If you have read any of my post, I think its pretty clear that I long to be outside. Now more than ever I want my pups outside with me. They love hiking and our daily walks, but I wanted to see if I could try something new and see if they could join us on our water adventures.  I love doing anything on the water. Kayaking is probably my favorite. With that being said, I wanted to be able to take my pups, but also to wanted to ensure their safety. With a little research, I decided I need to get a pet life jacket first and foremost.

I purchased two of the NRS CFD – Dog Life Jacket to ensure the pups would float if they were to ever fall in. Yes, I know, dogs can swim but they ours have so much hair, I thought they may actually sink if they fell in. Also, if your pup were injured during the fall, this will help them stay afloat.  I wanted our babies to be safe no matter what.

The Jacket

The life jackets have three straps that wrap around the dog. Two straps run under their belly and fasten on the opposite side. The other strap runs around the neck to ensure their heads stay out of the water. The straps adjust according to how large your dog is. Our poms are 10 lbs and we ordered them the Small. There is also a handle on the top of the jacket, so if they do fally in, you just reach over and grab the handle and pull them back in.

Test

On our first run, Taz decided to leap from my kayak mid lake! There is a turtle “statue” in the lake that helps us keep track of the water depth and Taz seems to think it is real. While turning around at the turtle, Taz thought he would jump out to meet Mr. Turtle! His entire body went under water and he shot right back up like a buoy. I was so relieved to see that these work wonderfully. The pups don’t seem to mind having them on and it gives us a peace of mind while we are out on the water. Taz even gets excited when we get his out because he knows he is about to go for a ride in the kayak!

Other Tips:

1. 1. Never tie your dog to your kayak in ANYWAY! I know this may seem odd, but think about it; If you attach your dog to your kayak and capsize for any reason, it could end up being fatal for your pup. They need to be able to get away and out from under your kayak just as you would.
   2. Always ensure they have a flotation device on them.. A.K.A a life jacket! Things happen and having a life jacket on them will insure they won’t be going under water on your watch.

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