Life jackets for dogs is a good idea

The first time I saw a dog wearing a life jacket, I started laughing. Then I took some photos. I’d never seen such a thing.

That was more than 40 years ago, before I owned my first dog. I thought all dogs could swim.

I just wasn’t thinking about skinny dogs with little body fat, or dogs with really long hair, old dogs, dogs with health issues, and dogs that don’t make good decisions.

Years ago, our brown lab Murffy wasn’t particularly fond of water, but that didn’t stop her from trying to swim across Ashley Lake. Luckily, she was plucked out of the water by an alert boater.

The story “It’s a Dog’s Life (Jacket)” recently crossed my computer desktop. The story appeared in the June/July 2012 issue of “Boat U.S.” magazine and not only presented some considerations to ponder when buying a canine PFD but also listed some options.

Dog-owning boaters should consider if their dog is prone to jumping out of a boat and how well the dog handles itself in the water.

Sounds like common sense, but have you ever thought about how difficult it would be to lift a struggling dog out of the water? How ‘bout into a small cartopper boat?

There are dog life jackets with lifting straps or handles. Velcro closures are easy to use but can be clogged with dog hair and thereby rendered less effective. Some PFDs may not be comfortable to a sleeping dog.

Brands include West Marine, Outward Hound, MTI Adventures Wear Underdog and others. Full tests of available jackets — and videos — can be found at www.BoatUS/Foundation/findings.