Pistachio at Sea: August 2011

All dogs can swim. MYTH

Instinctively, a dog will paddle and try to swim, but not all dogs can. I'm not the dog whisperer here, but I like to think I know a thing or two about our furry four-legged friends, and a nervous dog in water will panic - I'm looking at you Pugsley.

Additionally, not all dogs were built for swimming, short legged, heavy-bodied breeds (see Pugs) are less buoyant and struggle to support themselves with their little legs. So, even if you have a dog who isn't terrified of the water, he or she might not necessarily be equipped for swimming.

But don't fear! There is an easy solution to keep you and your dog enjoying the water safely:

Doggy Life Jackets!

There are lots of options for all shapes and sizes. A good outdoors or sporting shop should carry at least a few varieties; we found ours at a specialty Kayaking store.

Here are Pugsley and Reggie modeling their very own PFDs:

Suiting up!

Both pups have jackets with sturdy handles on top. I think this is a must if you're going to be using them while doing any kind of activity like kayaking or sailing, where the animal might fall overboard. I've had to use it to lift Pugsley out of the water more than once...