Vests and Protective Gear for your Hunting Dog

Wild boar hunting is an aggressive affair for both man and dog. Feral pigs can easily give a fatal bite or kick and injure your dogs in a fight. You need to protect your dogs. There are many gears you can find for this, but the most common and practical is the protective vest.

While the reasons to buy your dog a vest are apparent, the type of vest you buy matters. Many things influence the best kind of vest: the weather, terrain, and the size of the prey, among others.

Types of dog hunting vests and their uses

Visibility Vests

When hunting, it is always good to know where your bay dogs are. You may accidentally shoot them if you cannot tell them apart from the prey from a distance.

There are GPS dog trackers you can use to pinpoint your dog’s location accurately. But a reflective and bright-colored vest will work fine and is more affordable.

They can be bright orange or green. If you plan to hunt at night, you will need a reflective dog hunting vest. The reflective nature makes it suitable for hunting at night. You can always locate where your dog is despite the time of day.

When hunting with a pack of dogs, you can have them have one uniform bright color or choose different bright colors. The best visibility vests are also durable and have extra safety features.

Visibility vests are for tracking dogs that often disappear into thickets after their prey.

Winter vests

Wild boars can survive in any weather condition, including cold winter areas. Hunting in the snow is not easy, but it is possible. The primary protection your dog needs when hunting in the snow is a warm vest. Both Bay dogs and Catch dogs need a winter vest when hunting in the cold.

It keeps them warm and gives you more advantages when they remain healthy. The best hunting winter vest uses neoprene material. It ensures your dog is warm and well-insulated even when the vest is wet.

You should also keep your dogs warm in cold weather areas besides winter. A good vest for such areas is a synthetic or woolen material.

Winter vests must not necessarily be bulky. They can have insulating and dry properties depending on the material you choose. A good winter vest depends on the breed of your hunting dogs. Some have more fur, while others have less coat.

Winter vests should have a buoyancy aspect as well. While hunting in cold weather areas, dogs sometimes have to swim in icy water. The ability to float in freezing weather is essential when hunting for an extended period in the cold.

Kevlar Vests

When the hunt gets aggressive, your dogs need to stay protected. Kevlar vests are suitable for close combat with wild boars. They protect your dogs from bites and scratches. Kevlar vests also allow your catch dogs to give a good chase in rough terrain without the fear of sustaining injuries.

Kevlar vests protect your dog’s spine, neck, belly, topside, and chest. It gives your battle dog a fighting advantage while protecting its vulnerable areas.

Feral pigs can grow to massive sizes and can be intimidating to face one. Dogs can attack recklessly and have open wounds. Kevlar vests are combat vests that account for the movements and protection of your hunting dog. The vest should be permeable to allow instinctive movements but rigid to prevent bites and scratches.

Another feature of the Kevlar vest is the weight. A lighter vest makes the chase easy for the dog when hot on the heels of its prey. Finding the balance between protection and speed is essential when hunting at night as visibility is compromised.

We have an entire article on how dangerous hogs can be for your hunting dog if you want to read more on the subject.

Floatation Vests

Hunting vests should be fit for any terrain. In swampy areas or when hunting along riversides and lakes, hunting may involve swimming. When hunting in such areas, you need a vest that gives your dog buoyancy.

The ability to float effortlessly in water will give your dog an advantage when chasing after prey. It will increase its swiftness and motion in the water while sparing its energy for the attack.

A buoyancy vest is made of neoprene materials to keep your dog warm when diving in icy waters. It can be for both bay dogs and catch dogs.

Rainproof Vests

These are vests suitable for wet climates or hunting when it is raining. It keeps your dog dry and warm while out on a damp hunt. A rainproof vest is a waterproof vest. It keeps your dogs insulated from cold temperatures.

The best rainproof vests are of nylon and neoprene material. It keeps your dogs warm even when the vest is wet.

Rainproof vests are versatile and not only for hunting dogs. You can have your pet dog stay warm as well when you are on a camping trip with your dog. Rainproof vests do more than protect your dogs from rain. They should add to visibility and allow your dog to move freely in thickets and tight spaces.

Hybrid Vests

These are the vests that have more than one safety feature. They are suitable for all kinds of hunting terrain. For example, a Kevlar vest for hunting during winter should be well insulated. You can also add bright colors to a Kevlar vest to improve your visibility when hunting.

Bay dogs may also need Kevlar vests because they are first to face the danger from the wild boars. There are many types of hybrid vests in the market for all hunting dogs. Regardless of size. Some are custom depending on the hunter’s terrain.

Going hog hunting with your hunting dogs is a fun experience. The reward of a successful hunt is priceless and adds to a deeper bond between you and your working dogs. To enjoy this kind of relationship for a long time, you need to give your dog the best dog hunting vest.

Make sure you size your vest correctly! This is a video that explains how you do it.