Paws Aboard Dog Life Jacket - Swimming Vest for Dogs, Adjustable, Reflective, Comfortable, Multiple Colors, Patterns, XX-Small to Extra Large Dog Swim Vest with Handle (Grey Camo/Orange, Medium)

I have a Jack Russell Terrier who is slightly smaller than most within his breed. I read a TON of the reviews on the size small and size extra-small of this life jacket and waffled as to which was the appropriate size for my JT Rocky. Unfortunately my best guestimate was inaccurate. So I am going to give you the measurements that I have available to me (my dog and the vest) in the hopes that you will know which one to choose if you have a small dog. The size small was too large for my Jack Russell.Rocky, the amazing (and exceedingly handsome) Jack Russell Terrier: Weight: 14.5 pounds Neck measurement: 10" Chest measurement (measured directly behind the front legs): 18" Collar to tail measurement: 15" Collar to privates (called a peeper around here): 12"The last measurement is kind of important unless you truly desire that your likely already emasculated male dog lose all outward appearances of a male (or you desire your male or female dog to pee all over their life jacket). Honestly....I hadn't thought of this one when we purchased the vest but the size small life jacket kind of cramped his style as it was too long!Paws Aboard SMALL Neoprene Designer Doggy Life Jacket: Neck measurement (at it's smallest adjustment): 12" Neck measurement (at it's largest adjustment - velcro is not used - it is only the strap & buckle securing the opening): 18" The chest straps have a LOT of flexibility in them. I was able to secure the vest around my dog without any problem and it probably would have adequately kept him floating but he would have HATED it and it was definitely too big! As I mentioned before it invaded his peeper....it basically was too long and so it covered it over making him very aggravated. It is difficult to provide measurements here. I am hoping to be able to add some photos that will help.The life jacket itself is awesome! I love the velcro combined with the buckles and straps...extra security. The straps are thick and wide and covered with a breathable fabric. This will make it much more comfortable! The life jacket is well made and looks like it should hold up to a lot of water adventures.I have ordered the extra-small and am returning this life jacket to Amazon. Paws Aboard Extra Small Neoprene Designer Doggy Life Jacket, Red Lifeguard

Leash D-ring webbing failed as our 16 pound Dachshund jumped overboard while we were sailing. The D-ring webbing failed immediately. We haven't installed netting on our lifelines yet, since we just purchased the boat, so we had a leash attached to the D-ring to provide positive control of our dog while underway. Fortunately our dog is a very good swimmer but as a safety measure we had her in the life jacket. We were able to perform a quick man (dog) overboard maneuver to get her back aboard, but if the conditions were not as good as they were, we could have lost her.Very poor quality control of the webbing attachment. Since the dog weighs only 16 pounds, I would have expected the D-Ring webbing to have SOME level of support. I expect the D-Ring is single stitched to the life jacket, so it failed with very little stress. Please check the integrity of your D-Rings if you have purchased this item. You can simply attach your leash to the D-Ring on the vest and have someone pull the life jacket while you hold the leash. Make sure you are pulling at least the same force as the weight of your dog. Had we tried this test, the D-Ring would have failed in the safety of our home rather than underway in an emergency.

My corgi weighs 30 lbs and the medium fits perfectly. It has a wrap around flap for under the belly which is meshed to let water and air flow. The buckles are easy to snap in and the top of the jacket has a handle to lift my dog out of the water. There is also a nylon loop near the back neck to attach a leash to...a big improvement from a different jacket I had before. The only complaint is not the fault of the jacket...it is a bit long on mr corgi's torso, covering up his boy parts...so he can't pee with it on. I'll post a picture of my dog in his jacket...he loves to go stand up paddle boarding.

I bought this doggy life vest after trying two others that didn't work for us and I'm glad I did. My dog's measurements seem to be right in the middle of a small and a medium in this and most brands. He's 18 pounds and his chest measures 21 inches, so I could've chosen either size. I went with the medium first and it was way too big. The only way I could get it to fit him was to bunch it up underneath and I didn't feel like that was safe or comfortable. I exchanged it for the small and it is absolutely perfect. I was worried that the velcro would only go around partially but it goes all the way around him. Its not too bulky and he has no problems swimming in it. He doesn't roll over in the water as some other reviewers have noted. I am very happy with it and would recommend.

I really want to like this adorable little life vest that we bought for our dachshund... We bought the vest because we have a pool and wanted to let our little guys come in the water and not have to work so hard to swim. Maybe this isn't the proper utility for this vest, because whenever we let go of him in the water he log-rolls to one side like a kayak tipping over. It looks great on him and despite the fact that we accidentally ordered a size too small (we meant to get small but ordered XS by mistake) it seems comfortable on him. He can run and paddle well (until he rolls over uncontrollably). It is made well and has great straps and clips. We tried the vest on another of our smaller dachshunds and the same problem with tipping occurred. Maybe a breed with a shorter body would do well with this vest, but we will keep looking for the perfect fit for our little guys.