|
|
| |
Dog Flotation Vest
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
COLOURS
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
Mango/
Black |
|
Red/
Black |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
4 SIZES
|
|
| Petite to Large |
 |
| |
|
|
PRICE
|
|
All Sizes
NZ$129.29/US$74.95 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
INSPIRED BY: A kayaker who lost his dog on a New Zealand
river
|
|
|
Our Design Process and Philosophy for Float Doggy
There are a number of dog-flotation vests, dog life
jackets and ‘dog flotation devices’ available and like
anything they differ in their price, their design and
their construction. Generally speaking, the more
expensive the jacket the more tailored the design for a
better fit (more curves, fewer squares), the better the
construction and fabrics (the foam inside and the
durability of the outside fabric) and the more thought
that will have gone in to designing and making the
jacket.
Our history is in the design of outdoor gear for
humans and in particular in the design of whitewater
kayaking PFD and clothing. Float Doggy utilizes many of
the principles we used there, but adapts them for a
doggy frame and physiology.
There were four things we
knew we could do better than other dog life jackets and
floatation devices – balance, comfort, ergonomics and
security.
First, balance the dog by assisting the
heaviest and most important parts of the body – the
chest and head. In designs that don’t have support for
the dog under the chest, between the front legs there is
no support for the heaviest part of the dog. So, we
developed our enclosed vest with a flotation panel right
under the chest to help support a natural, balanced
swimming stroke.
Second, for comfort stop hanging the
dog in the jacket, and start cradling it. You know how
your own PFD can ride up around your ears if it’s not
well fitted. Same goes for dogs. Our design has lighter
supporting flotation foam under the belly and more
buoyant flotation foam in the side and upper panels to
both lift and cradle the dog in the jacket.
Third, take
the pressure off the throat and elbows and lift with
security. Jackets with an open front (close with a strip
of foam, Velcro and clip under the head) are easy to put
on and you think they’ll fit better, but, they place
more upward pressure on the throat, elbows and soft
tissue in the belly, particularly when you are trying to
lift them. This is also not the most secure lifting
structure as the dog can slip out through the large hole
in the front of the jacket.
Fourth, make it fit the
shape of the dog Dogs are not square – they have all
kinds of combinations of deep chests, narrow waists and
broad shoulders. Trying to wrap anything square, or cut
from a square around a dog will end up looking like a
badly wrapped Christmas present.
Every panel on the
Float Doggy is curved to help accommodate this. Each one
is articulated (bends) so that it wraps around the dog
smoothly. Different panels have different densities of
foam inside them to help with both fit and balance. The
end result is more ergonomic, comfortable and balanced
functionality.
The cut away shoulders and independent
front and rear fastenings of the Float Doggy also means
we can accommodate deep chests, narrow waists and
different doggy frames in between.
Non-Enclosed Designs
in Dog Life Jackets
Some dog flotation vests are open
designs with a fastening under the throat and straps or
fabric under the belly to secure it in place. These are
designed to fit a wide range of sizes and be super-easy
to put on. The disadvantages of these relate to fit,
flotation (they are less balanced and supportive), and
comfort and security when lifting.
Our belief that it is
better to opt for something that is more fitted, more
balanced and more supportive when it comes to any
flotation device. If it takes a little more time to get
the right fit, or to get the jacket on in the first
place then that’s time well spent if it means a jacket
that performs better at the moment of truth in the
water!
< Back
|
|
|
|
|
