Do your dogs wear clothes?

[Storygirl]

My puppy has a new sweater on today!

Actually, it is her only sweater, and I would not put a sweater on a dog normally. But she was groomed yesterday and transformed from a giant fluffy puffball to a skinny thing with a close-cropped cut. And she seemed kind of cold, so I bought her one. She seems to like it.

It's an unusual circumstance, and I normally would not do it. But I know some people do dress their pets.

 

[Pawz4me]

Mine has a couple of sweaters and a coat. We walk in all sorts of weather. I figure if it’s cold enough that I need to layer up for a walk then he probably needs something, too. But he doesn’t wear clothes around the house. We keep the heat at 68-70 during the day and I never cut his hair really short. Some dogs really do seem to stay very cold and to benefit from a cozy sweater or a blanket to burrow under. 

[Selkie]

No, mine don't. Most of our dogs have been of the big and furry variety. The closest we have come to that is when we had a pointer whose foot had been badly mangled before we got him - the vet thought it had been run over by a car. His foot would get very sensitive and painful in cold weather, so we had a special boot made for him to wear in the winter.

Oh, and we also had a big old lab who would wear a Chicago Blackhawks jersey when we were watching games. He was quite a goofball!

[Bluegoat]

No, she is a Chesapeake bay retriever, she doesn't get cold!

I don't generally do cute stuff with dogs, so I'd not give one clothes unless it was really cold.  My last dog of my very own (that is to say not a retriever belonging to dh) was a pit bull/boxer mix, and when I got him he was a little emaciated, and would get quite cold.  So, he worse a sweater that first winter.  After that though he didn't need one.

[mmasc]

Mine don’t, but I tried. 🙂 my little cattle dog is always so cuddly and cold. She always buries her long snout in her paws or blanket while she’s resting. So, I bought her the cutest red sweater with a white ruffle on the end. I did it just because I could tell she’s cold natured, not for her to look cute (although she most definitely did!). Well, she *hated* it—and it ended up being a tug of war toy. 😂

[Pen]

Yes. My current dog has extremely short hair and no excess fat and gets cold and shivery.  He also got “cold tail” once where tail gets paralyzed (was temporary luckily) presumably from cold.  It’s supposed to be worse if it happens a second time.  He has a coat. He hates it.  

[itsheresomewhere]

They have a collection of sweaters, coats and one has a lovely collection of anxiety sweaters.  One dog is elderly and the other  two are short hair.  The smallest has no fat so she needs a sweater or coat at certain temps.  The other short hair one actually likes sweaters especially tight ones as they are like his anxiety sweaters ( thunder shirts). 

[Stacia]

Many years ago, my sister had a small dog who definitely got colder as he aged. So, as an elderly dog, she had some vests/jacket things for him & it seemed to help him immensely.

She also had a medium-sized black lab/mutt mix. After the elderly, small dog started wearing clothes, the medium-sized dog started acting a little strange. After a short while, my sister figured out the dog was jealous & wanted her own clothes. When the little dog was wearing his stuff, my sister would put one of her t-shirts on the other dog, which made that dog completely joyous. 😂

[Farrar]

My mother's beagle is outfitted better than me when we go for a walk in winter. And he loves it.

[gingersmom]

1 hour ago, Bluegoat said:

No, she is a Chesapeake bay retriever, she doesn't get cold!

I don't generally do cute stuff with dogs, so I'd not give one clothes unless it was really cold.  My last dog of my very own (that is to say not a retriever belonging to dh) was a pit bull/boxer mix, and when I got him he was a little emaciated, and would get quite cold.  So, he worse a sweater that first winter.  After that though he didn't need one.

I have a Chessie too!!!!

[klmama]

In case anyone wants to watch for the deal, the last couple of years JCPenney has had basic dog sweaters on sale for $5 on Black Friday.  Usually, they are $20.  Besides a couple of those (and our dog LOVES her sweaters), we also have a coat for when it's bitterly cold or raining hard.  The dog is a wimp with rain, but she still needs to go out.  

