Summary
While not all dogs need sweaters, small, thin-coated breeds or those sensitive to cold may benefit below 32°F (0°C). Signs like shivering indicate a need. To DIY a dog sweater, choose soft yarn like acrylic. Measure your dog’s neck, back (collar to tail base), and leg circumference. Sketch a pattern on fabric with seam allowance. Cut out two identical pieces and stitch them together, leaving openings for the neck and legs. Try it on your dog and adjust for a comfortable fit. Ensure the sweater doesn’t cause overheating and uses non-irritating material.
How Can a Sweater Be Helpful to Your Dog?
Just like humans need protection from the cold weather outside in the winter season, dogs also need such protection.
Give a sweater to your canine. The woolen fabric of the shirt will prevent the canine’s body from being cold, as the wool fabric is a poor conductor of heat. The cold air from the outside gets trapped in between the fibers.
Sometimes, the dog also refuses to go outside to relieve himself during winter, so a warm sweater will encourage the pet to go outside by making the canine feel warm.
A sweater can also be helpful for indoor dogs as this provides the canine with a warm temperature. It is beneficial because dogs feel more comfortable in an extra layer curled up with a warm blanket.
Is a Sweater Beneficial for All Dogs?
Most dog owners have this misconception that all kinds of dogs need sweaters in the winter season for protection from the cold weather.
This belief of people is not true. Different dogs of different breeds can adapt to particular types of weather conditions.
The Siberian husky and Newfoundland can adapt to extremely cold conditions, whereas dog breeds like Dalmatians can adapt to warmer temperatures.
Therefore, putting a sweater on a dog who can adapt to an extremely cold condition is not worth it, as the canine coat is furry enough to protect the body from the cold weather outside.
If you put a sweater on it, then the canine will get overheated. We all know that overheating can be life-threatening for dogs and can also make your dog suffer from severe, deadly issues like heat stroke, heat exhaustion, or sudden death of the canine due to cardiac arrhythmias.
Therefore, a sweater can’t benefit all dogs. It is suggested to the owner that before putting on a shirt on the canine, they should check the breed of the dog and the thickness of the dog’s coat.
How to Know if Your Dog Needs Sweaters?
A dog owner can determine if they need sweaters by noticing the canine’s body language.
A dog’s body responds to different types of weather, including shivering or chattering its teeth. If your dog is not shivering when you are getting extremely cold, it is a sign that the pet doesn’t need any sweater as its coat is furry enough.
Suppose the temperature drops below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. In that case, dogs who don’t have thick coats might need to wear sweaters at extremely cold temperatures, and the blood vessels get constricted to divert blood toward the core to keep the internal organs warm.
So, if the temperature drops below the range mentioned above, you should put a sweater on your dog.
The dog owner is suggested to notice that if they provide sweaters with zips to the canine, then the zip should not get stuck with the fur, and always remember to keep the arms and neck area free as it can cause severe discomfort to the pet.
How to Make Dog Sweaters?
Most dog owners prefer to make their dog sweaters independently instead of using DIYs. If they make the sweater independently, the dog owner can give it a design of their choice.
This process will take a lot of work, as measuring the dog for the sweater is not that easy. The instructions a dog owner can follow for sewing a shirt for their canine are discussed below.
Choose the Woolen Fabric You Want
The first step you have to begin with is choosing the best and most comfy fabric for your dog.
The owner is suggested to choose a fabric that can not cause itchiness to the dog’s skin due to its rough nature. As per the reviews given by the dog owners, the best fabric to go with is very soft acrylic yarn.
The type of wool will decide how much the sweater will comfort the dog. Therefore, the owner is suggested to choose the woolen material carefully.
Measure the Dog
Here comes the most difficult step of the entire procedure. To take the proper measurements, make your dog stay still and wrap its collar and area ahead of the tail with the measuring tape to check how many inches will be perfect for the sweater.
For this, all the owner has to do is make the dog understand that he has to stay still now for a couple of minutes and then take the measuring tape and surround it in the collar of the dog, then note down the inches at the edge, repeat the same at the area ahead of the tail and note the inches.
The measurement of the legs is also necessary, which can be done by measuring the legs. The dog might shiver in between the process as the measuring tape can tickle the pet.
Draw the Measurements on the Woolen Fabric
After you have measured the dog, it’s time to make your dog’s sweater. The next step you have to follow is to create the measurements you have taken on the fabric you have chosen.
Using chalk can be helpful as the marking will be visible to the owner. It is suggested that the dog owner always draw one to two inches from the actual measurement as these extra inches will get stitched inwards to give a perfect length to the sweater.
Note that the lines should be visible and perfectly curved at the points where needed, making the remaining process smooth.
Cut the Cloth as Per the Drawn Diagram
Now, as you have drawn the diagram of your measurements on the chosen fabric, it’schosen fabric, it’s time to cut that shape out of the woolen cloth. Make sure that the scissor is sharp enough to cut the lines in one stroke, as cutting it within two to three times can make the sides of the cloth appear rough.
RememberRemember two pieces of cloth per your diagram, as the two sides will be stitched together to make a perfect sweater that can cover the whole canine body.
Stitch the Two Pieces Together
Here comes the last step of the entire procedure. All the owner has to do is the stitching of the sides. Using a stitching machine can make the process easy and give the sweater a perfect shape.
The owner has to pull down the needle of the stitching machine, insert the thread in it, and then start moving the side of the cloth, which needs to be stitched below the needle, by switching on the machine.
The owner should notice that the extra inches they have marked on the fabric need to be stitched and not the area above that marked extra inches. Once you complete the sides’ stitching, you have marked on the woolen fabric, and you’re done with a brand new sweater for your canine.
Final Check of the Size
Now, you are all done with your dog’s sweater, and it’s time to check if it fits perfectly. For this, all the owner has to do is hold the dog with the hand, put the head of the canine in the sweater slightly, put the legs in the side made for legs, and then cover it up to the tail.
If the sweater gets a bit tight, then the owner can release the stitches of the body of the shirt and then stitch it again ahead of that previous stitch by aligning it properly with the previous one.
