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My dog wears the k-9 float coat and we love it. I don't have any experience with the NRS one for comparison, but the float coat has a lot of good features like a hidden D ring that won't snag but is accessible for a leash, and the dog is super buoyant in it. It's reflective too, which helps at night.
Try to bring your dog to try on the pfd, the shop in Avon (Edwards?) was cool with it. I have 2 dogs, male & female and they wear differnt pfds. The female wears the Lotus vest and it works great. Unfortunately for the boy dog that full wrap of flotation rubs him a little funny in the no-no spot. So he wears the NRS brand, looks a little like a cape on him but works great. Haven't tried the Ruff Wear, I don't care for their booties so I figured the PFD would suck too.
I have two newfoundlands (167lbs, 125lbs). They use Ruffwear pfd's and the top loop allows them to be pulled out of the water back into a raft if necessary. These vests provide just enough float to take off some of the pressure on them and they love em.
My Chessie has an old Lotus Designs PFD and it doesn't stay in place very well. My friend's dogs have the K-9 Float Coats and they work great. My dog is 70 pounds dry. I haven't seen the NRS model in action, but I like the beefier look of the K-9, compared to the CFD.
Stop by Elk Mtn Trading Co. in Frisco, at the East end of Main St.
They carry RuffWear, which my Lab uses and is very high quality. They have many different colors and will let you try them on your pup.
I have the NRS CFD, and my 75 lb dog loves it - just look at that smile! It has a nice handle on the back, so you can lift him out of the water and into the raft, no problem. The straps under the belly are nice and wide, so they don't dig in when you cinch it down. No complaints!
I've had the NRS pfd for my German Shorthaired Pointer for three years and it's a good pfd for the money, very user friendly and has held up well. My only complaint is that the front buckle doesn't stay tight. It was constantly coming loose, at least on my dog anyway. So I took a speedy stitcher and sewed the nylon strap in place so that it doesn't slip at all anymore. I sewed all the way through the red part (through the fabric and padding). It's like having a fitted pfd. The straps under the belly are still fully adjustable but the front one has one position. Since doing that, it's been great.
And... they are less expensive.
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