Dog vest
 

Thinking about getting a vest for my dog. Anyone got any pros or cons of any of them out there???

Avery Boaters Parka for me. The fit is the most important part and none of em will come wit the exact fit for your dog. Here's some help to get you started. My apologies to Rick Hall.


Tailoring a Dog Vest

Getting an off-the-shelf vest that actually fits your dog correctly (snug everywhere, but not tight anywhere) would be a remarkable fluke. Even with a design like Cabela's wide Velcro fastener that affords an inch or two of adjustability zippers don't, the vest won't be fully functional without tailoring.

The drill is to buy the correct chest size and break out a marking pen, straight edge, scissors and a can of "neoprene cement," like Block Surf (not Aquaseal or Goop or any other substitute), and go to work.

With the vest on the dog, pinch out the excess material and mark both sides where the pinched material meets and the tip of the triangle the pinch creates.

Take the vest off the dog, and using the straightedge, draw lines from each "pinch" mark to the "tip" mark, which will create the triangular "dart" that needs removed with your scissors.

Having removed the darts of excess material, you're ready to close the gaps they created. This is where using neoprene cement, which melts the neoprene edges and essentially welds them together quickly enough that it's no strain to hold them together while it works pays off. Other types of adhesives will require stitching to hold the new seam edges together while they dry and perhaps even for support. I have never had an unstitched neoprene cement seam separate.

You'll also likely need to remove some material that will otherwise chaff Pup's arm pits and an opening around a male dog's penis. Don't worry about cutting beyond the bar tacking on a vest's stitched seams, as on a properly made vest the stitching is really just eyewash for buyers, rather than necessary.

May sound complicated, but it took me longer to type that than it would have to properly tailor a vest.

Thanks, very good info.

Use one all the time for my dog.

get the right measurments off your dog before purchasing to get the right size.

I am having an issue with the vest I purchased for Maker chaffing his arms. It fits good and snug everywhere on him, neck size of 18 1/2 and chest of just over 30 so we have the 19 and 31 XL vest from Avery. Do I just need to cut the area that is chaffing him off of the vest? His underarms (pits) are the only area that I see this issue.

Nope, just make sure you apply plenty of Talcum Powder prior to securing the vest and the chaffing should go away. I took mine's to Jos A Bank and had one custom made but any taylor shop should be able to take the measurements.;) They should look like a "Boudin" when fully zipped up.

My dog hates his. He can't function in it. And I don't really think it gets cold enough down here to use one. Only reason I would is if I had a yellow or white colored lab to break em up a little.

Seth, I am with you on the vest with the exception of temps and wind below 35 and 10-15 mph or stickups. As long as they can shake and dry off we don't have a hypothermia issue down here. Ice is another animal and I won't hunt any dog in sheet ice with or without a vest.

Yes just cut out enough area to stop the chafing. This picture is a poor example because the vest is not the right size for him to begin with but you can see the extra material protruding out from under his front legs. All that needs to be trimmed.
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/...FE9CC2ED5F.jpg

Thank you