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After posting the picture of Atlas in his vest i got to thinking, with his heavy coat would he be better off without the Vest? I tried last year on a 30 degree day and he seemed to be more comfortable. His coat is pretty water repellent and keeps his undercoat fairly dry. Typically where we hunt we don't worry to much about underwater snags, and he doesn't really make the big entries, so the vest is more for insulation than protection. My thinking is that the vest is holding more water against him than he can effectively warm, and lets it soak into his undercoat. I think this year we'll leave it in the blind bag above 30 degrees,.

On a side note, I did tailor his vest to him, as no one seems to make a Toller shaped dog vest.

So the question is on your dogs with long haired coats do you use the vest all the time, below a certain temperature, or never?

I'm interested in seeing what people say on this subject. I'm thinking about a vest with floatation in it for my dog this year being her first season and I hunt mainly rivers.

I've got a floating vest for my dog. Never seemed to care one way or the other about it, but I would imagine neoprene is going to keep a dog warmer, not make it colder

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I obviously can't speak for tollers and their coats. I also don't hunt conditions under 30 but only a few times a season. But I will say Charlie only where's his vest when we hunt particularly deep water. We use it primarily for extra flotation. Even then, deep water on a calm day, we may not bother with it. But when the weathers in, winds blowing, waters choppy, I'll let him wear it

I use it for more flotation and protection than anything. I haven't seen Taz act cold in any situation yet, but he does not have the natural buoyancy of the retriever breeds. Makes me feel better on windy rough water days when it's cold.

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I used a vest in MI but a place like that you needed one. It's more for warmth than flotation. Anyone that uses them in the south might do so for camo if they have a yellow lab or to look cool. I only used the vest on days that got below 30*.

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Well first and foremost I want my dog to look cool. Secondly I'd just be worried about her ability to swim in moving water as slow as it may be... and there's some sharp rocks around here too. Maybe I need to get her out to play in the river some before summer ends.

I put it on Brandy on cold windy days. When I take it off of her she feels very warm underneath. I dont know about Tollers but Labs really dont need a vest for warmth above 30 degrees. Jarbo is on to something about using the vest for protection.



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My pup was such a whimp this last year he would shiver if it made it below about 45. Being only a year old I just kept a very close eye on him and called it quits if I felt it was even a remote possibility to head south. Hopefully he will do better this year

I don't know anything about the long coat dogs so I'm only speaking for my lab. Tug hates wearing his vest and gives me the dirty looks to prove it, but I reserve it for when the temps drop below freezing, and I think he secretly appreciates the warmth. If you ever doubt that its helping to keep them warm, stick your hands inside the vest along their ribs and feel the heat. I'm sure the flotation is a bonus, but I like the handles for pulling him into the boat.

Tollers do not need a vest. I've seen my FIL's Toller chase a crip sea duck for 20 mins in 0* temps and be panting when he gets back in the boat.

I have stuck my hand inside the vest, and it really doesn't feel that warm. My buddy's lab was able to produce that hot feeling your talking about. Atlas seems to have a pretty efficient shake to shed the water from his top coat, so I am thinking I may go with out it this year, unless we hit some big water or low temps.

I vest my dogs any time it's cool enough for them to be comfortable in them, both for protection from sharp staubs and because calories not burned maintaining body heat are available for other tasks. The vest generally comes off ten or fifteen minutes after the last retrieve, and the coat below it is nearly dry, while the neck fur above it remains wet.

If you're not seeing the same, I suspect it's more from the vest still being too loose, rather than the dog's breed or hair type.

Tomkat wrote:I put it on Brandy on cold windy days. When I take it off of her she feels very warm underneath. I dont know about Tollers but Labs really dont need a vest for warmth above 30 degrees. Jarbo is on to something about using the vest for protection.



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X2 I rarely put the vests omn the labs. Barely got cold enough last year to put the vests on the dogs.

Use a vest all season long then look at the all the cuts gouges and tears in it after the season is over. That's always been convincing enough for me to use one. I use a thin neoprene that's a little loose when it's warm but once the temps start to drop a 5mm thick vest that is TIGHT and cut to fit. If the vest fits correctly it's only going to help keep them warmer no matter what kind of dog you have.

How big of a size range do they make dog vests in? I plan to get one for this season but the dog is only 8 mos. now and I plan to take her on her first hunt in late December after she turns a year old . She's a skinny petite dog now but as he gets old and fills out am I gonna have to buy a new vest for her every year or the first 2-3 years? Or do they come adjustable so I can let the same one out a little as he grows?

Cabela's vests have a 2" wide velcro fastener that affords a good bit of adjustability, but zippered vests can only be taken in by tailoring, not let out beyond their original diameter. Fwiw, I've tailored the Cabela's to correctly fit (snug but not tight) ten-month-olds that wore the same vest as adults.

Chach laughs at vests

jehler wrote:Chach laughs at vests

Given that it's not your first rodeo, he's probably laughing at the notion that he might have to get wet.

Rick wrote:

jehler wrote:Chach laughs at vests

Given that it's not your first rodeo, he's probably laughing at the notion that he might have to get wet.

lol for real