Does your dog(s) have a jacket/blanket or other clothing?

[classicsporthorses]

Okay COTHers I am doing a little market research here and want some of your wonderful input. How many of you with dogs have purchased a dog jacket, sweater etc for them and use it.

What do you like or not like about it or any other clothing you have purchase for your dog.

Have you had trouble finding the correct size to actually fit your dog?

Do you have a dog who is, well a bit more “round” “broad” or other PC term for overweight?

Would you like to see a more realistic sizing option for dog jackets/sweaters/clothing?

What type of dog to you have, his/her weight and body type.

Reason for this? I am doing some market research for a niche market (okay the market may be billions of dollars strong and growing), out of frustration of trying to fit dog blankets/jackets to my own dogs.

Any and all input in greatly appreciated. THANKS!

[marta]

foggy mountain is what i usually order. i love their coats, i love their customer service. my dog is a english bull terrier and their coats fit her well. however, their coats are the classic type with a belly strap. what i would love to have is a coat that fits snug so i can put a harness over it. ruffwear has couple coats that look like they might fit under a harness but i didn’t get around to trying them yet. their models are all svelte looking sport breeds so not sure how that coat would fit a bully. some of the coats are cut too narrow in the chest/shoulder area for her and restrict the movement of her front legs.

[DarkenStormy]

Ruff Wear

I got my dog’s coat from Ruff Wear. I saw some other dogs wearing it at a dog show and I thought that it fit my dog’s personality.

My husband is not one to let me put clothes on the dog, but I have a VERY skinny lab/whippet mix with practically no body fat on him. After he spent one dog show almost in my lap covered with my coat, I told hubby we had to get him something. He wears it at home ONLY if it’s snowing and/or especially cold or rainy and when we go to dog shows because he is outside so long in the cold weather. I love it, it gives him room to move and is easy to clean.

We had no issues with fit, despite the fact that he’s very skinny.

When I look for a dog coat I am looking for durability and something that is easy to clean, and one that won’t hinder my dog’s movement.

Here’s the one I got:

http://www.ruffwear.com/K-9-Overcoat-2?sc=2&category=12

[vtdobes]

I absolutely buy coats for my dogs! My female dobe has 1 raincoat, 2 “winter” coats & 2 fleece coats. My male dobe has 1 raincoat but since he’s a growing puppy has probably outgrown it and will need new ones for this winter.

http://www.sstack.com/dog-blankets/

I really like the Schneiders (sstack.com) coats and will probably buy those for the puppy this winter.
The reasons I like these coats are (in no particular order):
1-Good style (look like horse blankets)
2-Good fit
3-Great price!
4-Different weights and color options
5-Easy to put on/off

[DarkenStormy]

Marta

I have seen the Ruffware coats on Boxers and they seemed to fit quite nicely. I don’t know how much bigger your bully is, but I think they would probably work.

They look VERY nice on.

[QUOTE=marta;5732131]
foggy mountain is what i usually order. i love their coats, i love their customer service. my dog is a english bull terrier and their coats fit her well. however, their coats are the classic type with a belly strap. what i would love to have is a coat that fits snug so i can put a harness over it. ruffwear has couple coats that look like they might fit under a harness but i didn’t get around to trying them yet. their models are all svelte looking sport breeds so not sure how that coat would fit a bully. some of the coats are cut too narrow in the chest/shoulder area for her and restrict the movement of her front legs.[/QUOTE]

[Go_Fish]

No. I have Corgis. They are the ultimate wash and wear dog. No need for clothing at all. Occasionally, I’ve tried raincoats to keep them dry, particularly when I’m going to put them in the car. However, they are so embarassed and annoyed with the coats, that I just gave it up.

Corgis are hard to fit, too. The coats never fit around the neck and chest.

[sar2008]

I have a shortie JRT that is long with HUGE shoulders…not overweight at all just really muscular in his legs and shoulders.

The main problem I run into is LENGTH. Nothing is long enough for him. He’s a small, but I always end up getting him a medium since the smalls need another 2-3 inches before reaching his tail!!!

The secondary issue is the shoulders…he’s like a little brickhouse with these crazy muscular shoulders and the adjustable front piece is never long enough either…if it’s not adjustable, it’s always too tight…

Also, the fleece lining of a lot of the heavier coats frequently got wet in the snow/winter weather and caused him to get cold and shake…maybe like a different padded fill like horse blankets would be helpful? He’s always out in the barn with me and most of his “clothes” were to keep him warm but needed to be functional too! I did layer quite frequently…especially since he had the length issue :winkgrin:

[danceronice]

No regular clothes. They’re dogs. They already have a fur coat.

I did buy a Thundershirt. The biggest fit problem I had was while their measurement around his “girth” gave me one size, he’s narrow chested and the chest straps are too long. He’s very tall, but he’s just SKINNY. So something that fits behind the shoulders is too big around the chest.

The Corgi, I thought about booties, but like Go Fish said, she’s wash n’ wear.

