Customer Reviews

Premier Fido Float Dog Life Vest, XX-Large

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I would recall them all. As my two dogs were swimming from the boat to shore, both the zippers started to unzip; making it more difficult for them to swim. As I have two dogs and this happened with both, it was not just that jacket. The problem is the zipper opening is directly behind their heads and have no design to remove this pressure point off the unlatched zipper. Their heads lift up on the zipper opening to swim AND the pure physics of the body weight pulling on the unlatched zipper causes it to unzip.
Except for that one flaw, it had the best design: high visibility color, No Velcro to collect seaweed, flotation material under neck, and did not interfere with the male's ability to urinate, although it was too close.

The handle was a good size for a female hand, but tight for a man's. The extra small jackets' handle were even too small for a female. The handle is a necessity for raising the dogs in and out of the dingy.
http://www.premier.com/View.aspx?page=dogs/products/apparel/fidofloat/description

I ordered an extra large for our lab and after the very first use the flotation material on both sides wadded up inside the shell and no matter how hard we try to put it back into place we cannot. We are returning it and are very disappointed in this product. There needs to be stitching that actually holds the padding in place so it cannot shift around inside of the shell.

My dogs love to swim in the pool. The problem was that they couldn't just stand there when they get tired of swimming like we can, so they would come to us to hold them while they rested. With these vests on they don't tire as quickly, so they can swim a lot longer. Despite the vest being used in the pool many times, which includes the dogs jumping off the platform of the ladder, the zippers have not opened at all, which some other reviewer had a problem with. The measurements are true to size and they are easy to put on and take off. I can't comment on how they would be for boating and ocean swimming, because we don't do that, but for pools they are great. You can see pictures of my girls wearing the vests if you click on the other pictures link above.

I am a marine biologist and spend a lot of time on a small boat. My dog enjoys coming with me, and of course has to wear a PFD like everyone else. Yes, dogs can swim, but so can you, and you are still required to wear one. What if he got tired, went the wrong direction, was not visible, there was an accident? Anyway, this PFD lasted about 9 months, which was probably 30 trips. It worked okay, but didn't last well. The minute is showed signs of wear (exposed foam, ripped webbing) I threw it out, I don't want to chance it like that. So, if you are only taking your dog out a few times, this will work fine (it has a great head support), but if you are going out more, don't count on it lasting very long.

I have purchased this particular vest for all four of my animals and I like them very much. These are put on as a human would put on a shirt or blouse backwards and then sips across the back. There is full under body support should you have to lift your pet and you don't have the risk of straps coming undone and dropping them.
However, although I measured my dogs several times to make sure I was ordering the correct size, the x-large one was simply too tight for my Choc Lab, so I ordered another one in xx-large, assuming I could tighten it up some and make it work. Not! The xx-large was huge - too wide, too long - can't imagine what type of dog this would fit. I PUT IT ON and it went below my knees! So, I called and got return authorizations for both of these and went to UPS to ship. It would cost me more to return the x-large one then I paid for it and the xx-large was within pennies of what I originally paid. So, at that rude awakening, I cut my losses, didn't return them, and now own two perfectly good, but useless pet life jackets. Lesson here would be READ THE FINE PRINT. Although I don't resent having to pay to return something, I would assume it would be the same as the shipping that was originally charged to me; certainly not 3-4X as much. You would think the companies would have some type of agreement if you return products using same shipping company. Having said all of that - the other three vests I purchased that fit - are exactly what I wanted and I would recommend this brand and type to others and will certainly purchase again if the need arises. But, I won't be ordering online. I will find a store that sells them so I may return if the need arises.

Although the dog vest looked like it was made well and would be comfortable for our dog--the sizing wasn't even close to accurate. It advertised fitting dogs from 10-14inches in girth and less than 10 lbs. Our dog is 12 inches in girth and weighs 6.6 lbs and the vest was way too small. It had to be sent back and I went to our local Petsmart and bought her vest.

I just got this product in the mail and was very impressed with the fit-not many coats and jackets come in a size appropriate to my 150 lb. male dane (tall and long but slim). It covers him nicely without restricting his movement. I really appreciated being able to purchase a ready-made life jacket so inexpensively. I bought this jacket primarily as a safety backup for our vacation (my dane is a wader but a non-swimmer) with the idea in the back of my mind to try to introduce my dog to swimming for exercise during the months when he might be prone to overheat. I haven't had a chance to test it in the water yet, but I'll be watchful for zipper issues when I do.

I don't expect it to be fully load-bearing (like I could lift him anyhow!) so I have to note that for big dog owners, who can't lift their dogs up, the zipper back is not the easiest design to get on and off. I had to get my dog to stand still while I slid the coat between his legs, then lift and thread one foot at a time through the leg holes while preventing him from stepping out of the first leg hole as he shifted his weight to lift the second leg. Then, I had to slide the jacket up his legs and hold it with one hand while trying to catch the zipper with the other. Only the fact that my dog is REALLY calm and well-mannered made this process possible. I'm not sure what other designs are out there and I do appreciate that this one seems like it will support him securely, but if you've got a wiggly dog, be advised that putting this jacket on may be a two-person chore. If you are the manufacturer, looking for customer feedback, I would suggest looking into making the jacket a bit more user-friendly.

Wasnt sure About the vest in the beginning, but we are glad we had it. We were out on the boat and had to swim to shore (water to shallow to get close enough to land and there weren't any docks). The water was only human knee deep and we were about 100 feet out. If chance didnt have the life jacket on, it would have been extremly hard for him to get across. Hes not used to swimming or getting that much exercise all at once! ;)

Plus with the handles, it made getting Chance back into the boat a breeze!

Size was perfect. Definitely a worth while purchase!

My dog had a great time on the canoe trip and paddled around with ease. I really liked this PFD because it has a netting under the body. So that the pressure is displaced throughout her body and not just with a chest and body straps, though it has the straps too.
I didn't have to worry about my doggie because she paddled and floated all around the canoe and people swimming. Plus she looked cute also.

I use this on my lab/pitt mix even though he's a strong swimmer. Eases the mind. It keeps his head up if he gets tired and the handles are nice for pulling him out of the water and if your tubing he likes to pull people around. It didn't slide around and he didn't mind wearing it.