PetAgree
Do you dress your pet? How much do you dress your pet? Does your pet have a wardrobe complete with pajamas, or just a coat for when it’s cold and wet out? What about Halloween, or should I say Howleen? Is your little devil in full costume for Trick or Treating? In recent years it seems as though pet dressing has become more and more common. Stop in any pet store and you are bound to find a large selection of traditional dog jackets to wedding dresses and tuxedos. But should you dress him?
It seems that pet dressing primarily poses a consideration for dogs. I don’t know if cats are just too fast to catch for an outfit change, or if their clothing brand and style requirements just make them no fun to shop for. Either way, cats seem to dodge the clothing issue entirely.
I am pretty sure that big dogs miss out on dressing up simply because they are big. I have a Miniature Schnauzer- she weighs maybe 16lbs on a ‘fat’ day, and she is still generally a size medium or large for most pet clothing lines. I can’t imagine even an extra-large fitting my friends’ 60lb Rhodesian Ridgeback. I suppose, if determined, big dog owners’ could always find human clothing to fit their big furry babies, but I don’t see it happening too often. I have a hard time justifying $18 on a shirt for myself; no way would I be caught purchasing two so my dog could have one to match.
So, you have a little dog, should you dress him? There are a lot of things to take into consideration before pulling that polo shirt over your pooches’ head.
First off, is your dog a shredder? Some dogs will shred and/or consume anything. I worked at a veterinary clinic for 5 years and let me tell you that you wouldn’t believe what was in the ‘prize’ jar of things surgically removed from dog’s stomachs. I specifically remember an entire key ring with keys in that jar. If your dog likes to chew and mangle things, particularly anything fabric, I would say that an outfit is not a great idea.
Secondly, what is your pooches’ coat like? I don’t mean what designer made his jacket, I mean his fur coat. Some dogs will matt up just looking at clothing. If your dog has easily tangled tresses you might want to reconsider that tuxedo. Areas to really watch for are under the armpits and on the tummy.
With that said, if you have a Chinese Crested or other thin haired dog you’ll want to consider the repercussions of not dressing her, especially in the winter. We live in Michigan and it gets really cold and snowy. Can you imagine running outside to relieve yourself with nothing on? I think I would freeze in place.
Really, I think the most important thing to consider is your pet. Every pet is different. If you put a hot dog costume on your Dachshund and he refuses to walk that is a pretty good indication that he hates it. However, if your Poodle prances every time she sees her pretty princess gown taken off the hanger, put it on her. You know your pet and how he reacts when he loves (or hates) something.
My Maggie Chewbacca was the prettiest princess puppy of all. She had polo shirts, pajama’s, fleece vests (she was a 6-9 month baby size) and even a bikini with matching visor. She was the best dressed pet around and boy did she love it. She loved the attention she got from everyone when her nail pawlish matched her newest dress, frolicking around like fawn on a spring day. Then when she turned 3yrs, something happened, something changed. We were going boating and I went to put on her bikini and she cringed. Ears back, tail tucked, and stiff as a board wouldn’t move. I don’t know what did it, but Maggie had decided to join the nudist colony for dogs. Now she only dresses for extreme winter weather.
There isn’t anything fundamentally right or wrong about dressing your pet. It boils down to you and your pet’s preferences. Clothes diva or nudist, as long as the two of you are happy that is all that matters.
