Is Swimming Can Rafts For Puppies Hold?

Swim floats can be fun for both humans and dogs, but most human-grade floats can’t withstand a dog’s sharp claws. On a quest to find great swim floats for my dogs, I recently tested out the SwimWays Paddle Paws. While getting my dogs on the float was harder than expected, this sturdy swim float has earned good reviews.

Swimming test

For me, the appeal of a dog swim float has given my older dogs more opportunities to be outdoors on hot summer days. As temperatures soar in southern Arizona, my dogs lying in the sun or even going for a walk quickly become unsafe for my dogs. Relaxing in the pool or kayaking are both fun, active alternatives to lounging on the sofa.

Other reasons to use swim floats include:

• Take a shy dog ​​to the pool or lake
• Include a dog on water adventures like tubing, kayaking, or windsurfing
• Pure doggy happiness

The Inflatable swimming pool has a hammock design with a mesh floor surrounded by an inflatable ring. It comes in two sizes for small to medium dogs (up to 65 pounds) and large dogs (65 pounds and up). Comes in a bright blue color and is made of a durable material to hold your dog’s sharp nails, the outer ring features a white toenail print. When inflated, the large raft measures nearly 65 inches long, 43 inches wide, and 9 inches high. When folded, it will shrink to a fraction of that size.

On Amazon, the raft has nearly 4,000 reviews, with an overall rating of 4.3 stars out of 5. It claims to use “jet valve technology” to inflate and deflate quickly, and has side springs. inside for easy opening and closing.

The SwimWays swimming pool is ready for a racer.

Inflate and deflate the swim float

With only the outer ring to fill and the jet valve technology to help, the SwimWays dog raft can be inflated with ease. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. The sturdy fabric and position of the valve on the underside of the raft make it hard to tell if you’re actually filling the cavities or just blowing air around. Several reviewers noted a similar struggle, indicating the problem was an ineffective valve.

I tried filling the float with my mouth as recommended on the box. However, in the end, I used pump. In addition to minimizing struggle, a pump gets you and your pup into the water faster. Plus, it helps to ensure that the raft is fully inflated, which means it can better hold its shape in the water.

At the end of the swim, the experience is completely different. As soon as I opened the valve, the raft began to deflate. I didn’t wait at all before folding the raft up for shipping.

Swim to the surface

To try out the SwimWays pool floats, my dogs and I walked over to a friend’s house, where we were invited to use her pool. Three dogs spent time on the raft during our testing: Logan, my 65-pound Labrador Retriever; Miss Bennet, a Terrier mix weighing 30 pounds, and Luna, my friend’s little Pug, the exact weights are unknown. With a variety of sizes for raft use, I got the larger size.

Luna was the first dog to be tested on a float. Puppies are not usually good swimmers, but Luna can stand on the raft without any problems. It allows her to stay in the pool (and in action) safely, under the close supervision of someone nearby.

Logan is next to try out the raft. After a lot of coaxing, I finally managed to get him inside the inflated circle. Immediately the raft started to rotate on itself, so I added some air and tried again. The second attempt was better, but Logan quickly began to shiver, with his wet hair suddenly exposed into the late afternoon air. Between the coolness and lack of the ball chase that can happen from a raft, Logan’s time afloat was brief.

Of the three dogs, Ms. Bennet spends the least amount of time on the SwimWays dog buoy. I coaxed (or rather put) her on the raft and drop her off in the middle of the pool, only to see her dash to the edge of the pool for the first chance she gets.

I really shouldn’t be surprised. Despite spending most of the day entertaining, my dogs rarely settle down when invited out (which is why they are no longer invited to brunch). I should have considered this before testing a product 100% intended for relaxation purposes. In fact, a swim float didn’t work for my hyperactive kids.

Miss Bennet, get her out of the floating pool.

Recommendation: Eligible for SwimWays . Swim Float Pool

Even when the raft didn’t go as planned, I understood the raft’s potential.

Here’s what I like about it:

• Both the mesh base and inflatable sides are thick and sturdy, promising great durability against your dog’s rough nails.
• The raft fills up quickly (with pump), deflates quickly and stores well, making transportation quick and convenient.
• With two raft sizes available, it can accommodate both small and large dogs.
• The mesh bottom allows the dog to enjoy the water even while floating — perfect for those hot summer days.
• Handy “inner spring” technology allows the float to quickly fold and unfold (even if getting it right isn’t quite as easy as you say).

There are also some things I don’t like about the raft:

• Although the quality of the raft is high, the air valve is difficult to fill, close, and even open again.
• There’s no built-in way to keep the folded raft closed, and the elastic that comes with the raft can quickly get lost.
• The packaging suggests dual air chambers, but there seems to be only one. If that compartment fails, the buoy will lose buoyancy.
• The only connection points for ropes or lanyards are the two gaps in the mesh on the sides (which serve as handles), which means this isn’t the best choice for towing.

Despite these issues, overall I was impressed with the quality and ease of use of the raft. The durable construction means it can have multiple uses, from pools to lakes. A puppy can float in the pool or be tethered to a kayak for a relaxing paddle. The intentional lack of tie-down points can be a deal-breaker for some adventurous dog owners, but it shouldn’t be an issue for most people and their pets.

SwimWays swimming pool floats, folds up for transport and storage.

A Lesson Learned: Help Your Dog Enjoy Floating

One of the biggest mistakes I make when letting my dogs out is pushing them into life too soon. Most dogs won’t feel comfortable right away, but you can get them used to the idea better than I did. Here are a few tips I’ve learned about getting your pet used to dog depilatories:

• Inflate the raft and leave it in a space they frequent, without drawing attention to it. This helps your dog feel comfortable in the presence of the object.
• Place the raft in shallow water, such as a children’s pool, and encourage the dog to get on it. Depending on the size of your raft, you may need a sizable kids pool!
• Slowly let the dog float in deeper water or with currents. Stay close and pay attention to your dog’s body language and reactions. If they’re scared, take it slow. Give them time to feel comfortable.

Remember to reward your dog with delicious treats during this process. Positive rewards create a positive association with dog adoption and experience. This ensures that your dog sees the raft as a good thing, not something to fear.

And if your dog isn’t a fun-loving athlete, that’s okay too. Even in their golden years, my dogs just don’t seem calm enough to enjoy the finer – and slower – things in life.

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