Since Jerry just wrote about swimming your tripawd to better health, we thought it only fitting to announce availability of the new Ruffwear life jackets for dogs here in the Tripawds Gear blog. Check out this review of the Float Coat canine life vests from Ruffwear…
Swimming is some of the best physical therapy you can offer your three legged dog. The Float Coat from Ruffwear ensures safety for your pup and peace of mind for yourself when taking to the water with your Tripawd. Now available in two styles, there is a Float Coat to fit every lifestyle and budget.
NOTE: Sizing, colors and pricing have been updated.
Order Ruffwear Life Vests Here!
One of the biggest advantages of a Ruffwear Float Coat: strategically placed PVC-free buoyancy cells that support dogs in a natural horizontal swimming position, allowing them to go farther, longer, with less fatigue.
While this video shows the original Float Coat in action, it shows many of the same benefits available with the new Float Coats from Ruffwear …
Ruffwear Float Coats should fit snugly. This performance fit ensures the coat remains on your dog when needed most. Please measure carefully! The correct size is determined by measuring the widest part around your dog’s rib cage (girth).
If your dog is in between sizes, Ruffwear suggests selecting the smaller size for an active performance fit.
| Size | Dog Girth† | |
| XXS | 13″-17″ | 33-43 cm |
| XS | 17″-22″ | 43-56 cm |
| S | 22″-27″ | 56-68 cm |
| M | 27″-32″ | 69-81 cm |
| L | 32″-36″ | 81-91 cm |
| XL | 36″-42″ | 91-106 cm |
† Girth: Measurement around widest part of rib cage
Is your Tripawd in-between sizes?
Ruffwear Float Coat:
The Float Coat for dogs is perfect for supporting your dog in all types of water conditions, day or night, indoors or out.
Chuy wears his for his swim therapy. It really helped him when we first started because he didn’t want to put any weight on his left rear leg at all! Now he gets excited when we put it on him to go swimming.
It works great for front-heavy dogs too, like some bully breeds. My terrier mix was built a little like a Bulldog and had severe hip dysplasia in one hip, and without a Float Coat he had to paddle frantically reaching his front legs high out of the water to keep his head above the water. With a life jacket he was able to swim normally.
The Ruff Wear Float Coat Life Jacket for dogs is one of the best out there. I wouldn’t want to be without this great product. My little Jack Russell loves the water and this life jacket provides her the best in safety and security and it looks great on her as well!
Charley loves his Ruff Wear Float Coat!!! He never swam as a quad-paw, but he loves swimming as a Tripawd!!!
Here’s a link of him swimming with his cool float coat:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn_6m1ulhBc&feature=plcp
Hugs and chocolate Labby kisses,
Ellen & Charley
Can I use the Float Coat instead of the traditional harness? Or do I need both? It looks like I don’t really need both and my dog loves to swim and I’ve signed him for a rehab program that makes use of a swim tank.
Thanks for asking Gregg. The Float Coat is a life jacket for dogs, the Webmaster harness is not. The harness should not be used for swimming or hydrotherpay since it provides no buoyancy.
While the Float Coat does have a handle for helping dogs in and out of the water, it is not designed to be used full-time as a harness. Hope this helps!
Hi,
Do you have an Australian supplier or any ideas how I can get a float coat for my aussie tripawd? He’s a black lab, MVA survivor, only just got him home.
Regards,
Melissa
Thanks for asking Melissa. You can find our list of recommended International Ruffwear Dealers at the bottom of our Webmaster harness review.
want to know if international excludes Canada ?,,\My pooch lost his rear leg last year but loves the water…summers coming and would like to know if the site im on would mail me a swimvest with price for my german shepperd and how to go about this buy…
Sorry, Ruffwear will not ship outside the U.S. for us. Please find alternative resellers here.
Question – My dog is missing a front leg. Will this life vest work for him? How does it compensate for the lack of even weight distribution?
🙂 You will notice in the video above, that Jerry is missing a front leg. We recommend the Float Coat, because unlike many dog life jackets, Ruffwear designs this one with flotation under the chest where it is needed most. Find more info and reviews here.