Dog Vest or No Vest?

Don't understand the vest thing. I think it's more for us than the dogs.

Pointers, Brittanys for over 30 years, never a vest.

I understand neoprene in a waterfowl situation, but neoprene on a runnin dog? Seems counter intuitive.
 
My older female is missing a nipple due to not having any protection underneath. I use an orange collar for visibility. That is for me. The vest is for the dog. For her protection. So people can say what they want, I will always protect the dog.
 
I have used vest on different britts mainly due to there size and thickness of coat. My current britt is a runt and maybe 30lbs soaking wet, she basically doesn't have any hair on her chest from grouse/woodcock season here in michigan. So she ran with a vest during the cooler portion of the morning when I was in SD couple weeks ago, once it warmed up I took the vest off. I did buy it more for the woods as I worry more about her impaling herself on a beaver cutting or some other wood spear in the woods, not sure the vest would save her but I think it might. Lab doesn't wear one and my setter pup will when warranted.
 
vest

to those of you who don't put vests on your dogs, how much have you spent at the vets offices having stiches put in your dogs over the years.( I know they don't protect the legs, that said they do protect the chest- heart area).
ONE TRIP to the vet will be WAY less money than one vest. Upland-- Mendota skid plates are the best, trieD other brands,and they chafe under the legs... Mendota doesn't. I think most of the neoprene users Meant to say, they use them in water or cold weather...
Lastly I personally know of two dogs killed by a stick puncture running thru brambles , thru the heart lung region.... so I ask you what is a dog worth to YOU? Nuff Said. :)
 
dustin mudd said:
to those of you who don't put vests on your dogs, how much have you spent at the vets offices having stiches put in your dogs over the years.( I know they don't protect the legs, that said they do protect the chest- heart area).
ONE TRIP to the vet will be WAY less money than one vest. Upland-- Mendota skid plates are the best, trieD other brands,and they chafe under the legs... Mendota doesn't. I think most of the neoprene users Meant to say, they use them in water or cold weather...
Lastly I personally know of two dogs killed by a stick puncture running thru brambles , thru the heart lung region.... so I ask you what is a dog worth to YOU? Nuff Said. :)
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To your first question, $0. I have done a staple job on my brothers dog once. To your second question, everything! And I don't believe impying that folks who don't run a vest on their dog don't care about them is a very fair assessment.
 
if anyone thinks in my post, I inferred dog owners not using vests were uncaring, please understand that was not my intent.. However, after learning the hard way in this regard, I have always skid plated dogs after having hunts shortened, by trips to vet offices, and watching a dog endure the pain with large wounds due to wire, and spiked Hawthorne, or Russian olive sticks.. I was only hoping owners not have to lose or hurt one of their dogs ... a pound of prevention.... good hunting!
 
Fair enough. Hunting is definitely an inherently dangerous venture for out pets.
 
dustin mudd said:
to those of you who don't put vests on your dogs, how much have you spent at the vets offices having stiches put in your dogs over the years.( I know they don't protect the legs, that said they do protect the chest- heart area).
ONE TRIP to the vet will be WAY less money than one vest. Upland-- Mendota skid plates are the best, trieD other brands,and they chafe under the legs... Mendota doesn't. I think most of the neoprene users Meant to say, they use them in water or cold weather...
Lastly I personally know of two dogs killed by a stick puncture running thru brambles , thru the heart lung region.... so I ask you what is a dog worth to YOU? Nuff Said. :)
Click to expand...

I do not run vests, I hunt extensively and have only had 1 vet visit in about 16 years ago for a couple stitches.
I don't care what vests cost, and I care more about my dogs well being than you will ever know! In my opinion vests cause more issues than they resolve. On a risk/reward test they fail in my opinion.
 
Here is my two cents worth from a non dog owner. If I see a dog with a vest on up by a road my first thought is that its a bird dog and may be lost. I would much more likely stop and try to assist in matching the owner back up with his dog. Other wise my thought would probably be its just a stray. A vest may be of more use than its intended use.
 
