Outbound Hound

[CaptainOllieWest]

We purchased an Outbound Hound PFD for our dog. Our little dog was able to escape the PFD. She was in front of my wife and emerged from under the bow seat fully naked. We did not see how she managed to remove it. I have since tried it at home and it seems secure. I did tighten the straps a little.

Maybe it is a combination of a 1:1 neck to head ratio and her short legs?

Anyone else have experience with these PFDs?

 

[Black_Fly]

That PFD looks a little big for your pup.
I have 2 of those pfds that I used with the dogs when they were small. No problems escaping, but they outgrew it quickly. I went to a wrap around jacket models for the adult dogs.

 

[CaptainOllieWest]

Thank you for your response. The PFD is the size recommended for the girth of the dog. I don't think the next smaller size from this company. would fit. She is a kind of a Chiweenie mix; long body, short legs and fairly thick through the chest. I will float her in the pool before we use it again. We may need to look for a different brand/style.

 

[CaptainOllieWest]

I had the brand of the PFD wrong. It is a Outward Hound not Outbound Hound.

 

[JCH_Ski]

Ours can escape pretty much anything. Collars, harnesses, skijoring harnesses,….. have to use a martingale collar on her, because she can back right out of a regular flat collar

I just concocted a short leash with clips on both ends to connect the pfd to her collar, so if she slips one, she’s still connected to the other.

 

[yellowcanoe]

Don't have my pup's CFD handy but he keeps sticking his paw through the neck.The belly is adjustable the neck less so. Our pup is a Carolina Dog with a deep narrow chest.

 

[ppine]

I have used dog PFDs from Outward Hound.
They work fine. Dogs need to get used to them and they need to be adjusted right.

 

[Black_Fly]

the neck has to be adjusted to the precise size for the thing to fit. It should not cover the hips.

 

[yellowcanoe]

the neck has to be adjusted to the precise size for the thing to fit. It should not cover the hips.

that is our issue. Neck is too big. Dogs are not shaped equally. Ours has an M neck and a L girth. But the velcro adjustable neck ones tend to part when the dog runs around on land in camp

 

[ppine]

I have had several different dogs swim some Class III rapids over the years. Sometimes they fell out of the boat and sometimes the boat went over. All did fine with a lifejacket. I had one Border Collie that was a very strong swimmer. She would swim rapids for fun.

 

[CaptainOllieWest]

No escapes today. It seems to be working well.

 

[Tsuga8]

I had an Outward Hound PFD that dry-rotted within 3-4 yrs of purchase and fell apart in the middle of a trip. Now, I left it in the hot car in the sun sort of often, but I've had human PFDs I've treated similarly with much more longevity. Anyways, check your gear before a trip!

After that one I got a Ruffwear PFD, which is what our canine physiotherapy place (that's a whole other story) was using exclusively. It's held up really well but the neck section isn't nearly so adjustable. Although there is a neck adjustment strap, the foam in the neck keeps the range of sizing somewhat limited.

 

[ppine]

Corgis really benefit from wearing a PFD. I have had two of them that loved the water while wearing them. They are not really built to swim well. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert are long gone. Zoey a rescue gets swimming lessons next week.