Sweaters and Coats Aren't Just Pretties!
Some pet
lovers of small breeds have taken the
idea of dressing their little ones to
the extreme. While an occasional
T-shirt or dress for a special occasion
is acceptable to most, the idea of your
dog wearing clothes overlays an air of
frivolity (i.e. bathing suits) to an
issue that is serious and necessary.
Toy breeds, elderly or ill dogs often
need help staying warm in cold weather,
so it is not a ridiculous idea for some
dogs and breeds. And in warmer
weather, thin coats (or hairless breeds)
are more susceptible to UV radiation, so
a light T-shirt is a must when outdoors
for long periods of time.
Many
smaller breed dogs have hair rather than
fur (or lack the second "down" coat many
breeds have) and are sensitive to chilly
weather. They need the warmth of dog
clothes if they are outside for any
length of time. Dog breeds such as
Yorkies, Silkies, Chinese Cresteds,
Doxies, Shorthaired Chihuahuas and
Maltese truly benefit from wearing a dog
sweater or coat. Little dogs don't
like the feel of the cold or rain and
are happiest warm and dry.
Outer wear
helps small dogs in real ways too.
According to Scott Shaw, DVM of Cummings
School of Veterinary Medicine, "They
have a much higher surface area in ratio
to body mass than large dogs and will
lose more heat to the environment."
In addition, dog breeds that have more
extended eye sockets suffer greater from
intense sunlight and windburn during
weather extremes. Three specific
areas are major sources of heat loss in
toy breeds: the top of the head,
along the spinal column where less blood
flows and the pads of their feet.
Once wet, stomach areas are hard to dry
out and hence, the tendency of a dog is
to curl up to stay warm while their
heart works overtime to generate heat to
dry the coat. This is particularly
hard on the elderly or the sick dogs,
causing unnecessary work on their hearts
and the burning of much needed energy
for other health issues. And dogs
on different forms of medication (such
as tranquilizers, pain killers, etc.)
have a lower ability to regulate their
body heat as well.
Shorthaired breeds like the Basenji,
Italian Greyhound, Greyhound, Weimaraner
and Vizsla have a thin build and need to
exercise outdoors. They do not fare well
with extreme cold. Per Scott Shaw, "They
have less body fat and are less able to
retain body heat." During cold
temperatures a 'barn jacket' works best
on an active dog, keeping them
comfortable in cold weather. The
polyester outside helps repel wind and
water to keep dogs dry and safe from the
elements, while the soft fleece inside
traps body heat to provide a den of
snuggly comfort.
Other
breeds do not need to wear a coat at all
because of the dense double coat - such
as Malamutes and Samoyeds. Cold
temperature breeds also usually have a
ruff of hair around their neck for extra
insulation.
However,
Scott Shaw also states that overweight
dogs are not warmer in the winter.
And activity determines their ability to
maintain body temperature, so perpetual
motion machines (very active dogs) will
remain warmer than a dog of the same
weight and build who is just walking.
Determining if your pet companion really
needs a sweater or coat is the easiest
part of the equation - the hardest part
is finding the right fit for the dog,
followed closely by the wash ability and
durability factor. For many-deep
chested dogs such as the Chihuahua,
without a separate chest section which
drops down and then tucks in once it
passes the waistline, an ill-fitting
garment is uncomfortable to the dog.
This is not a breed that 'one size fits
all' for if the neck is gapey and the
garment doesn't fit right, the Chi will
do their best to wiggle it off at the
first opportunity. Also, gender
matters!! The gender of the dog is
important when choosing. Female
and male dog bodies differ just as our
human bodies do --- remember to check
for little more stomach exposure for
males and less exposure for females!!!
And for
multi-dog homes, prepare to purchase (or
make) several sweaters or coats for each
individual dog. Because of their
extremely heightened sense of smell,
many dogs will resist wearing a sweater
or coat that has already been worn by
other dog, causing the experience to be
one they resist. If your climate
tends to be wet and/or muddy, you can
expect the need to wash these articles
just as frequently as you do your own.
A good rule of thumb is if you are cold,
so is your tiny dog... if you are
feeling cold and miserable, so is he.
So what materials are the best?
Fleece
is a sure bet for warmth and
affordability. However, in wet
climates fleece gets wet eventually and
stays wet. If you can't locate a
barn jacket type of outer wear (pictured
in red to the right), consider a fleece
pullover (that fits properly) and an
outer rain jacket (pictured in several
colors to the left) on top of the fleece
pullover. Once out of the damp
weather, the slicker can be pulled off
while the fleece pullover left on and
the dog can gradually warm up without
sudden chills to his internal
temperature system.
Snugglers
and jackets might be warm but depending
on your dog's aversion to sleeves, it
might be difficult to find one that fits
well and yet still does the job it is
supposed to. Some jackets are just
too cumbersome for the dog to enjoy
their normal activities, and this
defeats the purpose of the outdoor
jaunts and hikes.
Cape-type
outerwear does not always properly
encase the chest area to provide the
maximum amount of warmth. If the
cape and fabric rides too low across
their shoulders and upper arms, it can
chafe. This can cause the dog to
object to wearing it eventually.
If the belly area is too large and is
ill fitting, the male dog can wet on it
and long walks can cause irritated skin
areas (or 'low-rider' dogs will find
their belly is consistently becoming
wet). Gappy, 'flapping' materials
across their rumps can be annoying to
dogs as well. Fitting a cape-type
article is difficult, but is very easy
to be put on the dog, so pros have to be
weighed against the cons when making
this selection.
"Hoodies"
can impair the vision so that when your
dog's head turns, the hood doesn't
necessarily turn with it. However,
the hoodie does provide one added
advantage if not used properly - it will
add that added ruff around the neck
artificially for the dog's increased
warmth as it lies across their
shoulders.
Sweaters
won't keep your dog warmer than a fleece
article, but they are more suited for
inside use for toy breeds, ill or aging
dogs. A dog recently groomed (or
shaved for medical procedures) benefits
from the addition of an acrylic sweater.
Sweaters are meant to be a tight fit, so
they can be a tight pull over the head,
but once on, the dog reaps the benefits
to the degree the acrylic fiber allows
them to. Handmade, real wool
sweaters offer the greatest amount of
warmth, but they do not wash well and
are labor-intensive to maintain their
sizing and fit.
Bottom Line?
Sweaters,
coats, jackets, slickers and other
outerwear can have a REAL purpose beyond
what the casual observer believes ---
only the pet owner knows a dog's medical
conditions or their likes and dislikes.
Studies have been done that indicate
dogs dressed up garner more attention,
and if this is the kind of dog that
basks in attention, wearing something
actually increases their desire to do it
again. Those dogs that enjoy
the 'oohs' and 'ahs' and are apt to be
even more inclined to be friendly
towards strangers, enjoy their outings
more, etc. The pride of the owner
in their pet companion increases the
deep bond between them as well.
A happy
dog for a happy owner, so the next time
you see a 'too cutesy' dog dressed up,
consider all the possible underlying
reasons, the care and attention that
went into properly fitting the dog and
that it could very well be dressed for
reasons other than "pretty"!