Does my dog really need a life jacket if they can already swim?

Across the reviewers we read, including high-trust subreddit threads in r/dogs and r/Dogtraining, the recurring point is that even strong swimmers benefit because a vest reduces how much energy the dog burns and buys time if they tire, cramp, or panic. Community members repeatedly note the top grab handle as the single most-used feature for hauling a dog back onto a boat or dock, swimmer or not.