You’ve seen them at coffee shops, street corners, fire hydrants, jazzed up in sweaters, smoking jackets, ascots and sunglasses.
Yes, dogs wearing clothes. It happens every single day; someone gets up and dresses up their beloved pet in some hand-made or specially-ordered article of clothing.
Maybe you dress your dog up too. If you do, maybe you already know why. If you don’t dress up your dog, you probably wonder: “Is it really necessary?”
Well, is it?
Honestly, it certainly doesn’t hurt. There is a difference between turning your dog into a hipster extension of your own style and simply protecting him or her from various weather conditions.
If you have a tiny dog with little fur, such as Chihuahuas and Yorkies, and you live on a barren tundra in Minnesota, your dear dog might benefit from a well-made sweater or even a down-lined jacket in the middle of winter. You might even slip on some ear muffs and booties for the pup in such cases.
With the right gear, you and your lightly coated Great Dane or Beagle can still hit the great outdoors during the winter months to get some much needed fresh air and exercise while keeping your dear companion warm and comfortable.
Dogs with such thin fur or thinner body types need some extra protection against the conditions that a Siberian Husky or a Saint Bernard simply don’t require since they are well suited to such environmental trappings.
Rain jackets for all
If you are an avid runner and you don’t mind dashing out in the rain, you can still take your dog with you if you put on their rain jacket. If it is a warm rain, you and your pet probably won’t mind, but those chillier drizzling runs can become quite uncomfortable for both of you, so you should both put on your rain gear.
No matter what type of fur your dog has, in this case, it makes sense to suit up for the elements. Remember you both need to towel off and get warm upon return.
Dressing up for the sake of dressing up
Whereas outdoor gear is a matter of protecting your pet from cold and damp or other uncomfortable conditions, dressing them up for other reasons is a matter of preference for human companions.
While there is no harm in it, it certainly isn’t necessary, and it might even feel a bit confining for your pet to wear anything when it is perfectly comfortable in good weather.
If you want to dress your dog in clothes, monitor the response. If he or she behaves as if they feel constricted or overheated, reconsider your plan to dress your dog.
Holiday costumes are all the rage
Even though your dog can’t let you know whether that postal worker costume is to their liking, an occasional dress up might not be too bad, as long as you find a costume that fits your dog comfortably and don’t keep them in it too long.
Dogs can “dress up” as superheroes, bumblebees and pretty much anything that humans can, so it makes sense for die-hard Halloween fans to extend the holiday to their four-legged friends.
Paw-wear
If you plan to take your dog someplace with hot and blistering asphalt or pain-inducing ice, find some protective wear for your puppy’s pads with some dog boots that are now available.
Au natural really is best
Under ideal climate conditions, your dog’s coat is beautiful and, as long as you keep it healthy and shiny, why not let it glow on its own? Sometimes just letting your dog be a dog is the best way to go, as long as the conditions are safe for you to do so.
So many articles condemn dog clothing as petty and unnecessary. It is refreshing to see an article address the fact that some breeds and some climates REQUIRE clothes. I have a hairless Standard Xoloitzcuintli and we live in a rainy, cold climate. It gets really cold here in the winter and, while we don’t have a snow season, it DOES snow here at least once or twice each winter and it stays cold enough for it to stick around for days at a time. We don’t have so much of an issue with hot weather in the summer since it… Read more »
If you read the whole article, it says that it is necessary to wear clothing for weather protection, but not necessary for things such as costumes and fashion. However, in your area, and areas similar to yours or of extreme weather, it is necessary, like the article states.
The most hysterical thing I ever saw was a pooch wearing sunglasses on Fifth Avenue in Naples Florida. Good practical protection against cataracts though. So funny.
Whenever the ‘dog clothing’ debate comes along at least one person feels the need to chime in with, “dogs evolved to withstand the weather; they don’t need clothing”. But the thing is, dogs didn’t evolve. We made them, handcrafted them for looks and temperament and size, and frankly very few of them can withstand extremes of either heat or cold. There are breeds that would literally die if they went out for a long walk in subzero temperatures without protection, and those dogs need coats to make up for the thick fur they were never designed to grow. Hot asphalt… Read more »