EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

Just some pics of the gear that came in for my pit. I got him the bay vest with the tuff level 4 material for a lightweight vest. And I got him the pro deluxe cut collar.
    Any tips on getting him better accustomed to the vest? At first he wouldn't walk at all. After I pulled him around for a few minutes he started walking awkwardly. Now he will somewhat run, but it's like he can't move his front legs back as far as he needs too. Is this normal with vest? I've never had one before. And after a few hours he got one little raw spot on his chest that is a few inches off from his armpit and is about the size of a dime.
    He is two years old and just started hunting. I'm running him as a RCD to stick with the other dogs.

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170227/416815f507dbdfe94103d0383c9bf838.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170227/e79c6a89842f5ae1961cc843c8546d5a.jpg)

Thorn with my pup Scooter(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170227/46815cd1e7843e9f08f979a5c0c243b4.jpg)

My pup Smokey photo bombing lol(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170227/87e5a17a341710cb2111e7c96906fabf.jpg)


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It could be a little bit too snug or too small of a vest

Loosen up your front strap over his front shoulder. A dog has to breath. It'll take a lil to get used to it and for it to become not as stiff. I ran hard core on my catch dog

Looks pretty tight. Might go up a size and add leg flaps. Also, if you're new to this and seeking advice I'll suggest this if you're going to run him on the ground:

Get him in tip top condition.

Make sure he is trash broke - especially on livestock.

Have a good veterinarian.

Thanks guys, I might try sending it back for the large then.

Jsh, thanks for the advice! As far as livestock goes we don't have that problem where I hunt, and I have the vet already covered. Im trying to adjust his food now to lean him out a little bit


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Oh how do you guys recommend fitting the vest? I originally had it a little looser but I read some old posts where people were saying to have it snug enough that you can't get your hand under the straps


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I run mine just tight enough I can my hand under the strap to pick her up. It looked like you had plenty of room to loosen it up a lil. Also I had a guy attach my cut collar to my vest we used a old fire hose and sewed them together

Most will get rubbed raw first few times. Custom fitted vest will still rub them a lil raw. Most who have never worn a vest will balk at first too.

Thanks guys. I talked to Michael from Hardcore, and he recommended keeping the medium vest but opening up the leg holes a little more. So I'm going to send it back and they are going to make a new vest with bigger leg holes and add the flotation material also since my dog isn't a very graceful swimmer. Michael was very nice and helpful, so hopefully the vest will fit great after the modifications


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They have always been very helpful I highly recommend them to everyone who asks

Okchad, can you post a picture of how your vests fit? Just so I can get a visual of how snug you run them?


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I can't post pics but my number is 620 -515 -5112 text me if you want and I'll send you pics

I like them aswell. Super light, stout and my catchdogs were it year round just fine.


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Vest are like cars you are going to like some and not others. I have a few of the hard core vest they are good vest. Most dogs will take a few hunts to get use to the vest. But once a dog goes to battle withe a vest on be very carefull running him with out one. Kinda like wolverine with out the claws.


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It's all we use they are lightweight and as tuff as they come great people and service I'm sure you'll like the quality we order all ours with 2 layers of Kevlar and haven't had any issues good hunting

Kinda off topic slightly, but since we're talking vest's, has anyone had any problems with dogs overheating while wearing one?

I'm talking RCD, during spring/summer months.

We don't run rcd but we hunt nights in the heat of the summer the dogs wear them all night they get used to it


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https://youtu.be/mB_VRA3EtPk this is why I don't use Kevlar

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Thanks for the advice guys. I'm still waiting on the new vest to come in. Hopefully it will make it here before this weekend so I can try it on a hunt. Heat was a bit of a concern for me as I'm in SC and it hits 105 here in the summer pretty regularly, and that's with 100% humidity. But "tmatt" talked with me on the phone for about 45 minutes and gave me some really good advice for conditioning my dogs and getting them in great shape. He is very knowledgeable, especially with pit bulls.


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I think them seatbelt vest r good for the right dogs but not for mine we catch a good bit of solid hogs every year here and with the same vest no problem I leave my vest behind the truck year around in the sun and rain and don't take care of them and time and time again they've continued to hold up I'm not saying others out there ain't good but  just from my personal experiences I'm gonna stick with my hardcore vests


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Haha... that video is a joke. I've used lightweight Kevlar vests for 15 years now and haven't had one get cut thru. That being said... any vest can be cut thru.

That video is actually the truth... Now with that being said, the reason those skewers will go through like that is because that real fine point actually goes between the fibers and spreads them, it does not cut them. That is why he don't push the entire skewer through it. I don't know about y'all but I have never caught a hog with teeth long enough to do any damage that are as fine as the tip of that skewer. I have trusted my life to Kevlar so I don't see why I wouldn't use it for my dogs.

We have been using Hardcore for a good while haven't had any issues with any vest haven't had any cut though. They are always very nice and easy to deal with I had 3 vest that had cut up pretty good and was starting to fray I sent em to him them sewed em all up just cost me shipping have saved our dogs lots of times and we will continue to use them. There are some other good vest out there to just hardcore has always been good for us

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Dumb azz video,just a sales pitch.  That ole green vest was worn by Clifford for how long? then Shiner for a few years then on to Peewee and never got poked through. 10 years of use at least. i'll stick with theses for sure.

