Why are dogs wearing clothes all of a sudden ??!

[Isntfurenough]

For years and years (I’m old!) I’ve only ever seen the occasional greyhound type or yorkie wearing a simple coat if the weather was really cold …….

Since October this year suddenly about 90% of the dogs I’m seeing daily (I jog twice a week in park and go for long walks) are wearing coats or jumpers or what look like wetsuits with legs ??!! These are fluffy / furry breeds too (poodle mixes , collie / lab types) all sorts and this has been when the temperature has been mild ?? Nowhere near freezing !! Is this a new thing? Won’t they overheat ??!!

@WeAreBorg if equafleece made puddlesuits I'd buy one for the toddler too!

It wasn’t a stupid comment at all.

My JRT has a coat for very cold or wet weather, she's only started to wear one in the last couple of years but she's rising 14 and small, so she does feel the cold especially when it's wet. It's more like a mini horse rug with reflective strips - there's no chance of a jumper or dress or anything like that, she wears it for a functional reason - to keep her warm and dry.
Spaniel has a lightweight reflective and fluorescent coat, wears it at night in wet/cold weather but that's it - and only because she does like to go off sniffing and chasing and she has had me over on uneven ground in the dark and she's more chance of being seen in that if she gets away from me. She doesn't need it for warmth hence it being lightweight and only wears it if it is cooler weather and dark. They both have light up collars as well - I can see them in the dark and if they ever did get away from me, other people stand more chance of seeing them too.
Incidentally the JRTs coat has saved her worse injuries when an off lead dog had a go at her, offered some protection and she was relatively unharmed - the coat was a write off.

Love how people get worked up over people actually looking after and caring about their dogs. it's already been stated numerous times why some people choose to put a coat on their dog.

Surely people caring so much about their dog is a good thing? Growing up in the 90's dogs wandered round the streets and basically lived on crap dog food topped up with human scraps. They probably also got put straight to sleep or went left unmedicated if they developed a long term illness because nobody insured their dogs. Thankfully we've evolved and educated ourselves and actually want to give our dogs the best life for the short amount of time we have them.

Go and get worked up about the people that abuse their dogs, starving them, beating them constantly breeding them or leaving them caged alone all day and not meeting their needs.

Someone walking their dog in a coat or buying them a Christmas gift really shouldn't be bothering you in the slightest. My dog will probably wear her coat tomorrow if it's raining, she will be getting a Christmas gift and some turkey for her dinner and we will both be happy.

Stop being so judgmental.

Merry Christmas you miserable sods.

We used puddlejumpers when the kids were little, now we just use waterproof over trousers and a waterproof jacket 🤷🏻‍♀️

This!

unbelievable that a thread even exists slagging off people for caring “too much” about their dogs.

Let’s go back to the good old days of chaining them up in the garden, feeding them leftovers and not picking up their shit.

I think the concern is that quite a lot of dog owners have become a bit weird with the way they treat their pets, elevating them to human status. Which is worrying, both for society and for the pets.

BTW, loads of dog owners do not pick up their dog’s shit, whether they call them fur babies and dress them up, or not.

And - genuinely - a merry Christmas to all dog owners.

I don’t agree with the fur babies thing either, just the phrase alone pisses me off. I’m a dog lover but I respect them for what they are - dogs. Canines. Descendants of wolves.

But I don’t think putting a coat on a dog when it’s pissing down with rain or cold is the crime of the century - you can care deeply for a dog without treating it like a human child.

Grown up on a farm in another country where the dog came in if it was below -25C, otherwise our caucasian shepherd guard dogs were outside- with no jumpers.

A Caucasian Shepherd is designed to be outside in all temperatures. A poodle, for example, is not.

OP, this has also been baffling me.

I understand that for certain breeds of dogs they need coats for warmth, but we have a 9 month old golden retriever and going by the litter WhatsApp group most of her 10 siblings have equafleeces and/or rain coats. Surely a breed like that was designed to get wet and muddy? Why would anyone have a GR if they weren't prepared to deal with stinky wet dog? And even if they're coming back pretty muddy, a vigorous post-walk towel down is generally all that's needed. I also worry that they must get so hot in them.

It reminds me a bit of those MAMIL cyclists that have to have all the gear just because someone is selling it...

Yes, wearing clothes but still shitting in verges. Best of both worlds right?

One poster saying her dogs like to roll in shit - says it all really…

Surely a breed like that was designed to get wet and muddy? Why would anyone have a GR if they weren't prepared to deal with stinky wet dog?

But they're still dealing with a stinky wet dog, they're just doing it differently to you. You're happy to towel your dog off multiple times a day, they prefer to use a coat and save the washing.

As long as the dog is still free to behave naturally, why does it matter if it does it wearing a coat?

As long as the dog is still free to behave naturally, why does it matter if it does it wearing a coat?

But is it really natural for a dog with a coat and constitution like a golden retriever's, to wear an extra layer while they're exerting themselves? I'm not convinced and, whilst I get that it may make life a bit easier for the owners, it doesn't feel particularly fair on the dog.

It's generally fox shit they roll in. Neither of mine have ever rolled in dog shit.

It's not really natural for them to live in houses, sleep in dog beds, get fed from tins or packets and wear collars and leads either. A coat is just an extension of that.

Dogs aren't 'natural' creatures, they've co.evolved with humankind.

It's not really natural for them to live in houses, sleep in dog beds, get fed from tins or packets and wear collars and leads either. A coat is just an extension of that.

Fair enough! Swap 'natural' for 'comfortable' in my post then.

I regret to admit that my cat has been a fairy in a tutu, a warrior with a sword belt and a baby in cuddle rug. She didn’t seem to mind and certainly never scratched.

However, I was four, and she was my constant companion. Dead these sixty years, never forgotten.

This.

Let’s crowbar in some dog/owner hatred before Christmas 😂

it’s good people look after their animals better now days.

my dog wears a fleece due to being a nakey no hair girl (illness)

Well, from here in cat heaven I can tell you that there’s another side to the story.

But thanks for the memorial.

Oldie spaniel had an equafleece for drying off, and when he got older a warm coat because he felt the cold, just like most 90 year olds do. I made his coat out of wax cotton and lined it in fleece. I loved him wearing it, it felt like part of taking care of him as he aged. He gave me so much, it was the least I could do for him.

The labratwit doesn’t have anything at the moment but I have just ordered him an equafleece, because we take part in canicross, and on very cold days then I don’t think it’s good for him to go from being very warm from running to being very cold in the car, any more than it would be for me. It will keep his muscles warm after runs. It might also be used for drying purposes if he gets absolutely saturated.

When the weather is cold and wet, my dog is much more comfortable in a coat.

Without one, he shivers, turns to go home and doesn't enjoy his walks. Pop him in a coat and he can be out for hours.

He's a working dog but only has a thin coat and very little body fat, so he feels the cold - especially when it's wet and windy (which it often is where we are). He often comes with us for a day out so there's a fair bit of standing/waiting around too. A coat makes a huge difference.