Best Dog Hunting Vest (Review with Buying Guide)

Dogs are the best companions of men during hunting. Not only a good companion, but a dog also helps you in accomplishing your expedition by finding or tracking the animals. Keeping the dogs warm and comfortable is thereby very important. Thinking of that, different vests are available on the market.

Hunting dog vests work as coats that keep your pet warm at extremely cold temperatures, thanks to their dense insulation. Also, most dog vests for hunting are made of highly reflective prints that make the dogs easily visible.

If you’re searching for the best hunting vest for dogs, you’re just at the right place as this article is going to discuss some of the most popular and reliable vests for your pets. Also, you’ll find a buying guide in brief.

Now Have a Quick Overview at All of My Top Picked Products Below:

1. SafetyPUP XD Dog Reflective Vest – Best Overall

Fits Dogs 61 lbs to 100 lbs, 300D Oxford Weave fabric and reinforced stitching for making it durable and long-lasting to withstand the activity of a playful dog, safety blaze orange fabric and reflective trim increase visibility, easily adjustable straps and dual-sided fabric keep the dogs comfortable.

2. Dog Safety Reflective Vest  – Runner Up

Fits dogs of 10 lbs -130 lbs, highly visible vest, strong orange blaze color with reflective prints that are easily seen from 500 feet at night, made of premium quality rip-resistant, waterproof, breathable soft touch fabric, comfortable Velcro closure straps, easily adjustable.

3. Browning Camo Neoprene Vest – MOSSY OAK CAMO

Fits most dogs of 35 to 45 lbs, 3mm neoprene fabric enhances warmth, flexible chest plate for protection, designed to be trimmed for more comfort, heavy-duty nylon stitching keeps it durable, adjustable straps across the back and side.

4. Dog Safety Reflective Vest – Orange Vest for Best Visibility

Made from soft durable 300D oxford weave fabric for best comfortable feeling, superior visibility day and night time, 360˚reflective coverage, adjustable, waterproof & easy cleaning, easy to on and off, adjustable neck-straps to fit almost dog according to sizes.

5. Hiado Dog Reflective Safety Vest – High Visible at Night

Includes a decorative reflective paw print and reflective stripes, the material used: polyester, easily adjustable straps to fit your dog perfectly, highly visible from more than 500 feet with reflective tape.

Why Do You Need A Hunting Dog Vest?

There are different dog vests available on the market. However, vests for expeditions are used to meet specific purposes. Some of the common uses of the hunting vests include:

Make the dog easily visible: It’s very common to lose the dog from your sight during hunting. To make it easily visible, there’re high-visibility hunting vests. These vests are usually of blaze-orange or bright green colors and lightweight.

Protect from injuries: Dogs have to run through harsh and dense paths while hunting and there’s a high possibility to get injured even though their fur provides some protection.

If you provide them a hunting dog vest chest protector, it will keep them safe from cuts, scratches, and punctures.

Keep the dog warm: Even though you arrange a thick coat for your dog at harsh cold temperatures, it’s always welcomed to have an extra vest to keep it warm. It is especially true for the dogs intended for waterfowl-retrieving.

Neoprene hunting dog vests are the most popular fabric to keep the puppy warm even at extremely cold temperatures.

Protect from rain: Well, most dog vests are waterproof to keep your four-legged friend dry as much as possible during a rainy day hiking or hunting.

Increase the dog’s buoyancy: Your pet may need to swim for the sake of hunting or after a tiring retrieval. You can add a little more comfort by putting it on a vest containing floatation aid.

In case if you’re in a hurry….

Just check these two best vests from my review unit. If you are in a hurry, you can trust my recommendation and thank me later.

How I Picked TheHunting Vest for Dogs?

Well, choosing the best vest for your hunting dog wasn’t an easy task to do. High-quality materials change the game mostly as they offer better durability and reliable usage. Also, adjustable straps enable you to adjust the fitting of the vest. Fortunately, most vests nowadays come with these straps.

I also emphasized the visibility of the vest as you might need to keep an eye on the pet while hunting. Some vests, on the other hand, come in camouflage printing which may be utilized when the dog needs to do undercover tasks.

Water resistance and breathability are another two determining factors for me in finding the right vest.

How to Choose the Best Protective Dog Vest for Hunting?

Well, there’s a number of hunting vests for dogs available that may vary in terms of durability, comfort, and efficiency. But you want the best one for your favorite pet, isn’t it?

