Dog Apparel

If you’re looking for dog apparel, boy are you in luck!  There are so many colors, styles and sizes available today, you’ll likely be able to find anything you can imagine!

Smaller dogs are usually (but not always) short-haired, so they actually may need dog apparel.  When it’s cool outside you may need to put a doggie t-shirt or sweatshirt on your teacup or miniature breed.  When it’s raining, a little raincoat may be necessary, and if you’re in a colder climate, a warm coat is a necessity when it’s cold and snowing out.

Medium dogs are usually hardier breeds, being mostly the sporting breeds.  These dogs may need coats in the coldest weather, but are normally fine any other time.  One piece of dog apparel you may need in snowy or icey weather are paw boots.  These boots protect your dogs paws so that they don’t get cut or torn by the ice and snow on the ground.  And if you have a short-haired, medium-sized dog, a lighter coat in the spring and fall would probably serve you well as these dogs don’t have the heavy coat to keep them warm.

Larger dogs, if they are long-coated, will probably not need extensive dog apparel, or any at all.  A short-coated large dog may need a coat in the coldest weather, but other than that, they should be okay just wearing their own coat!  Again, you want to be careful of their paws, especially with a large or giant breed, because the weight of their bodies will really take a toll on their paws when there’s a lot of ice.

Sighthounds in particular, such as greyhounds, whippets, Italian greyhounds and great danes need  extra protection because they have extremely thin skin and very little coat protection.  For these breeds, dog apparel is necessary.  A lighter coat in the fall and spring, and a heavy coat in the winter, are the very least you should purchase.  Paw protectors as well as a “snood” – a hood to protect their ears – will also be necessary.

Greyhounds, in particular, may also need pajamas, as ridiculous as it sounds!  They are so thin-skinned that they have very little protection from the elements.

All-in-all, you will probably need some kind of dog apparel during the life of your dog!