The Case of the Shivering Dog

[Ace1]

My elderly Irish Jack Russell shortie (who does not act elderly) is already coming in from a 3-minute romp in the backyard shivering. He’s also cold in the house - we’re talking maybe 40 degrees F. outside and low sixties inside. He hates clothes.

Can anyone recommend a soft garment to keep him warm inside as well as something akin to a horse blanket for walks/outdoor time? I say “horse blanket” because he squirms like mad when I have to pull things over his head, so if I only had to buckle/strap at the chest and belly, that’s ideal. If there is already a thread on this, please let me know and I’ll check it out!

Thank you!

Ace

[VaqueroToro]

Weatherbeeta makes dog versions of their fleece and nylon-with-fill horse blankets – nothing to pull over a head, just a velcro strap or two around the belly.

Tough 1 has a similar version (most likely cheaper as well). Old BO’s JR lived in one of the Tough 1 types nearly 24-7 and never killed her “blankie”.

[wendy]

http://www.orvis.com/store/product.aspx?pf_id=5C86

these don’t go on over the head and just zip up the back. Very soft and warm.

[threedogpack]

I’ve started to make my own “clothes” for the Paps. Trinket is too small for most commercial garments and as Nikki has so much coat, it’s hard to not get it caught in the velcro, which makes the velcro not stick well. I make mine with buttons so her hair can slip out. One of my tasks for today is to take an XL mens sweat shirt to use as material to make a winter coat. This is where I got the pattern.
http://erinerickson.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Harness-Tutorial-PDF.pdf

[VaqueroToro]

I have a total side bar question:

How do you make sure the dog doesn’t get caught up in the coat if it goes to scratch?

[Ace1]

Threedog - I’ve toyed with the idea of making The WonderJack something for his indoor time - I’ll have to check out the tutorial when I get out of work. Buttons will be way better since WonderJack is wirehaired.
Vaquero - I like the sound of the Tough1! I wasn’t sure how people felt about the wethabeeta blankets; I probably should read more reviews.
Wendy - I took a look earlier at the orvis, but it looked like i have to get the boy to stay still while zipping up the back. Amazingly, he makes this quite a project. Dog is a good, good boy, but he really hates clothing and makes getting him into it a nasty chore. He does love to be tucked into blankets, though! Weird, sweet baby.

[threedogpack]

[QUOTE=VaqueroToro;7233446]
I have a total side bar question:

How do you make sure the dog doesn’t get caught up in the coat if it goes to scratch?[/QUOTE]

make the body either shorter, or long enough to reach the flank area.

[vtdobes]

SmartPak has a bunch of different dog coats I’ve gotten several of their fleece ones for inside wear (or for layering!) and also the outdoor version (more like the horse blanket material).

[HorsefaceDee]

love these coats:
http://greenhawk.com/wdItemList.asp?strilhID=Web&intwgID=363&intwdID=364&intwtID=371&curLowPrice=0&curHighPrice=0&strListType=ItemList&strBrandName=&strSearchString=&intPageOn=2

[Ace1]

VT - I thought I had read about the SmartPak coats. I’ll have to do some more research. Somehow I get about 10-15 min. into researching for the old boy, then I get daunted and quit. Meanwhile, he just keeps on a’shivering.

HorsefaceDee (your username literally made me laugh) - those look great! Even though WonderJack is not built like a typical JR (he’s stockier - not sure if it’s because he’s supposedly an “Irish Jack Russell shortie” or that’s HIS body type), but it’s nice when the JR is a model for the coat. Thank you!

[Lilykoi]

Fido Fleece! My Rat Terrier wears hers inside all the time. Velcros up the back and quite soft and snuggly.

http://tinyurl.com/nxjyro6

[Ace1]

Lilykoi - that looks like a good possiblity for rollin’ around the house! Your RT isn’t able to bust out of the fleece? WonderJack is pretty adept at rubbing off sweaters/coats/etc.

Anyone know about the scale of heft regarding denier (density of thread/weave, I think?) and/or grams of fleece? I see the denier and then grams of fleece, but don’t know a) if denier really matters for a elderly JRT and b) what is too light for fleece to really be warm.

Thanks!

[Bicoastal]

[QUOTE=threedogpack;7233440]
I’ve started to make my own “clothes” for the Paps. [/QUOTE]

Wanna make a snowsuit for my Pap? Have you made anything with legs? It would be a relief to both of us if his feathers were not soaked or covered in snow balls. Out comes the hair dryer…

[NEWT]

This was on craigslist yesterday. Very cute!

http://maine.craigslist.org/pet/4145008177.html

[threedogpack]

[QUOTE=Bicoastal;7238863]
Wanna make a snowsuit for my Pap? Have you made anything with legs? It would be a relief to both of us if his feathers were not soaked or covered in snow balls. Out comes the hair dryer…[/QUOTE]

Trinket cannot seem to walk if the bulky, waterproof coat is on her. So I started to look for leggings for her (thought perhaps newborn size something) but she is far too small for what I found, but what I think I’m going to do is cut the fingers off knit gloves, sew a whip stitch around each end and she can wear them. Maybe. Or she will pull them off. But we’ll see.

[Bicoastal]

[QUOTE=threedogpack;7239030]
Trinket cannot seem to walk if the bulky, waterproof coat is on her. So I started to look for leggings for her (thought perhaps newborn size something) but she is far too small for what I found, but what I think I’m going to do is cut the fingers off knit gloves, sew a whip stitch around each end and she can wear them. Maybe. Or she will pull them off. But we’ll see.[/QUOTE]

I see we’ve walked down similar paths. Timber pees on his front feathers. Someone recommended baby socks. Like you experienced, too small. Dog show suppliers make leggings for heavy coated dogs but I haven’t found any for toys.

I like your idea. I would add a strap across the shoulders to keep them up. Like overalls.

Back to the OP- lots of dog coat threads in the menagerie. Not popular, but I would suggest looking at dog-specific manufacturers, not horses. That said, I do have smartpak coats.

[Lilykoi]

The Fido Fleece does stay on even with lots of rolling:)
Schneider 's also makes a nice heavy fleece that covers their chest and belly

[Ace1]

Thanks, everyone! The weather turned warm and I rather tuned out of my own thread! I am surprised that horse manufacturers may not make superior quality coats/blankets, primarily because the ‘boutiques’ for dogs I’ve been in seem to be all about dressing the dog up…not keeping the dog truly warm (or dry). I’m in MO now (former Nebraskan), so odds are our days of warm weather are numbered. Best get back to the search. And Lilykoi, if you vouch for a RT that rolls, I’m happy to put the Fido Fleece in serious contention.

[Simbalism]

I have a weatherbeeta dog blanket that one of the ladies I board with gave me for my dog. (hers had outgrown it). It is sturdy and well made. It is waterproof and has some fiberfill between two nylon layers to keep her warm as well.I also have two of the Dover Saddlery fleece dog blankets for my girl. You can often catch them on sale. The fleece is a nice sturdy weight and the straps are heavy nylon web material with heavy duty velcro. They even repel water to a degree.

[wendy]

the horse manufacturers tend to just scale down their horse blankets, thus they don’t tend to fit dogs terribly well.
I’d suggest staying away from any coats that fasten with Velcro, particularly if there is a front strap that relies on it. They don’t last and tend to come off unexpectedly.