Dressing Your Dog

If you spend any time on Instagram, you will see a large variety of dog fashions and it seems winter fashion is all the rage. If truth be told, our dog Monroe dresses better than us. Yes, as a general rule, we make sure Monroe is dressed for playing outside during the winter months, and here are a few guidelines we follow.

Monroe modeling classic argyle dog sweater.

1. Get the correct Size.  Cockapoos like our Monroe range in size, shape, appearance, intelligence and temperament and typically there are many different sizes of dogs clothing. In retail stores, you often find extra small, small, medium,  and large categories. You'll want to make sure what you purchase for your dog is properly sized and stores usually will not allow coats to be returned, so measure your dog first. When the dog is standing up, run a tape measure from the base of the dog’s neck - where the collar would sit - to the base of the tail. The majority of dog clothes use this measurement. Knowing your dog’s chest measurement will ensure a good fit, too. Even though our dog Monroe is under 26 pounds, he has a loose wavy/ringlet coat, so Monroe often does wear a medium.

   Dog Size	Dog Weight
   X Small	1-10 lbs
   Small	11-25 lbs.
   Medium	26-40 lbs.
   Large	41-70 lbs.

2. If you plan to make dressing for winter temperatures a habit, it is good to start as soon as you adopt your pet and it is best to start with something lightweight and then graduate to something heavier. Our Monroe shivers when exposed to winter temperatures so we purchase sweaters for him as we feel he is in need of additional insulation.
3. The Smell factor. Dogs like to sniff everything. If we purchase dog apparel we normally let it layout on their bed so they can sniff it.
4. Use Positive Reinforcement. It's fun to watch a dog react! Even by putting something on such as a bandanna, your response will catch your dog's attention.
5. Never Leave a Dressed Dog Unattended as they may get caught up in the clothing.
6. Look for signs of anxiety in your dog. Clothing can easily become too warm or confining which can be alarming and even dangerous for your dog.

                                    

Monroe modeling peace symbol and checked dog sweater
and WORLD'S BEST HUNTER EVER shirt.

While Monroe tolerates the clothing, not every dog will. As a general rule, we dress our dogs for outside winter months as midwestern temperatures are then fridged.