D-fa Float Doggy Dog Life Jacket Review

If you SUP with your Pup it is important to keep them protected with a good flotation vest.

Not only will a life jacket keep your dog safe if either of you should fall overboard or if your dog jumps in, but it will also help you get your dog back on your board afterwords.

I LOVE seeing people SUP with their dogs. It is an awesome experience to share with them. However I can’t stress enough how important it is to keep your dog safe with a PFD.

We have three dogs and they all paddle with us. I have tried a few different dog life jackets over the years and have come to realize the quality, functionality and features can differ greatly.

Oscar our happy-go-lucky 13-year old German Shepherd, who is still (thankfully) paddle boarding with us, recently got to test out the Float Doggy life jacket by D-fa Dogs.

Oscar is really getting up there in age, especially for a German Shepherd and he doesn’t have the strength that he used to.

He has always been an avid swimmer but these days even when swimming he needs to wear his PFD as he is losing the strength in his back end.

It would be sad to leave him behind as he still wants to go out with us, so we just make sure he is properly protected and help the old guy out when he needs it. 🙂

The Float Doggy excelled in every way from durability to functionality and we were super happy with it.

Best of all Oscar seemed very comfortable and all aspects of the jacket worked as they should.

The Float Doggy has a patented enclosed ergonomic design that works so well for a balanced, comfortable and secure fit that we think it puts most other dog lifejackets to shame.

Special Design Features

Harness Construction

The harness construction is one of the best design features of this PFD.

It basically allows for a very secure and comfortable fit without any aggravating pressure points around the throat or under the armpits.

Most dog life jackets secure around the neck but not around the dogs chest.

I love that this one secures around the entire chest keeping the dog:

• more buoyant in the water with less strain on the head
• more secure when lifting out of the water

Oscar weighs 75 lbs and the harness construction really helped to securely lift him onto the board from the water.

The tapered panels provide a really nice fit and will work well with a variety of dog shapes and sizes.

Chest Panel

We noticed right off the bat that Oscar was having no problem holding his head above water when swimming.

The chest panel really helped to keep his head comfortably afloat without putting any pressure on his throat which allowed this senior pup to swim to his hearts content!

Foam Segments
The variable density foam in the construction of the jacket is meant to complement natural buoyancy and provide a better fit.

Double Straps

I love that this vest has no velcro. My smallest dog Jax has a cheaper PFD that has some velcro and I have never liked it.

Velcro is not nearly as secure and will wear over time especially when wet.

The Float Doggy has two strong and durable clips on each side that wrap around the dogs chest and clip on the back keeping the vest firmly secure.

Lift Handle

Don’t ever buy a dog PFD without a lift handle, it is critical to have one of these.

The lift handle helps you lift your dog back onto your SUP or in your kayak or on your boat or even on to a dock.

Without the lift handle this can be extremely hard to do and scary for the dog.

The top lift handle on this life jacket is durable and strong. We found that it worked great and had no problem lifting Oscar’s 75 lbs. back onto our paddle board.

There is no way he would have the strength to do it himself and certainly not without tipping us.

With the lift handle we could help him out of the water and safely onto our SUP.

The handle is long and easy to grab and lays flat when not in use.

There is also a heavy-duty plastic D-ring just above the handle that can be used to clip a leash.

Durable Material

The Float Doggy is made with Cordura® Nylon and waterproof reflective tapes.

You will notice right off the bat how durable it feels. We were impressed with the quality and it seems really well made.

It comes with a 1-year warranty but I would imagine that it will last for many years (possibly the lifetime of your dog) and withstand a fair amount of wear and tear.

Reflective Tape

The waterproof reflective taping down the center of the back will keep your dog visible in low light. Great safety feature!

Carry Bag

Just to add a cherry on top of an already awesome product, D-fa includes a nylon carry bag with mesh backing in the package.

The bag isn’t anything spectacular but it gives you somewhere to store the lifejacket where it can still easily breath.

The bag is large enough to fit Oscar’s size large vest as well as other gear. I now use it to store and transport all three of my dog PFD’s.

Bottom Line

This flotation vest will enrich Oscars life and allow him to safely continue doing the things that he loves with his family.

There is still life in the old guy yet and we are hoping for many more SUP’ing adventures together!

Update July 2018:  Our little guy Jax now has a Float Doggy PFD as well.  I wasn’t happy with his old lifejacket and wanted him to have one with a better fit and more support.

His Float Doggy PFD fits perfectly, provides good support and helps him feel comfortable when swimming in the water.  Plus we think he looks adorable!

Where To Buy

Click here for the best deal on the Float Doggy Life Jacket from the official d-fa.com website.