AIBU to wonder why so many dogs wear coats these days?

[DogCoat]

I am quite old, so in my day, you never saw dogs wearing coats. These days, a high percentage of dogs are dressed in coats to go out. What is this all about? Why did dogs not used to need coats, but now they do?

I have an elderly short haired, medium sized breed and she shivers outside if it's less than about six degrees.

I put her waterproof jacket on when it rains as well, so I don't bring a wet, muddy, stinky dog back home, especially as my front door opens straight into my lounge (no rear access).

👖 + 🐕 😂😂😂 ( sorry no dungaree emojis)

I'm 38 and my parents always had coats for their labradors when I was growing up. Maybe it's a case of it just wasn't common in your own area, rather than no one ever did it.

My dogs hates wearing a coat, he will not walk with it on and if he does he’s miles behind walking at a snails pace, we don’t bother with it anymore. He’s a Romanian stray so guess he’s pretty hardy.

Always seen dogs in coats since I was a child in my area. Haven't noticed a particular surge.

Are you just wanting to have a moan about dog owners, OP?

My pug will wear a coat if it's really cold (she won't go out in the rain). My golden retriever has never worn a coat.

You’ve never owned a whippet have you?

😂

Because people can’t stop anthropomorphising dogs.

A thin waterproof in bad weather I can go along with, but most dog breeds don’t need a coat to go out.

You used to not see them because they weren't so easily available in the shops. Now they are everywhere, in different sizes. My Dachshund used to get so cold in winter that I have knitted him a jumper, because I simply could not buy a fitting dog coat anywhere (that was in the late 90s/early 00s). Now it would not be a problem, I could just take him to a shop and try a few coats on.
Dogs get cold, especially those with short hair. They too get used to living in a warm home.

What do you mean "you can go along with"? Do you mean put on your dog? Or you won't judge a thin waterproof as anthropomorphizing dogs?
Do you have a dog and if you do which breed?

As in I can understand it being useful to prevent wet-dog. I no longer have a dog, no.

My chihuahua/terrier mix won't wear one, she's run off in the woods and come back without it on the couple of times I've tried making her wear one. She's pretty wiry though. It's the commercialisation of having a dog I reckon, along with dog grooming, and all the other dog related stuff you can buy now. Also people don't want to be thought of as cruel for not having a coat on their dog. Personally though I couldn't give a fiddlers fart what other people think, I know my dog.

My dogs are rescues from Spain, now living in Scotland. They are a thin, bony breed with thin coats, and live in a centrally heated house. Coats are absolutely necessary at this time of year for sure.

There are various reasons why a dog might need a coat. I have three dogs. Two are Toy Poodles. Very small dogs lose heat quickly and don’t generate it as quickly are larger ones, so if it properly cold (not just cool), they wear coats. My big girl, a Weimaraner has a very thin coat (as in her natural coat). If the temperature outside was 4c or less, I’d put a coat on her. Then there is another reason for me. It’s a long and miserable task (for both of us) to clean the mud off my big girl after she’s been running over muddy fields. Consequently, today she wore a new coat with legs to make it easier for me!

My parents didn’t see a lot of people with microwave ovens or air fryers when they were growing up, but there are loads now. It’s great isn’t it! People using things that are useful for them.

My elderly hound has bad hips so he has one one if it’s cold and wet. He has one which is like a miniature horse rug… he’s quite proud of it! 😄

Quite. My cat always finds the warm underfloor heating pipe when in the house but happy to spend hours outside in the cold.
Some of the dogs I see with coats on in this mild winter must be boiling the poor things .

I have whippets and Italian greyhounds. In the cold weather they need coats to maintain body temperature as they have fine fur and very little body fat. I suppose it’s to do with different breeds of dogs that we see nowadays. Mine shiver and refuse to go outside if the weather is cold .

Because he has a thin coat and gets cold.

I think it’s daft and there’s rarely a reason to put a coat on a dog, unless it’s a breed that warrants it.

I have a dog with a normal coat. He doesn’t need to wear clothes.

We’ve a hot climate dog with very little subcutaneous fat for temperature management. Will happily charge around in 30° heat but freezes his nuts off in a British winter.

Mine shivers when it's cold so he wears a jumper

We only put a coat on one of ours because she weighs less than an average cat and looks absolutely pathetic if it’s cold, she stands and shivers and refuses to go.
Our other are what we class as ‘proper dogs’ so don’t seem to worry about the cold too much but I’d wouldn’t dream of sending out the little one to be a shivering mess, I’d have people stopping me telling me she needed one. 😂

Mine shakes like mad when cold or wet so of course wears a coat to keep warm and dry