Comments on: Knitting dog sweaters is not insane

By: Basenji-mom

Basenji-mom — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 05:32:07 +0000

Our elderly basenji wears a froofroo leopard print jacket because it’s the only one I could find for him. The colors are great on him. It’s really very silly, but I can’t stand to watch the poor little guy shiver. The jacket velcros down the back, making it super easy to put on or take off. Just put it on the floor and walk his feet over the holes, then pull it up and close it along his spine. Lately we’ve had to add a diaper that looks like jester pantaloons. Quite the get-up.

By: The OTHER Pat

The OTHER Pat — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 01:40:33 +0000

An added comment - I would sew the Velcro on rather than trusting an adhesive backing to do the job.

By: The OTHER Pat

The OTHER Pat — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 01:39:22 +0000

There are a lpt of commercially-made coats out there that use Velcro. In fact - if I remember correctly - that’s all the Fido Fleece coats use.

By: Colorado Transplant

Colorado Transplant — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 01:29:45 +0000

I wonder if strong velcro to secure the back area would do the trick instead of buttons?

I don’t own a dog, so I am probably silly in suggesting velcro, but it sure is easier than buttons.

By: AmandaS

AmandaS — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 23:18:21 +0000

I’ve knit my Standard Poodle 2 sweaters so far and plan on more. I keep his fur really short and we live in Maine. He shivers.

By: The OTHER Pat

The OTHER Pat — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 23:07:09 +0000

The little guys need them because their distance their body heat has to travel before it escapes through their skin is so much shorter. It’s the same law of physics that causes the time needed to defrost your Thanksgiving turkey to be SO much longer than time needed to defrost a capon or a small chicken. It’s not an indicator of weakness or wimpiness on the part of little dogs. It’s simply thermal transfer physics.

By: Phyllis DeGioia

Phyllis DeGioia — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:43:54 +0000

Somebody has to have a pattern with buttons down the back that work and aren’t just decorative, but I haven’t seen it. I can see where the buttons would pop and a zipper would be a better choice.

I’m testing jackets right now for a product comparison article and waiting for this one to show up from Ruffwear: http://www.ruffwear.com/Cloud-.....ategory=12.

I like the Foggy Mountain snugglers: http://www.truefitdogcoats.com.....038;page=1

By: Phyllis DeGioia

Phyllis DeGioia — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:38:37 +0000

A friend has a male min pin who loves wearing sweaters and jackets so much that he sticks his legs out straight to get them on.

45F is not sweater weather for dogs! In Wisconsin, that’s still tank top weather (well, not for everyone, but warm people like me).

Anyway,there’s a world of difference between a 15-lb dog with a short coat out in snow on top of ice in 10F temps and a 60 lb long-coated dog in the same conditions. There are basic metabolic differences at play. Greyhounds need coats in fall and winter in Wisconsin, and I rarely see any Goldens with one because they don’t need it. Little guys need it to be outside in nasty temps for any length of time beyond doing a quick potty run.

My Katrina toy poodle Clint, who was old and weak, wore a sweater in the house in winter plus a jacket over it to go outside to do potty. And he just went in a wading pool on the porch, he didn’t even go outside in the snow.

By: eli

eli — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:01:46 +0000

anyone else have a clothes-horse? like, a tom-boy dust bunny that becomes a proud princess when you put a new collar on her, or some bit dog clothing?

By: Lis

Lis — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:38:58 +0000

Addy needs a warm coat in the winter, because even Powderpuff Crested coats aren’t designed for winter. Sunday morning, after Addy and her friend Josie were done playing, and we were all just standing around in the first-fall-morning coolth, Addy was shivering, and bounced over to me quite eagerly when I pulled her denim jacket out of my bag.

And rain, at any season, requires her raincoat, because she just will not walk, except to try to run back inside, if it’s raining.

But however much she might appreciate a hand-knitted sweater, she won’t get one from me, and that’s a Good Thing, because she’d look like a homeless dog forced to clothe herself out of the Goodwill bins, in anything I made by hand!