That video is not telling the truth but is at the same time Kevlar works by layers not a single strand. But to the uneducated it seems to be the truth lol. We used Kevlar vest with ranger plates some old fellas might rember those heavy ass thing I think they where bout 35 to 40 lbs. but any way I have to hard core vest that are old probly 8 yrs or so and I still use them


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Well, the new vest came in last night. Same vest but with bigger leg holes and it has the floatation option added to it. Thorn definitely is moving a lot better in it, but it seems like it could still use some tweaking. The side of the leg holes, above the shoulders seem like they could be about an inch higher... and the front of the leg holes seem like they could be cut a little higher as well. But, I really don't want to wait to send this vest back and have it altered, so I'm going to run him in it and see if it gets better as it breaks in. His main hinderance seems to be jumping, and bending down to drink water or grab a bone. I will post an update after a few hunts as to how it is doing.(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170310/1f4f10ca90506a4d621f73e65f5e5da4.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170310/9b108b4d64fb97466cc6790822bfb47c.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170310/c8ea3da7d97f9c42c5c539f1aa06874e.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170310/11d321b9df4535436f90e089ba56e4f5.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170310/75cb9282691fb8b92cb7c18468b693c1.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170310/db954d8f748a05adf2c1eddd9e269d89.jpg)


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The things you said are the problem with cookie cutter vest. This is a problem with most vest. A custom measured vest will fit much better and you can add or take away from there. Might cost few more bucks but well worth it. It will more then likely be ok and he will move much better after a  few long hunts


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(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170311/a626e311b870aa34fe42efbc3fdebfc2.png)


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That's a old hard core vest I use it a lot fits 3 or 4 of my dogs pretty good. It's not my favorite vest but it is a good one and I would buy it again


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It looks like it fits him alot better now. I'd just break it in on him. I've never been around one with floatation material in it. Does that make it stiffer ?

Thanks judge, I'm hoping it will soften up some as it breaks in so he has some more range of motion. And that's a good looking dog! Judging by the way that orange vest looks, I would say it's seem some good use! Lol. Does the front of the vest stick out to over lap a collar? It doesn't look like it does in the picture.

Chad, it's not nearly as noticeable as I thought it would be. If you look at the side of the vest there is an "X" sewn on it... the left and right side of the "X" are where the flotation is added. It does not feel any heavier and is only a hair thicker, maybe 1/8". It has a slight cushion feel to it if you press on it.

When I talked to Michael about it, he said that he can tell a big difference when watching a dog swim with it and without it. He clarified that it is not a life vest, and the dog will drown if he stops swimming. But, it will greatly reduce how much effort he has to put forth to swim and acts like little floaties. The next time I hunt I will be able to see how it does, as we cross the river a lot. With it being so subtle, I think it would be wise to get with any vest.


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I might have to try it myself. We are so dry up here it'd be nice to see a dog have to swim

Vest worked great today. He moved like he didn't even have it on. Wound up hunting some public land that's only open for a few days every year and nobody hunts hogs out there. Got on 5 pigs today before we quit around lunch time. The last one was bayed up in some water when we got there and Thorn and a female pit jumped in the water and caught her. Probably a 275lb sow. Unfortunately right as I was about to get in the water to stab her she shook them off and managed to get away. That was the biggest pig Thorn has been on and only his 3rd pig in the woods. The vest did its job though and he seemed to have no trouble swimming while holding the hog, even with all the thrashing going on.(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170313/7c8674b88df51695f15828a6aee12bf1.jpg)

He's on the left in this picture. This was a 100lb sow, that we caught near the beginning of the hunt. This was his 2nd pig and the biggest up until the one that got away today.


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*correction* the pig in the picture was probably 75lbs, it was real skinny.


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Good deal bud glad it worked out for you

Funny you say that read how much layers are in some of the top vest have 1-3 and you have to pay for the added layers.so if they only work in layers how does a 1 layer of Kevlar vest work? Seams to the uneducated it seams to be the truth

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That's what makes it strong is the layers. Most are 3 never heard of a one layer. The are woven threads something with a needle point will go thru most anything. I have a roll of seat belt material it does the same I would think fire hose will to. It's layers that protect from the slashing which is how pigs cut the dogs. I think most of these materials work good and do what they say they will do. Nothing is fool proof


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Seat belt webbing and fire house are made so that don't happen. that's why a firefighter can drag a hose over a broken window or it can sit on a nail and  not get ripped or punctures. same with seat belt that's why they put them in a metal and glass box and have it hold u in. A pigs tusk is sharp and does come to a point. A pig with thin and short jaws are bigger then a skewer but can work its way between the fibers. I am not going to say what company uses 1 layer because I don't want to blast a company.

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If you take a ice pick and jab it into a vest any vest it will go thru. Take a kitchen knife and slash the vest it might cut thru some of the material but not got thru that is where its strength is. Now take that vest to the woods and use over and over and get beat up by a big hog. And it will get cut thru but for the most part any vest made of these material will work. No one vest is that much better just a preference of vest u like


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Once upon a time I worried each time I turned my dogs out if they were going to get hurt bad or worse...but using a running vest on my dogs that can get rough has eased those worries...my observation has been that when these dogs make a mistake the vest might get a small poke and the dogs might get a nick and usually enough to teach a little respect and to use more caution...I use running vest from a local feed store...65-75 bucks...not the best but they work...

What I envision is that when that bottom tusk snags the vest it will whip lash the dog...the dog will feel the power and some hurt and will learn to use caution and so he will live to hunt another day...and has the chance to be more educated...these type of dogs tend to repeat these mistakes now and then so these cheap vest work good enough...and taking the dog to the feed store for fitting before buying is a plus...

People overthink stuff. If you buy a $100 vest and it saves your dog from getting killed once or saves you one vet visit, You can throw it in the trash and you are ahead of the game.

Yep


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