Updated May 2025 | Originally published June 2022

Not all dogs were built for the water. Most breeds lack the Lab’s legendary webbed toes, and some (your brachycephalic friends with the smushed noses and barrel chests, we’re looking at you) are working against some serious hydrodynamic odds. Even dogs who can swim like champs get tired, get cold, and can misjudge their limits in ways that end badly.

Years ago, our pug Zip (built like a VW Beetle, equally waterproof) wouldn’t swim. We’d put his life jacket on him at the beach just in case, and one day he trotted right out behind us into the water without seeming to notice that this pug was not, for once, sinking like a rock. The life jacket opened his world. He swam the rest of his life. Slow and low, like a tugboat, but a tugboat gets where it’s going.

More recently, we helped our rescue mix Mercy learn to swim. The life jacket gave her the confidence she needed. Now she’s a swimming champ. That’s the thing people don’t always realize: a good life jacket isn’t just safety equipment. It’s a confidence-builder. For the nervous dog, the senior dog whose joints ache, the strong swimmer who just needs to stay in the water longer, a dog life jacket (also called a dog PFD, for personal flotation device) changes what’s possible.

Our rule: if there’s open water, put on the life jacket. Docks, boats, kayaks, paddleboards, unfamiliar swimming holes. Every dog. Every time. Even the Chessie who would retrieve a mooring buoy if you let her.

What to Look For in a Dog Life Jacket

Fit is everything. A life jacket that slips, bunches, or restricts movement is worse than useless. It’s a false sense of security. Here’s what matters:

Measure your dog’s girth — the widest part of their chest — not their weight. Sizes vary by brand, so always check the brand’s own size chart.

Look for a sturdy rescue handle positioned at the top of the back. This is how you haul your dog out of the water and back onto the boat or dock. It needs to hold under pressure.

Full-body support matters. Many dog life jackets support only the back and sides. The best ones also provide flotation underneath the chest, which is where your dog actually needs buoyancy to keep their head up.

High visibility colors and reflective trim help you spot your dog quickly, especially in choppy water or low light.

Our Picks

We carry three dog life jackets, selected because we trust them and stand behind them. Here’s how to choose.

Ruffwear Float Coat Dog Life Jacket
Shop the Ruffwear Float Coat in Wave Orange, Purple Lily or Deep Blue | Starting at $99.99

We’ve carried the Float Coat since we opened in 2000. That’s not inertia. It’s 25 years of watching it perform, fit every shape of dog, and hold up season after season. If you’ve been in our store and asked about a dog life jacket, there’s a good chance you left with this one.

The Float Coat is built with soft, PVC-free Gaia foam panels placed strategically to support a natural swimming position without restricting movement. The handle is strong, low-profile, and optimally positioned for actually lifting a dog out of the water, not just holding on while they flail. There’s also a leash clip-in point under the handle and reflective trim for visibility in low light. A telescoping neck closure adjusts for a range of dog sizes, and the sheltered buckles stay locked even when wet.

Sizes run XXS through XL. It fits the long-bodied, the barrel-chested, the fluffy, and the lean. If your dog has a shape, the Float Coat probably fits it.

Best for: All-around water use — lakes, rivers, kayaking, paddleboarding, beaches. The go-to for most dogs and most water situations.

Bay Dog Monterey Bay Life Jacket
Shop the Bay Dog Monterey Bay | Starting at $54.99

New to our lineup this season, Bay Dog was founded by boaters on the Chesapeake Bay, and that origin shows in the design. What sets the Monterey Bay apart from most dog life jackets on the market is the full-body flotation design. Most jackets are open under the dog’s front legs and chest. The Monterey Bay supports your dog’s entire body from below, with enhanced chest flotation that keeps the head above the waterline. That’s meaningful safety design, not just a comfort upgrade.

It’s built from 600D abrasion-resistant Oxford Poly fabric with a UV-resistant coating, and it dries fast. A large hook-and-loop panel plus buckles ensure a secure, no-slip fit. There’s a rescue handle, a saltwater-resistant D-ring for leash attachment, high-visibility color, and 360-degree reflective trim. An expandable neck collar accommodates a range of shapes.

Best for: Dockside use, lake and river swimming, paddling adventures. A strong pick for smaller dogs who need a closer, more supportive fit around the chest.

Bay Dog Monterey Bay Offshore Life Jacket
Shop the Bay Dog Monterey Bay Offshore in Nautical Yellow or Blaze Orange | Starting at $69.99

Same Monterey Bay foundation, purpose-built for open water and boating. And there’s one feature on this jacket we haven’t seen on any other canine PFD: self-righting pontoons.

Most dog life jackets keep a dog afloat. The Offshore goes further. Two stabilizing pontoons on the back are precisely positioned so that if your dog enters the water sideways or upside down (as a dog going overboard in rough conditions might), the pontoons roll them upright. Combined with enhanced chest flotation and a chin float pad that keeps the head elevated above the waterline, the Offshore is designed for the scenario where your dog doesn’t choose to go in the water. That’s a very different situation from a happy lake swim, and it calls for a very different jacket.

Dual rescue handles on sizes M and up make it easier to haul a larger dog back aboard. Saltwater-resistant hardware, high-visibility colors, and 360-degree reflective panels round out the package.

Best for: Boating in open water, offshore sailing, any situation where conditions could get rough. If your dog is coming with you on the ocean, this is the one.

A Note on Sizing

Every brand sizes differently. Our staff can help you fit a life jacket in store — it’s worth doing before you get to the dock. If you’re ordering online, measure your dog’s girth carefully and use the specific brand’s size chart, not a general pet sizing guide. And once it’s on: two fingers should fit under the straps, the jacket shouldn’t slide forward or back, and the handle should sit squarely on top of the dog’s back.

Come See Us

We have all three life jackets in store in Portland, Maine. If you’re not sure which one is right for your dog, come in. We’ll help you figure it out, and we’ll probably want to hear about where you’re taking them this summer.

Shop all Dog Life Jackets