positioning loop that the buckle and strap must pass under before you click the buckle closed. It's a bit annoying to wrestle with these loops while the dog is squirming.

Ritter modeling the EzyDog. Note the two positioning loops for the straps.








Back view of EzyDog. Note the slight flare behind the rear strap.


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

Thank you @cowpony. Hoping I can just borrow one to start with, but they do recommend that you bring your own. 

Sent from my SM-A426U using Tapatalk


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

I fit checked a life jacket on Elroy the other day when we were at Cabelas. Medium wouldn't fit around his chest, so we had to try the large. It was a little too long in the body and the back part was riding on his thighs. Well Elroy didn't care for that! He flailed about trying to get out of it. I took it off in a hurry. Once it was off, he was OK again. Elroy just isn't a fan of wearing clothes! You may remember, I had to remove his surgical suit on day 2 because he was basically shutting down. Elroy will just have to learn to swim the old fashioned way!


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## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

Our local dock diving place does swimming lessons where you and an instructor can get into the water. I’ve taught all my dogs to swim, and not all started as puppies. I believe can’t make any dog love swimming, but you can teach them how so they won’t drown if they fall in unexpectedly. Make sure his nails are freshly trimmed (filed smooth), front and back, and wear long sleeves if you don’t know how he’s going to react. Many times, their first instinct is to climb up you like a cat.


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

94Magna_Tom said:


> I fit checked a life jacket on Elroy the other day when we were at Cabelas. Medium wouldn't fit around his chest, so we had to try the large. It was a little too long in the body and the back part was riding on his thighs. Well Elroy didn't care for that! He flailed about trying to get out of it. I took it off in a hurry. Once it was off, he was OK again. Elroy just isn't a fan of wearing clothes! You may remember, I had to remove his surgical suit on day 2 because he was basically shutting down. Elroy will just have to learn to swim the old fashioned way!


What a bummer the jacket didn't fit and also upset Elroy. I think starting my puppies in harnesses has made them a bit more tolerant of other kinds of full body dog gear. However, even they object to ill fitting jackets interfering with their hips. It really is frustrating that properly fitting life jackets are so difficult to find. I hope the doodle craze will help that situation, at least, since so many doodles are the size and build of standard poodles.


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