Depends on how the dog hunts too. My setter was a good bird finder but didnt pound the brush as much. My older vizsla is a bulldozer and you can hear the briars scrapping and ripping against the vest. And when it does get too hot and I take it off of her, you can see the whelps from briar scrapes (short haired dog). So no not every dog needs one but she does.
 
I use a bright orange vest if there is a good chance of running into other hunters. If I feel I need a vest due to trash, wire or scrap metal then I'm in the wrong place and go elsewhere.
 
Calisdad said:
I use a bright orange vest if there is a good chance of running into other hunters. If I feel I need a vest due to trash, wire or scrap metal then I'm in the wrong place and go elsewhere.
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Never know what you are going to run into (the dog for that matter) out in the middle of no where.

Barb wire fencing (old, obsolete, new, partial, tight three strand, under water, bundles of old, lost coils of new, ...) It is everywhere and in every form in the Dakotas.
 
dustin mudd said:
to those of you who don't put vests on your dogs, how much have you spent at the vets offices having stiches put in your dogs over the years.( I know they don't protect the legs, that said they do protect the chest- heart area).
ONE TRIP to the vet will be WAY less money than one vest. Upland-- Mendota skid plates are the best, trieD other brands,and they chafe under the legs... Mendota doesn't. I think most of the neoprene users Meant to say, they use them in water or cold weather...
Lastly I personally know of two dogs killed by a stick puncture running thru brambles , thru the heart lung region.... so I ask you what is a dog worth to YOU? Nuff Said. :)
Click to expand...



Well said. I run the light weight Cablea's vest for protection- barbed wire, sticks, burrs-(which they still get) and anything else that can cause harm to my setters. My setters mean the world to me and anything I can do to provide them the protection they need to go into areas I would never go into, so be it. And then finally the visual locator aspect of the vest for myself. You get into some of the areas and having that orange is a blessing, especially when running 2-3 dogs at a time in tall grass.

I use the neoprene vest normally late when we close the season down once again its a visual locator and protection for the dog in many ways especially when it's 10 below and 10" of snow on the ground. Just my two cents on the whole vest concept. I know one thing I haven't a vet bill for a tear on one of my dogs since using the vests. Prior it was normally at least one dog a year.

To each his own, if you don't believe in the vest that's fine. In my opinion they are a life saver at times in more ways than one.....
 
I just returned from another trip and my hairless dogs legs and feet were a mess. Rubbed raw and bleeding. Fortunately just her legs/feet because of the vest. I know my dog is an anomaly and none of my friends with harry dogs use them although I also used one on my golden (retired) after seeing a buddies springer layed wide open by wire. My dog is also brown so the orange helps a ton to see her. Just a warning on using neoprene in the field. Make sure the front leg openings have plenty of room. The one time I used neoprene on my hairless dog in winter it rubbed her armpits so bad she was out of business after one hunt and required a vet trip.
 
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MinnHunter said:
I just returned from another trip and my hairless dogs legs and feet were a mess. Rubbed raw and bleeding. Fortunately just her legs/feet because of the vest. I know my dog is an anomaly and none of my friends with harry dogs use them although I also used one on my golden (retired) after seeing a buddies springer layed wide open by wire. My dog is also brown so the orange helps a ton to see her. Just a warning on using neoprene in the field. Make sure the front leg openings have plenty of room. The one time I used neoprene on my hairless dog in winter it rubbed her armpits so bad she was out of business after one hunt and required a vet trip.
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I'm having the same issue with my dog. The vest rubs her raw. Any ideas on a cure/fix for this?
 
I use a vest from lion country supplies, however, I haven't found a good protected for the hind legs and flanks, this is where my brit gets punctures at from fences or other objects. I also have a browning vest but the openings are rather small and the rubbing in the armpits is pretty bad. Always looking for suggestions or other types of vests.
 
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