[TheresanAppfurthat]

I second Marta’s choice: Foggy Mountain dog coats are wonderful! I have Jack Russells (“shortie Jacks”) who are a bit broader in the chest than the Parson Russells and the Foggie Mtn dog coats fit my Jacks perfectly in the chest area; also, the hip areas are cut and darted more generously to curve down a bit lower than most dog coats and thus provide warmth and protection to hip joints – especially nice for older dogs experiencing sore joints or arthritis. Also another nice feature of the Foggy Mtn coats is a warm, wide belly band. Too many dog coats only have a narrow strip of - whatever - which goes under the tummy providing about zero protection from cold and/or wet ground, a real concern in the PNW.

My older Russell had a raincoat which didn’t have a label, picked up in the sale bin at a local tack store which usually stocks dog stuff too. I wish I knew who made this raincoat because it has a stand-up wing collar, open in the front, which protects the back of the dog’s neck without interfering with the dog collar/leash. It is bright tomato red, lightweight and water resistant lined with a lightweight black felt. You can turn the collar down flat for a jaunty look or flip it up for rain protection. Based on the way it looks with the collar flipped up - I call it his "Elvis coat.

For looks and sheer stylin’ - nothing beats a Jack Russell wearing a small Baker-type “stable sheet”!

One thing I would like to suggest (and have to local animal welfare groups) and I do this myself. If every one of us carried in our cars while out and about a spare trio of dog coats either still in wrapper or used, good condition and clean, in small medium and large size, to give away to a homeless person with an often weather-unprotected dog, it would be a kind and lovely gift to a dog which may be the only good thing in that person’s life (and vice versa). And anytime there is a human “coat drive” (in my area there are two big winter-wear clothing gathering/distributions right before the holidays) please consider donating dog coats. Homeless, low-income, no-income or fixed income people with dogs are unbelievably thankful for these. Please don’t judge harshly those in such situations, given the Second Great Depression, any of us could end up in dire straits and clinging desperately to, and trying to provide for, a beloved dog.

[evntr5218]

I used to have two have umteen blankets for my horses. Dont have the horses anymore and refuse to dress them up in mini peple clothes but I also have umteen blankets for each dog they have a rambo turnout, a newmarket, and a baker and i have no shame in putting it on. its probably more for me than them but one is a jack russell and one is an italian greyhound/jack russell mix and in the winter im pretty sure they appreciate it. plus they look very smart at horse shows and i get tons of compliments and questions where i got them. my favorite woiuld have to be a toss up on their newmarkets and smart pak plaid blanket. of course their bakers look very nice with their matching baker collars i have for them.
ok maybe i am that crazy dog owner

[wendy]

my current dogs the trick is to keep them cool not warm- I’ve tried a number of so-called “cooling” and “heat reflecting” coats and don’t like any so far- too heavy, hinders movement, doesn’t seem to work, falls apart…

[TheresanAppfurthat]

Evntr where did you find a Baker collar? Would love to have some for my Jacks! My Baker dog blankets were purchased some years ago and haven’t needed to go looking for more, didn’t realize you could get matching collars. (Not a preppie here but do have aspirations to same.)

[Simkie]

Oh boy. Yes, do I ever have clothes for my dogs. I have Ridgebacks and they do not have enough hair for our cold Colorado winters. The dogs are in some sort of fleece or lightweight coat from Nov-Feb or so, depending on how warm it is, and they wear something over that for outside, depending on temp and weather.

I LOVE the Foggy Mountain Turnout and use it as an “outdoor” coat for when it is very cold. Downsides? DAMN is it expensive for a big dog. I have been able to find them used on eBay occasionally, though.

I use the RC Pets fleece for every day inside wear, along with outside when the weather is not wet or particularly cold. This is really a nice little coat, at a reasonable price. Only downside is that it can be easy to wiggle out of.

I will also use the RC Pets Nylon Turnout on it’s own or layered with the fleece for wet but not too cold. The nylon is not as sturdy as the Foggy Mountain, though, and will not hold up to a dog who bites at it or is tough on their clothes.

I also like Fido Fleece as it protects the belly well and, with the velcro down the back, is a bit harder for the dog to remove than the RC Pets fleece. It’s also a bit harder to put on, as you have to thread their legs through the holes.

I’ve tried the Ruff Wear Cloud Chaser as an indoor coat, but it fell apart within a week or so and rubbed the dog. Waste of money.

Other than the Ruff Wear, I haven’t had any problems with fit or sizing. I don’t expect anything but the Foggy Mountain to hit the tail though–the fit on RC Pets, Fido Fleece and even the Ruff Wear seems to hit right about at the hip bones, and I think that’s fine. I’d rather have the coat be a bit short than have too much play in the chest and belly. (For example, on this page, the coat on the dog at the top looks like a poor fit and a too large coat. The Weim at the bottom looks better to me. I want that belly strap to hit right behind the elbows.)

I’d love more options that would provide a challenge for the dog to remove–Koa loves to wiggle out of her blankets during the day and is miserable and shivering when I get home. Silly dog. I might also be interested in a blanketing SYSTEM, with nylon overcoat and fleece liner that somehow strapped together or something, but were still easy to take apart without taking the whole thing off the dog.

[Simkie]

@TheresanAppfurthat;5732196

.

