Tips for Selecting the Perfect Life Jacket for Your Furry Friend

Your fur baby is such an integral member of your family. When you got your brand-new fibreglass home swimming pool installed (or when you do in the future), you might have been excited to have lots of fun in the water with your pet.

But, the reality is that pools can be very dangerous for pups and kittens and even older dogs and cats. However, this doesn’t mean you need to put up gates around your pool to keep your pets at bay. If you invest in the proper safety equipment for your pets, then they too can enjoy a dip in the cool waters, whenever they want to.

In this article, we explore how you can select the perfect life jacket for your fur baby, to create loving and memorable experiences with them in your fibreglass home swimming pool. Let’s get started.

1. Study your breed to see if they need a life jacket or not

Before you go to the pet store or Amazon to purchase a pet life jacket, figure out if your pet needs a life jacket or not.

Some dog breeds such as the American Water Spaniel, the English Setter, the Newfoundland and any of the Retrievers, were bred to swim. So, even puppies will have a natural affinity to water. Such water breeds typically do better without a life jacket since they’re evolutionarily hard-wired to swim. The same goes for cats that actually love to swim, such as the Turkish Van, Maine Coon and Bengal cats.

But you may want to invest in a life jacket for them just to be safe.

2. Choose a brand that specialises in making life jackets for pets

While brands that create life jackets for people might have experience making life jackets for pets too, it’s always good sense to select a company that specialises exclusively in pet safety equipment. This is because they are more knowledgeable about the safety issues that cats and dogs would face in the pool and their products will be made by pet lovers with experience owning and caring for pets. Your fur babies will be in good hands (and good jackets) that way.

Typically, reliable brands include –

· Granby

· Chewy

· SwimWays

· RUFFWEAR

· LL. Bean

· Outward Hound

· Petego

The good thing is that these life jackets are designed keeping in mind the needs of both cats and dogs. You won’t have to look for multiple brands if you have both pets at home.

3. Pay attention to fit and comfort

The life jacket you choose for your fur baby should definitely be comfortable to wear. It shouldn’t chafe their skin or asphyxiate them. Ideally, it’s best to select life jackets that come with adjustable loops or belts, so you can resize the life jacket to suit your pet’s size. Plus, such life jackets can be used for many years as your pet grows, preventing the need for purchasing multiple life jackets over the course of your pet’s lifespan.

In saying this, your pet’s life jacket does need to be fitted. Basically, it should be closely fitted to his/her body, allowing some space (around a finger width) for breathability and movement. This is basically to prevent the life jacket from slipping off your pet’s body and floating away when they are playing in the water. A well-fitted pet life jacket will supplement the safety offered by the resizable belts and hoops.

You can get the right size life jacket for your pet, while contributing to their comfort and safety, by measuring them correctly. Here’s how you can measure your cats and dogs –

· Weigh your pet to determine what weight-bearing capacity life jacket you need to search for.

· Measure your pet’s neck and chest areas since that’s where the buckles will be clasped on.

· Measure your pet from the base of their neck to the tip of their tail to decide what length/size vest they need to be given.

You can take these measurements yourself at home or take your pet to the vet for more accurate measurement (or if your pet is old, overweight or ill).

4. Get a life jacket that comes with an attached handle

Having a life jacket that comes fitted with a handle that’s located on your pet’s back, is a great way to keep your pet safe. Even if your pet knows how to swim, you can always easily take hold of the handle on the life jacket and pull your puppy or kitten to safety, if they look like they’re in trouble in the water.

5. Select a life jacket in a vibrant colour

Even if you let your pet play only in the home pool and not in any public waterbodies, having a visible life jacket can help you and your family keep your pet safe when you all swim together. The bright colours of the life jacket will alert you and your loved ones to the presence of your pet in the pool. It will reduce the risk of you or anyone else swimming into your pet by accident because you can’t see them in the water.

You can even paste reflective tape on the outside edges of your pet’s life jacket. This will be greatly helpful during evenings and nighttime when you go in for a moonlit dip in the pool. Even any LED lights in the pool will illuminate your pet’s presence in the water and help you keep tabs on him/her while you swim during times of low visibility.

6. Always choose life jackets that have floatation pads

Floatation pads come with certain life jacket designs and not all. But it’s a must when you’re buying life jackets for your pets. Specifically, choose life jackets that come with floatation pads at the front of your pet’s body, under his/her chin. This pad will keep your dog or cat’s head above the water when he/she swims, keeping them safe from harm.

Some life jackets for pets do come already inflated. This inflation doesn’t hinder your pet’s swim and can help them seamlessly float on the surface of your fibreglass home pool.

In Conclusion

Now, you can supplement the safety offered by life jackets, by getting a home swimming pool installed, that’s already pet-friendly. That’s what we can help you with. We have immense experience designing pet-friendly fibreglass swimming pools Melbourne for homes of all sizes. Get in touch with us today to discuss your needs.

Olivia Bennett

Olivia Bennett, holding a BA in Veterinary Science from Cornell University, has been an advocate for pet-friendly travel for 15 years. Her career includes veterinary practice and pet care consulting. Her journey in pet travel stems from her work as an animal behaviorist. She began writing about pet-friendly travel solutions. Olivia joined our editorial team in 2020, combining her love for animals with travel insights. She's an active volunteer at animal shelters and enjoys agility training with her dog.

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