vests for dogs

[BurleyDog]

glad that worked out well for you. Sounds scary!

[twistiron]

My american bulldog has dosent grow a winter coat for some reason so after like 10-15 min outside in the winter he starts shivering and trembling really bad so we got him one of these and could not be happier, keeps him warm and dry and is very durable. he loves to run behind the truck when wheeling on back roads for miles and i have never had an issue with chaffing. he is  wide so the vest does not touch the insides of his legs. i would get another in a heart beat. good luck.

http://us.wholesalesports.com/storefront/dog-supplies/dog-gear/upland-dog-vest/prod1046133.html

[netcoyote]

I can't comment on the vest for a water dog, but for an upland dog I would never use a vest. I got a blaze vest for my English Setter and only used it on him a few times. It's hard to get a good fit and he ended up getting chafed pretty good on the inside of his front legs.
Even worse than the chafing is the concern that the dog will catch the vest jumping over a snag on a log and seriously injure or impale himself. When I watch my dog run, I think he is really efficient with his jumping and dodging to avoid injury, but adding a separate piece of equipment may throw his timing and judgement off. Once I thought about it, I decided to not have him wear the vest. He is a Llewellin colored setter and easy to see in the brush, so I don't need the vest for visibility.

[JColony]

When I watch my dog run, I think he is really efficient with his jumping and dodging to avoid injury, but adding a separate piece of equipment may throw his timing and judgement off

That piece of equipment could save his life.  My good buddy has a German Shorthair that caught a piece of something while jumping over it.  Opened his chest up like he had a zipper, almost died.  If you follow the instructions that come with the vests, you are told how to trim them to fit.  My lab cross has a very odd shape, chest is very narrow and tall, had no problem fitting the vest to him.  no chaffing and definitely does not slow him down one bit.  Just my  not meaning to rant, that comment just struck a little to close to home.

[Rhinoron247]

I use two different type of protective garments on my English setters.  In the later / colder part of the season I always use a neo vest I swear by them.  You have to custom fit them or they will rub the dog raw.  I go through a couple vests per dog each year but compared to the vet bills, down time and pain and suffering to my dogs its worth the expense.  My setter are so aggressive in the field they are always getting torn apart by wire and misc metal we find to late. 

I also made a custom pair of front should chaps that work with the vest or on there own depending on where were hunting. 

[Happy Gilmore]

I just don't know many people who run their dogs/hunt them alot who feel the need to use vests. I've had a dog I've stitched up hit a fence once, in 12 years but, in that time running dogs alot hunting, something is bound to happen. I'd say you're 10X more likely to cut a pad on a broken beer bottle on a sandy beach than you are ever going to have a chance at needing to use a vest for any type of hunting in Washington unless it is really, really cold and you're working ducks on the Columbia River....just my 2 pennies....