[Tap]

Not in the house.

We have a flannel-lined, waterproof jacket for walks at the park, in the cold/wet PNW.  It is nice because it keeps him a bit warm, but it also helps to keep him a lot cleaner when he runs through the grass at the park.  He doesn't wear it when it is dry and over 65*-70*.

Edited March 20, 2019 by Tap

[TheReader]

We haven't put clothes on our dogs yet, for real (we have put stuff on them just goofing off, for a laugh). I do think our one dog would benefit from cold-weather stuff, but DH disagrees. As the dogs are inside dogs, and outside only when they want to be, his theory is (and honestly, he's right) they can come in whenever they want -- they are never left outside w/o a way in; if we're not home, they are either left inside, or left inside with the dog door open so they can enter/exit as they wish. 

[dirty ethel rackham]

My dog wears a Bears jersey if we are into football that season (for like a minute for a picture.)  He has a Lands End Squall dog jacket for the really cold (below 0F) or wet weather.  I don't really consider that "clothing", but more protective gear.  It has to be pretty extreme for him to tolerate wearing anything.  He's a big dog, so maybe that has something to do with it.

 

 

[Tanaqui]

We have a chihuahua and a toy poodle, both around 7 or 8 pounds. (The chi isn't fat, she's just large and may be a mix.) Temperatures in NYC in the winter don't get TOO cold, but they definitely dip below freezing, and the dogs go out on a walk unless the weather is truly inclement. (Which means rain, snow, sleet, or really really cold.) Plus, as a money saving measure, I make everybody wear sweaters all the time rather than ever touching the thermostat. This includes the doggies. Those sweaters go on in fall and only come off at bathtime. The dogs don't get to be naked again until spring. Sometimes they wiggle out of their sweaters at night, and in the morning I say "Look at you! If dogs were supposed to be naked, you'd have been born that way!"

In the summer they wear clothes too, but then it's because they look really cute all dressed up. And on Halloween they have their costumes.

My cats look at me funny if I try to put clothes on them, so if it gets cold I guess they just have to shiver.

Edited March 20, 2019 by Tanaqui

[linders]

Only during eclipses and when forced to play Nana in the school play...

 

[ScoutTN]

Nope. Big dog with a thick undercoat here.

[gardenmom5]

no.  but I thought about it when it snowed right. after. he got a close crop.  he's 36lbs.

the groomer will put a "neckerchief" on him.

[MercyA]

My chi-mix had a great little fleece coat he wore in the cold and rain. I remember once we were in the airport in Chicago (traveling from sunny CA to the Midwest) and we went outside in the bitter cold. I said, "[Dog's name], do you want your coat?" and he jumped up and down like I was offering him a hot dog or something. 🙂 

My spaniel has an insulated coat that she wears outside in the winter, since I have her trimmed now. She seems to like it. If it's especially cold in the house, she'll run to me if I hold out a sweater or t-shirt and she wants it put on. If she doesn't want it on, she shows no enthusiasm. There's a particular sweatshirt she never wants on...I think it's too tight in the "arms." They know what they like and what they don't! 🙂 

ETA: She wore a pink flowered dress with matching bows in her ears for an Easter pet parade at the nursing home. So cute. She also has a Queen of Hearts costume to wear the next time our dog park has a "Hairy Pawter" Halloween event. 

Edited March 20, 2019 by MercyA

[Liz CA]

16 hours ago, Selkie said:

No, mine don't. Most of our dogs have been of the big and furry variety. The closest we have come to that is when we had a pointer whose foot had been badly mangled before we got him - the vet thought it had been run over by a car. His foot would get very sensitive and painful in cold weather, so we had a special boot made for him to wear in the winter.

Oh, and we also had a big old lab who would wear a Chicago Blackhawks jersey when we were watching games. He was quite a goofball!

 

Our boxer does not wear anything. She had a few bumps removed about 4 weeks ago and the vet thought we could put a T-Shirt on her to cover it up instead of the dreaded cone. We cut up, modified 2 T-Shirts and she managed to get them all off.  She likes to be naked...

