How Bagel the beagle can play safely in the water

If there’s one thing Bagel the beagle loves to do – it’s swim. So, just as humans make sure children are safe in water, we can now do the same for pets.

Bagelthe Beagle wearing a swim jacket from Stylish Hound with owner Karen Yang. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

If there’s one thing Bagel the beagle loves to do – it’s swim.

What started as an attempt to keep her doggo active has become a full blown obsession, owner Karen Yang said.

“We started taking Bagel swimming, but there wasn’t a lot of functional accessories, especially to keep dogs safe in water,” Ms Yang said.

Then in 2019, Ms Yang and her partner co-founded Stylish Hound, dedicated to designing and selling dog accessories for the “modern dog owner”.

Miss Moneypenny the golden retriever having fun in the water at Clontarf. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“It was actually really hard at first – halfway through Covid, everyone seemed to get a dog and suddenly there were so many people wanting to buy our products,” Ms Yang said.

Not only do the vests come in all colours, patterns and sizes – they’re great at keeping pups safe whether they are swimming pros, or only think they are.

“We do so much as humans to make sure our children are safe in water, we need to do the same for our pets,” she said.

It is estimated about 1000 dogs drown every year in Australia.

Ms Yang said investing in a life vest could potentially save your dog’s life.

“It’s all about safety really – they’re perfect, especially going into the summer and Christmas holidays,” she added.

“They’re a great way to keep cool, bring your dog along to beach days, and spend family time with your dogs.”

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Originally published as How Bagel the beagle can play safely in the water