After spending a day in and on the water, "peace of mind" was a theme all dog owners mentioned when asking for their final comments. A few owners even suggested that the dog life jackets boosted confidence in some of the pets.

In addition to the benefit of extra overall buoyancy, the life jackets actually kept the dog's hind quarters from sinking lower than their front legs, which gave them a more horizontal profile in the water. This profile gave the dogs a more efficient forward stroke with less bicycling.

To our surprise, the dogs weren't terribly bothered by wearing the life jackets either in the water or on land. When shopping for a life jacket for your dog, here are few things to keep in mind:

Tips for Shopping for a Dog's Life Jacket

• Know your dog's chest girth in inches, back length in inches and weight in pounds before you shop.
• Sizes range typically from S, M, L, and XL but sizing wasn't always consistent brand to brand.
• Take your pet with you so that you can try on for proper fit; ask your dog to sit and check for discomfort.
• Be certain straps are led properly and try lifting your dog with the handle.

Here are some addiditional features to consider:

• The more adjustments, buckles and closures, the better the final fit.
• Velcro closures work great. However, they tend to attract hair and need cleaning.
• A lifting handle is a must. It can also be helpful if you need to grab it with a boat hook.
• The wider the straps, the more comfortable. Straps under the belly should be padded.
• Jackets that are thinner and have neoprene conform better to a dog's shape.
• Jackets that are thicker aren't as forgiving and will bunch up when the dogs are in a sitting-position.
• A high visibility color and reflective tape is important for spotting your dog in low visibility.

Overall, we are pleased with the variety of dog life jackets that are available today and felt we identified a representative sampling. For certain, there are other dog life jackets out there, but they are similar to the jackets already evaluated and we felt there was no need to test them, especially if it was just a rebranded version for another store.

As we often say with regard to life jackets for people, the best life jacket is the one you'll wear, and the same adage holds true for your pet. So if you're concerned about your dog's swimming ability, or that a misstep might result in your dog ending up in the water, you might want to consider a dog life jacket. How could you say no?