# skid plate and vests



## Ac_EsS (Jul 3, 2007)

Hey guys,
I know this topic has probally been beatin to a pulp. But I have cabela's hunter orange 5mm neoprene vest but i am concerned that if it is hot out it will over heat my dog. what do you guys think?
I am thinking of a skid plate vest that also is a vest so you can see the orange on the side of the dog any ideas appreciate the help guys thanks in advanced
Aaron


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## hunter9494 (Jan 21, 2007)

my only comment is how in the hell did we ever get along without this stuff years ago? answer, easy, the dogs performed just fine.


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## Ac_EsS (Jul 3, 2007)

hunter9494,

I am sorry but would rather path $20-$30 for vest then to have to pay a few HOUNDRED dollars for stiches or staples. i am not the richest man out there but I am not the poorest either. See I get paid the bare minimum from the government and I would like to save my investments and my best friend (ie my dog) from things that can be prevented. :wink:


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## griffman (Jan 17, 2004)

Aaron, I agree, they are needed sometimes. I actually have two of them, I got one at a NAVHDA rummage sale for cheap 

Here's my choice....the "tummy saver".
http://www.lcsupply.com/Product/Dog-Boo ... -Vest.html

I like the orange that wraps around the top of the dog too, easier to see him. The most important thing though, is how it fits and the material. The neoprene is great for the water, cordura is better for the field.

Make sure it's not too snug around the dogs armpits or they'll rub raw. You can alter a t-shirt to fit your dog as a buffer against the rubbing or put some moleskin around the edges of the vest if it starts rubbing the dog. Another good tip to "soften" up the vests is to wash them a few times. The outer edge seams of the vests can be quite stiff and really raise hell with the dogs skin.

I use mine only when needed, say on the third day of hunting in a row or something like that. I like the dog to toughen up on his own as much as possible. The same goes with dog boots. If the dog where's the vest and boots all the time, they don't get tough skin/pads etc...

Every protective vest I've ever seen comes with heat issues. Even the cordura ones get hot for the dogs. The "easy spot" vest covers the top of the dog only, no tummy protection, but probably a lot cooler for the dog, more of a visibility vest than protective. Cordura is cooler than the neoprene though.

*Hunter 9494*- FYI, I know what you mean about getting along without some products, however, I've read of at least three dogs that have died from impaling themselves in corn stalks, sunflower stalks, and downed trees. All those dogs were good or developing hunting dogs, high drive and very well taken care of by their owners. The similar theme with the dogs seemed to be their high drive. Two of the owners stated they had just started hunting that day maybe a half hour into the hunt when the dog impaled himself.

This is something I think we've all seen, you let your dog outta the box and they start going wild once they hit the field! They can be pretty careless, especially on that first field of the day.


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## hunter9494 (Jan 21, 2007)

i know what you mean, for protection from sharp objects, the vests do offer some safety, but eventually all dogs need to learn how to work through their environment and not sustain injury.

i just prefer not to use them on an upland dog, maybe in extreme cold conditions on a short coated dog, but they can hang up on fences and other objects during a water retrieve and i would hate for my dog to drown with that being the cause.

there are possible good and bad outcomes when using a vest.


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## Turner (Oct 7, 2005)

I have thought about getting one for my springer mostly because of the cockleburrs (sp). Things that I am concerned about for an upland dog. (1)Over heating, even though she's a short coat dog she gets hot fast. Even when there is snow on the ground, if she comes across open water she heads right for it to swim and drink. (2) With the openings around the neck and legs I would be concerned about sticks and twigs being funneled into her body instead of just glancing off. I think I would much rather find boots for her since the snow and ice cake up so bad inbetween the pads of her feet.


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## CrashinKona (Mar 5, 2007)

Turner said:


> With the openings around the neck and legs I would be concerned about sticks and twigs being funneled into her body instead of just glancing off. quote]
> 
> That has happend to my gsp already this summer.. probably about three times.. he is fine but i stoped putting his jacket on him..


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## Horsager (Aug 31, 2006)

I carry one most of the time but don't use it unless my dog gets a scrape or begins to rub raw somewhere. If I know we're going to hunt near or in cattails I just put it on, they are very abrasive, much more so than you'd think. CRP, even that wil Koshia in it isn't generally a problem. For what it's worth, my dog is fairly fine coated as he's in the house all year.


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## Dak (Feb 28, 2005)

The funneling Turner mentioned also happens with burrs and such. Our dogs were getting beat up more by stuff funneled under the vest than what the vest was stopping. We quit using them.


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## USAlx50 (Nov 30, 2004)

I just use the vests when the water gets really cold, to the point it's partially iced over.. If you stick your hand inside it you can actually feel warmth.


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## Bigdog (Aug 13, 2003)

I use 5mm neoprene vests for cold weather and do have a Skid Plate brand chest protector for one dog. When he was young he had very thin hair on his chest and would get rubbed raw. I got the Skid Plate from Cabela's and it worked great. At the time there was a regular and a narrow model. The narrow was for dogs that did not have a wide chest and is cut so it did not rub the pits. I don't have to use it anymore but it sure was handy for a couple years.


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## NDTerminator (Aug 20, 2003)

I don't use a vest for upland, but if we're water hunting ducks at 40 degrees or less, I put them on the dogs.

I like the Cabelas deluxe with extra floatation and the chest protector. The extra floation helps in that the dog uses less energy swimming and the chest protector prevents ice injuries. The vest itself helps keep the dog's core warm when wet, while waiting in between retrieves.

A nice feature of the Cabelas vest is that it's lock stitched, so you can trim them to fit the dog w/o it coming undone & falling apart. The vests rarely seem to fit out of the package w/o some trimming of the leg holes and belly area...


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