My older Russell had a raincoat which didn’t have a label, picked up in the sale bin at a local tack store which usually stocks dog stuff too. I wish I knew who made this raincoat because it has a stand-up wing collar, open in the front, which protects the back of the dog’s neck without interfering with the dog collar/leash. It is bright tomato red, lightweight and water resistant lined with a lightweight black felt. You can turn the collar down flat for a jaunty look or flip it up for rain protection. Based on the way it looks with the collar flipped up - I call it his "Elvis coat.

Sounds like RC Pets! http://www.rcpets.com/rcpets/index.php/browse/category/id/RC_Coat#main_panel

[evntr5218]

[QUOTE=TheresanAppfurthat;5732229]
Evntr where did you find a Baker collar? Would love to have some for my Jacks! My Baker dog blankets were purchased some years ago and haven’t needed to go looking for more, didn’t realize you could get matching collars. (Not a preppie here but do have aspirations to same.)[/QUOTE]

here is the link from smart pak. looks like its your lucky day they are on sale too
i have the the brown for my brown and white JR and the black for my IG/JR mix. One i have had for 4 years and the other 2 year and they still look as good as the day i had them.

[evntr5218]

[QUOTE=danceronice;5732194]
No regular clothes. They’re dogs. They already have a fur coat.

I did buy a Thundershirt. The biggest fit problem I had was while their measurement around his “girth” gave me one size, he’s narrow chested and the chest straps are too long. He’s very tall, but he’s just SKINNY. So something that fits behind the shoulders is too big around the chest.

The Corgi, I thought about booties, but like Go Fish said, she’s wash n’ wear.[/QUOTE]

is that the one that is supposed to help dogs who are afraid in storms? my JR is terribly nervous in storms and I have always been curious if these work.

[Simkie]

Oh, I have also tried the SS Tack Blanket and even my not-hard-on-her-clothes-at-all dog shredded it. Lasted less than a week.

And, danceronice, I have to laugh at your comment that “they already have a fur coat”! Koa’s coat is SO short and SO fine that her belly is bald. She has never had hair there. She needs some help in the winter, since I don’t live in Africa

[onelanerode]

Both my dogs have blankets, but they don’t get used that often.

They each have a turnout-type blanket that’s wind/waterproof: one is the Smartpak thinsulate model and the other is a thicker Everest model.

The turnout-type blankets are used when it’s piss-pouring rain and the dogs have to go out right now, or on the few occasions we get snow/sleet/sneet/gusty cold winds and the dogs will be out for a while on a walk. They tend to stay warm enough while playing hard in the yard.

The one thing I don’t like about the turnout-type blankets is the back always pops up when the dog puts his head down to sniff. I’d like to see a belly band (instead of the 1"-2" wide nylon strap) and/or leg straps of some kind to keep their butts warm and dry.

They also each have a fleece Smartpak blanket that is mainly used as a bathrobe for when it’s too cold for them to dry off outside on the porch. I think I’ve put the smaller dog’s fleece blanket on him once or twice when we’ve gone walking after dark in the winter and it’s not windy or raining/snowing, but they don’t get used too often.

In terms of fit, the fleece ones are always slipping to one side or the other, and I’m always tugging them straight every time a dog walks by. Not sure why they do this or how to fix it though.

[BetterOffRed]

[QUOTE=Go Fish;5732172]
No. I have Corgis. They are the ultimate wash and wear dog. No need for clothing at all. Occasionally, I’ve tried raincoats to keep them dry, particularly when I’m going to put them in the car. However, they are so embarassed and annoyed with the coats, that I just gave it up.

Corgis are hard to fit, too. The coats never fit around the neck and chest.[/QUOTE]

Go Fish! There is nothing cuter than a corgi in a coat! Mine wear their coats at the barn in the winter. Molly helps me put hers on by standing on her back legs to latch the belly strap…Tigger whines and moans and flips over on his back to keep me from putting it on. I tell them cuteness comes with a price! Bonus, their Dover fleece blankets match their equine brother’s!

I do agree that corgi coats are hard to fit, if you get them big enough in the chest, they are too long on the legs. Or too or too short to cover across their backs!

[classicsporthorses]

Thanks so far everyone. It’s helpful. I also am researching beyond just jackets/blanket for dogs too. We’ve had 5 dogs we’ve tried to fit, if we’re talking just blankets-from a thin Great Dane (he had bloat surgery and never was able to gain weight) to a 6 pound Yorkie with a rather big chest for his size.

My daughter likes to dress the Yorkie up in other dog clothes, why I don’t know, and it’s hard to find stuff for little dogs who just don’t fit the “norm”. He’s to big for extra small and to small for “small” sized stuff that is produced. One afternoon I simply cut holds in a Thomas’s bagel wrapper and we used that as his rain coat for him to go outside and do his duty! It worked perfectly. Go figure.

I can relate as a shorter woman, 29 inch inseam, with muscular legs I can’t find tall boots to fit me b/c the length between my heel and below the knee is maybe 16 inches. Boot manufacturers assume a bigger calf means a longer leg-NOT. I am not a heavy person just muscular.

Keep the information coming.