The Cabela's Neoprene Dog Vest (starting at $29.99) is marketed primarily as field vest to protect the underside of your hunting dog. The 5mm thick neoprene is designed to fend off briars and other annoying things hidden in the underbrush that could cause cuts and abrasions to your dog's sensitive parts. Although not designed or marketed as a life jacket for dogs, the packaging points out that the vest it will add buoyancy for your dog, so we decided to add to our mix.

These vests were designed mainly for larger dogs with a chest girth of 24 inches or greater. There are no buckles or straps, but has huge overlapping Velcro closures to get a tight fit. To get a true, customized fit, the enclosed directions encourage you to trim away any excess material with a pair of sharp scissors.

This vest did not perform as well as any of the other jackets we tested for dogs. It had far less buoyancy with barely any noticeable benefit in this regard. It fit well, appeared comfortable and presumably provides some warmth, much like a wetsuit. The owners of the dogs that tested these jackets felt that even though the jacket didn't provide drastic flotation, it did provide them with the benefit of peace of mind.