Neoprene dog hunting vest

Ed Auman

Ed Auman

Active member
Whats your guys take on a Neo hunting vest for your K9 duck hunting partner? Good, bad or other I would like to hear what you all think. I live in Maine so the water is damn cold. (I know my fnger tips on my right hand felt like they were going to fall off this morning) Who uses them and who doesn't?

What size would you recommend for a 8 month old average size male black lab?

Another ?? What brand do you own and do you and the dog like it?

Thanks everyone, Ed
 
Woody wears a vest every day of the season. It's mainly for flotation assistance however it does help to keep his core warm. On really cold days I will put my hands in his vest and against his warm body to keep them thawed. This one is made by Cabelas. There are measuring charts for your convenience to size him properly............KevinView attachment 100_1172.JPG

View attachment 100_1172.JPG
 
Gordy keeps one on most all of the regular season, 2 reasons

1- warmth its damn cold and it HOLDS heat and keeps the back and tuymmy almost dry
2- Protection from sticks rocks and snags

I preferr the Cabelas armored vest with side flotation. I tried the zipper and velcro and not
enough GIVE for cowboy.

3xl chest - 2xl neck and 1xl waist. Had to do some alterations, measure the dog for the vest
but if your dog is large in the chest even a 3XL avery boaters vest wouldnt fit on Gordy at
all the straping they sew in for reinforcement allowed no stretch.

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Ed,

Hoss wears an Avery Boater's dog vest (in the late season) with side floatation purchased from Cabelas. The extra floatation gives me some peace of mind and I'm sure he's warmer. Measurement guide is on Cabelas web page. I sent one back with no trouble at all. Had to cut a bunch of the leg/chest area to make it fit properly, but that's normal. Christmas is coming soon. it would be a good present for your partner.
 
I'll cast another vote for the Avery Boaters Parka. Velcro, zipper and side flotation.

I'll put it on my BLF once the water temps drop into the 50's

The handles are very nice when needed.
 
My lab wear the cabelas armour with floation. I had a zipper vest but he grew out of it. I like the zipper better.
What ever vest you choose remember pe wee does not get covered LOL
 
good tip bill, dont need to pee in his waders lol.

Oh and when you get one, play lots of fetch in the yard before hunting in it. Gordy the 1st time each year
still does the I CANT WALK thing for the first couple of minutes. Its normal you have to condition them that
its ok and normal to play dress up with your dog.
 
Dave now thats funny
"still does the I CANT WALK thing for the first couple of minutes. Its normal you have to condition them that "
LOL The first time I put the vest on Micky I asked him to kennel on a lawn chair, then I had him sit up, "All was going well". I put the vest on him then called him.
He took one step to get off the chair and fell on his face but that was not the bad part he then started doing the <I CANT WALK THING>
I though he broke his leg on the fall, the big problem was his little micky was being jammed by the vest.
 
lol, yeah its a trip, Dressing a 90# labrador is really a 2 person Gig. One guy lift him up by his collar and the other get the feet fed thru and up and secured..... its fun at times esp at 4am in the dark.
 
Woody is soooo pumped in the morning when I get the vest out that I swear he would put it on himself if he could. I will stand over him facing forward and hold the vest out in front of him. He will put his paws through the holes on his own. I sure hope that all of my future dogs will be this easy to dress. I've heard nightmares about putting on the vest from some friends. They're all different that is for sure!..............Kevin
 
i think they are the best thing you can put on a dog. if you hunt out of a boat and dont have a dog ramp the boatdog vest from averys is the best one on the market it has a built in harness and grab handels to lift youre dog into the boat it also has a d-ring and floation strips.

as far as size goes measure around the neck and waist then it will tell you what size you need.
 
Bill teall me more about this icelandic sweeter ? Never heard of one for dogs?

Thank you everyone for your input. I never bought one for Thor, now that I'm older and getting sick of the cold, and have a new pup "Beau Drake" I started thinking about it more. I guess I'm getting soft. I want my partner to be comfortable thats the bottom line... Thanks Ed
 
I use the Avery vest with flotation and handles for my AWS. Makes it easy to get him back in the boat. I also use a Cabelas orange neo vest with the black chest protector for upland. That vest is all tore up from briars sticks and whatever else he runs into. Rather the vest than him. Had to sew a tear today. Just be sure to trim it to fit and allow room for natures call. It will rub them raw in no time. I lay the vest on the ground, we walks thru my legs into the vest, I pull it up and we are good to go. He doesn't like it but he knows, no vest = no go.
 
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Ol Alex Wears his, I have tried a couple of different kinds and after working at a local mega sporting goods warehouse have found that the ones with the hard(ish) black pun gee stick guarding for the ventral aspect of the dog seem to become brittle and fail at the seams/sutures because of the brittleness.

My buddy runs a neOprene with Armorflex and a handle apparatus (it is really helpful for older dogs, and for getting a dog up and over the gunnel of a duckboat from the water)
We have to watch out for stabbing sticks left over after beavers chew them off, an excited dog can get stabbed (so can a wader boot).

The flotation is good, and it sheilds them fro mthe wind...
You guys already know to feed extra chow on hunt days... those hounds burn it hard, so at least a burger or a couple of corn dogs.
 
Duncan wears a Cabela's vest with the flotation panels. More than a few holes in the outer fabric attest to its protective qualities in cases of stickups, dog bites, and most any kind of cut, rip or tear situation. One word of advice, though. No vest fits perfectly. Take the dog in to the store and get one that's generally the right size, then 'adjust' the front leg holes to fit his shoulders with scissors. Dunk's chest was quite a bit narrower than the 'model' dog that the vest was cut to fit. Just remember to put as drop of super glue on the stitching of the seam when you've got it sized right, or it'll unravel.
 
The Avery vests look great but as is the case with just about all the vests, they don't make them big enough for Otto. He's got a 38" chest. A few years ago I found a Hodgeman vest on line that looked like it 'might' fit - it didn't but by letting it out, moving the zipper, etc. I was able to get it to fit a little snug. I know, I know, you own a Chessie so you don't have to dress them before a hunt but Otto is thin furred. That and all the ice and current we deal with in the late season makes it prudent to keep him as warm and safe as possible.

Short of going custom, are there any makers out there that make dog vests larger than a 35" chest?

View attachment Ottosvest.jpg

View attachment Ottosvest.jpg
 
I never could find one to fit Colby. He looked like Dolly Parton in a training bra. When he was about 10mo old, Bezubic let me use one his Chessie wore...it was tight and he did the bent dick shuffle. I just kept a insulated burlap thing I made out of Reflect tex in the boat and put it over him when it was icy out.
 
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