That’s why you need to be very careful while choosing a hunting vest for the dog. For instance, if you’re going to hunt during summer, you don’t need a vest that keeps your dog safe from freezing temperatures. So, you need to be cautious in finding the right hunting vest for the dog.

This section will discuss some of the factors that will help you to make a better decision. So, let’s start!

• Also Read: Best Upland Hunting Jacket [Top 5 Pick & Review in 2021]

Types of Hunting Dog Vest

Tactical dog vests: These are heavy-duty vests with durable harnesses and are made of sturdy materials. The vests offer a high level of insulation and durability to withstand extreme weather conditions. They are more often categorized as military-grade dog vests.

Neoprene dog vest: Neoprene vests are made with an insulation to help the dog from cold temperatures in the winter. They also work the same as wet suits by trapping the water and retaining the heat in the body of the pet. Neoprene vests are mostly used in winter and wet areas.

Orange blaze dog vest: The vests are also known as the reflective dog vests. If you’re not concerned with the temperature, especially during summer, yet more concerned about the visibility, the vest is what you need. These vests are lightweight and include highly visible straps.

Durable Materials

Durability is the key differentiating factor for hunting vests. Cheap and thin vests tend to be torn apart after one or two use while high-quality thick vests won’t fall apart easily.

A quality vest shouldn’t tear apart from thorn, shrub, other sticks around. Also, it should be washable as you need to wash the vest every time you come from hunting. I recommend using thick neoprene vests for maximum durability.

Perfect Fitting

You need to make sure to get the perfect-sized vest for your dog so that it can be comfortable with it. when I say perfect fitting, I mean the vest shouldn’t be too small or too large for the dog as both results in uncomfortable hiking or hunting.  If you fail to do it, be prepared to have a stressful journey.

So, you should measure the dimension of your pet correctly and adjust it with the sizing chart before ordering a vest. Moreover, you may want a vest with adjustable straps to ensure a good fit.

Leash or Collar Access

You don’t want to remove the vest every time you need to attach the dog’s collar or leash, right? Thanks to the protective dog vest that offers a built-in access for your pet’s leash or collar.

Waterproof

This is particularly important if you go for hunting near a water source too often or the dog needs to catch a waterfowl. A waterproof dog vest keeps the dog dry in the water and keeps it warm when it gets out of the water.

In addition, there’re hunting vests for dogs that work as life jackets as well since they’re filled with floatable material.

Price of The Vest

The prices of dog hunting vests vary in terms of materials and features they carry. If you’re on a budget or use them rarely, you may go for a cheaper product.

However, the price range of the vests isn’t too much to handle. So, I recommend buying a high-quality vest for the best companion of yours.

Best Dog Vest for Upland Hunting: My Top 3 Pick

Here’s a detailed discussion of the best products on my list. Go through the full review before buying one for your pet.

SafetyPUP XD Dog Reflective Vest: Best Overall

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SafetyPUP XD reflective dog vest is certainly one of the best hunting vests for dogs. Starting from the high-quality and durable materials used in the vest to the high-visibility of the vest impressed me.

The major selling point of the vest is its 300D Oxford Weave fabric and reinforced stitching that ensures its durability to withstand rough environments. For such an inexpensive price tag, the high-quality stitching and attention to detail are praiseworthy.

The orange vest for dogs is waterproof and soil-repellent. So, it is perfect to be used during winter and wet places for hunting or hiking.

SafetyPUP XD hunting dog vest is available for your dog no matter what size you need. SafetyPUP has vests for small dogs of 22-34 pounds and a chest diameter of 22-27.5 inches. The medium-sized vests are for dogs of 35-60 pounds with a chest diameter of 24.5-30.75 inches. Similarly, large and extra-large sized vests are there for dogs of 61-100 and 100-130 pounds respectively.

The blaze orange vest is highly visible during day and night with superior reflectivity. It is visible from 500 feet away so you will have a comfortable walk at night with the pet and at the same time passing motorists will be alerted by seeing the reflective vest.

Things I liked

The SafetyPUP XD dog vest keeps your dog cozy and comfortable while eliminating discomfort and irritation. The fabric interior is soft and smooth. Again, the ergonomic design reduces chafing and irritation. You’ll have extended velcro strips for a customized fit as well.

Things I didn’t like

The SafetyPUP XD vest isn’t much breathable as claimed. Also, you may need to trim the straps from time to time.