[Pawz4me]

2 hours ago, Dotwithaperiod said:

Oh, I’ve tried. She’s a nut, though, and refuses to cooperate. Once I asked my husband what he thought she’d look best dressed as. He immediately said he pictured her as an Audrey Hepburn cute scarf and dark sunglasses type. I nearly fell over. Her personality is much more Kathy Bates than Audrey.

Sunglasses? You mean like this, which happens when your 23yo decides he needs a picture of the dog wearing his Ray Bans?

 

[DawnM]

I haven't ever bought clothing for my dogs.

[Pen]

3 hours ago, MercyA said:

on. If she doesn't want it on, she shows no enthusiasm. There's a particular sweatshirt she never wants on...I think it's too tight in the "arms." They know what they like and what they don't! 🙂 

 

I thought mine just hated to wear anything.  I wonder if he might like a different thing? 

Are there types of coats , sweaters they tend to like?   I think mine might prefer very soft and flexible, but his is waterproof because of rain here.

[Pawz4me]

7 minutes ago, Pen said:

 

I thought mine just hated to wear anything.  I wonder if he might like a different thing? 

Are there types of coats , sweaters they tend to like?   I think mine might prefer very soft and flexible, but his is waterproof because of rain here.

IME yes, they tend to like some clothes better than others. The pooch had a raincoat that he hated, and I figured out it was because the part that wrapped around his chest/abdomen came way too close to his . . . little boy part. So I learned to be careful about that.

[MercyA]

59 minutes ago, Pen said:

I thought mine just hated to wear anything.  I wonder if he might like a different thing? 

Are there types of coats , sweaters they tend to like?   I think mine might prefer very soft and flexible, but his is waterproof because of rain here.

My dog prefers non-constricting clothing, like this sweater: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HS9BDDO/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You can see that it's not tight around the waist and it just has "slits" for arms. I think she'd like it even better without the high neck. Old tees of my daughter's are probably her favorite thing to wear, but they don't fit especially well. 🙂

She does NOT like this sweatshirt: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012GYWQAO/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I think she doesn't like the tight sleeves or the bulkiness of the hood. (I got it mostly because I knew my DD would love it....)

She really likes this non-constraining vest/coat. I like it because it also acts as a harness:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P06WL8S/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The coat my Chi-mix liked was somewhat similar to this, but with only one "belly strap" and made of polar fleece:

http://www.dogcoat.com/browse-popular-dog-coat-styles/nylon-turnout-dog-coat/

I believe there are similar coats on Etsy.

[Pen]

1 hour ago, Pawz4me said:

IME yes, they tend to like some clothes better than others. The pooch had a raincoat that he hated, and I figured out it was because the part that wrapped around his chest/abdomen came way too close to his . . . little boy part. So I learned to be careful about that.

 

25 minutes ago, MercyA said:

My dog prefers non-constricting clothing, like this sweater: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HS9BDDO/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You can see that it's not tight around the waist and it just has "slits" for arms. I think she'd like it even better without the high neck. Old tees of my daughter's are probably her favorite thing to wear, but they don't fit especially well. 🙂

She does NOT like this sweatshirt: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012GYWQAO/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I think she doesn't like the tight sleeves or the bulkiness of the hood. (I got it mostly because I knew my DD would love it....)

She really likes this non-constraining vest/coat. I like it because it also acts as a harness:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P06WL8S/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The coat my Chi-mix liked was somewhat similar to this, but with only one "belly strap" and made of polar fleece:

http://www.dogcoat.com/browse-popular-dog-coat-styles/nylon-turnout-dog-coat/

I believe there are similar coats on Etsy.

 

That makes sense.  At home inside when he gets shivery ours likes to go lie on top of heater vent with a human jacket put around or over him closed only by snap at collar.  It isn’t constricting anywhere and doesn’t touch his tummy area at all.  ... But, falls off when he walks.