Swimming is very beneficial for dogs. It's a great, low-stress workout for their whole body. But, even the most water-loving canines need a break sometimes. That's where the Lazy Dog Lounger comes into the picture.
Swimming is an excellent form of exercise that is good for your dog's muscles, joints, and cardiac system and fosters his overall health and well-being. If that's not enough of a reason to get your pooch in the water, swimming together is also a great bonding experience that will strengthen your relationship.
If your dog isn't an avid swimmer or just needs a break sometimes, the Lazy Dog Lounger will make his time in the water much more enjoyable. It is a raft built specifically with dogs in mind.
I wanted to test it out to see if it would hold up under the weight of our Labrador. I was also curious to see if our dogs would feel comfortable floating on the raft. To see how things worked out, keep reading!
Lazy Dog Lounger Raft for Dogs Review
The photo above shows our Beagle, Molly, floating on the Lazy Dog Lounger. We actually have a Large Lounger, which is made for a dog weighing more than 25 pounds. Molly only weighs about 30 pounds, so she's on the lighter end of the spectrum for this product.
However, in my video review, you will see that our Labrador, Saddie, can fit on this raft, too. She would much prefer to be in the water, as you can also see in my video review. But, when she gets tired, she will float on the Lazy Dog Lounger. Molly prefers to sit on the raft rather than swim in the water.
These rafts are handcrafted in the USA with heavy-duty fabric. The reinforced stitching is strong, so I expect that this raft will last for many years. The fabric is weather and fade-resistant.
It is also puncture-resistant, meaning your dog's nails shouldn't poke a hole in the material.
In my video review, I show you how the product is designed. There is a zipper on one end of the raft, and pool noodles are placed inside as floatation devices. These noodles are not filled with air, so the raft will never deflate. This is a HUGE advantage over other similar products that are filled with air.
The Lazy Dog Lounger is available in 2 sizes:
- Small – 42″L x 27″W for dogs weighing less than 25 pounds
- Large – 60″L x 34″W for dogs weighing 25-110 pounds
As I mentioned, the raft in this review is a large size. These rafts are designed to be easy for your dog to climb on and off of. When your dog climbs on, some water will flow into the middle of the raft. This allows your pooch to lie in a small pool of water to stay cool without actually having to paddle around in the water.
You can also see that winter has started in my home state of Maine. For that reason, we haven't had a chance to use the Lazy Dog Lounger as much as we liked. We took it out about a dozen times this fall, and I am very pleased with the comfort and design.
Molly really loves lounging around on this raft. As I said, Saddie prefers to swim, but she will lie on the Lazy Dog Lounger when she gets exhausted from playing in the water.
While our dogs do enjoy it, it took a few tries to get them to climb on the raft willingly. Saddie was a much faster learner than Molly, but I think that is because she enjoys the water so much. Be prepared to spend the first few trips to the lake training your dog to use the raft before planning any adventures.
You can see the attached handle in the photo above. You can secure the raft to a dock, pool ladder, boat, etc… to allow your dog to lounge in the water without floating away. We attached the handle to our pool ladder and let Molly float around earlier in the fall. She loved being able to be in the pool with our children without having to swim in the water.
You can purchase the Lazy Dog Lounger on Amazon for around $81.48, depending on the size that you need. It's quite expensive for a doggy raft, and it's definitely not a necessary item. But, if you think your dog will use the raft frequently, it may be an investment that you're willing to make.
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