Dog Safety Reflective Vest: All-Weather Dog Vest

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The dog safety reflective vest is another high-quality upland hunting vest that is ideal for all weather conditions. It is durable, comfortable, highly visible, and easy to use that make the vest popular for a hiking, run, hunt, or any other activity with your four-legged friend

Like I said, the Dog Safety Reflective vest is made of premium quality rip-resistant and breathable soft touch nylon fabric. The vest is waterproof for rain or snow, easy to clean, and has extra stitched velcro straps in addition, for long-lasting durability.

The best dog vest for upland hunting comes with an orange ultra-high visible color with reflective prints. It can easily be noticed by cars in the dark from about 500 feet away. It is available for dogs of all sizes and shapes. Moreover, it comes with adjustable straps so that you can correct the fitting for your dog before going on a hunt.

Another worth mentioning feature of the vest is its lightweight. The nylon fabric is very lightweight of about 3.2 ounces that your pet won’t even understand it’s wearing a vest.

Things I liked

4legsFriend Dor Safety Reflective vest is ergonomic, adjustable, lightweight, and is made of comfortable fabric. The waterproof and machine washable vest can be used throughout all seasons.

Things I didn’t like

The durable vest has an issue with sizes. There’re several reports from the reviewers that the vests they get are smaller than usual. So, I recommend you to order one size larger than you actually need. If you receive a large vest even, adjustable straps are there for a perfect fit.

Browning Camo Neoprene Vest: Most Premium Hunting Dog Vest

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Browning neoprene dog vest is another popular vest for your pet. The premium vest comes in a camouflage pattern which helps your puppy to keep a low profile during hunting.

The browning dog protection vest is made of 3mm neoprene fabric with enhanced warmth and a flexible chest plate for protection. It ensures your companion stays happy for the long-haul which makes it the best dog vest for hog hunting.

The Browning chest protection vest is designed to be trimmed in common friction areas for improved comfort and personalized size as well. Its heavy-duty nylon stitching and seam bar tacks keep the neoprene dog vest durable and in-tact even after trimming.

The hunting dog vest with handle provides easy access to control the dog whenever required. It also has side and back quick-release buckles that can be adjusted easily for the size of your dog. Browning neoprene vest is also available in different sizes that mostly fits the dogs from about 35-80 pounds.

The Browning dog vest is mostly useful in the winter especially if your pet is on a rescue mission. The vest is well-insulated that can keep the dog warm in the harsh terrains.

Note: Browning neoprene dog vest surely helps your dog to swim efficiently but remember that the vest isn’t a life-jacket.

Things I liked

Browning is one of the most popular and reliable brands for making dog vests. The vest is made of high-quality materials that provide comfort and warmth. It also includes adjustable buckles and straps for a perfect fit. Besides, it is slightly buoyant on water but isn’t a life-jacket completely.

Things I didn’t like

The vest isn’t reflective which might not be a favorable option for many. Also, it may overkill on a hot day as your pet might get overheated wearing it for several hours.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Why Do Hunting Dogs Wear Vests?

Hunting vests provide warmth, comfort, and high-visibility to the dogs. People going on a hunt with their pets want to ensure they are comfortable even in extremely cold weather.

Moreover, neoprene hunting vests are made of floatable materials that allow the dogs to swim efficiently. Some of the vests are waterproof to keep your companion dry. Long story short, hunting dogs wear vests for the best comfort so that they can help you to complete a successful expedition.

How Do Neoprene Dog Vests Work?

Neoprene is the most popular fabric used to make dog vests. Neoprene vests provide a decent amount of insulation that keeps your dog warm in cold environments. The vests also provide some flotation factors that save the dog’s energy while swimming.

How to Keep Your Dog Warm During Hunting?

Here’re some ways you can keep the dog warm even in colder environments:

• Keep the dog warm during the journey
• Put a neoprene dog vest on your pet
• Don’t let the dog hunt around on the ice
• Don’t keep a wet dog outside for long
• Don’t keep the dog in water any longer than necessary

Verdict

You need to make sure the dog is safe and comfortable whenever you go on an expedition. It is really important to arrange adequate gears for them that will keep them safe and visible.

That’s why finding the right hunting dog vest is a must. I hope, you’ve got the exact vest you had been looking for by now. Make your order now and be prepared for the next exciting mission.

• Related Post: Our Recommended Top 5 Upland Hunting Pants