Should you put clothes on pets?

Contrary to what some people may think, putting clothes on your dog is more than just a fashion statement. Even if most canines possess fur coats that keep them warm, they still benefit from wearing apparel like sweaters and customizable dog t-shirts. Clothes not only look great on your dog, but also promote better health, hygiene and safety.

If you live in a place with chilly winters or sweltering summers, clothing can provide your dog with more insulation or keep them cool. Certain canines, like senior dogs, have health conditions that may require you to regulate their body temperatures through clothes.

If your dog often goes outdoors, then an added layer of clothing can shield them from the elements and protect their fur from dirt. To learn more, below are five things that wearing clothes can do for your dog:

Keep Your Pooch Comfy in Hot or Cold Weather

Some dogs, like Siberian huskies and Samoyeds, have naturally thick coats that are made to withstand colder temperatures. However, other breeds may have difficulty handling frigid weather, especially small and short-haired canines. Without proper insulation, your dog may be susceptible to hypothermia. There are also hairless breeds, like the Chinese crested dog, who need to wear an extra layer of clothing to regulate their body temperatures.

If you live in a country with colder climates, dress your dog appropriately for the weather. Clothing pieces like sweaters, hoodies and coats are ideal for keeping your pup warm when winter comes.

Similarly, dogs with thick coats can feel uncomfortable during the summer months and may be prone to overheating. Besides providing them with enough water and giving their fur a good trim, you can have them wear a cooling jacket or vest that’s designed to deflect and evaporate heat.

Mitigate Health Conditions

Clothes can also mitigate certain health conditions that your canine may be experiencing. If you own a senior dog with arthritis, cold weather can make their joints ache even worse than usual. To prevent joint stiffness or pain, make sure to put some clothes on geriatric canines when the temperature drops. Additionally, dogs that experience Cushing’s disease are prone to losing a lot of fur, which means they may need some clothes to help protect their body and keep it at normal temperatures.

Protect Your Canine’s Skin

Even if your dog isn’t experiencing any health conditions, having them wear clothes is still a great way to protect their skin from the elements. Parkas will keep your pooch dry when they’re out in the rain or snow. Your dog also needs extra protection during very sunny days, as UV rays from the sun can damage their skin. With that in mind, a t-shirt made of lightweight and breathable fabric can help protect your fur baby’s skin while keeping them cool. For extra measure, you can also shield your pup’s head from the sun’s rays with a comfy hat.

Clothes can also protect your dog from parasites like fleas and ticks, especially if you often take them to grassy or wooded areas. While it’s still necessary to apply anti-flea and anti-tick treatments on your pooch’s fur, a t-shirt can deter bugs from biting your dog or making a home in their fur.

Keep Your Dog (And House) Clean

While it can be a joy to see your canine playing outdoors, activities like digging or rolling in the soil can make grooming a particularly challenging task. Thankfully, clothes are great at keeping dirt away from your dog’s fur. Once they’ve finished playtime, you can easily remove their garment and toss it into the wash. Plus, clothes are also great for containing shedding. They can trap fur inside them, preventing pet hair from spreading all over your house. With clothes, you can enjoy a tidy home while maintaining your dog’s hygiene.

Promote Your Pup’s Safety

Your dog’s clothing pieces can also act as safety measures. If you’re taking your dog out for a walk at night, it’s best to have them wear outfits with reflective materials. By doing so, bikers or drivers will have an easier time seeing your pooch in dark environments, which can prevent accidents from happening. Additionally, if your canine manages to escape during your walk, reflective outfits allow you to spot them easily. If you plan to go swimming with your dog, you should also consider getting them a life vest. This is very important for dogs who aren’t familiar with the water or can’t swim on their own.

As shown in the sections above, clothes aren’t just fashion items. They also keep your dog healthy and safe. With that in mind, make sure that your fur baby wears clothes in the correct size since apparel that’s too large or small can cause discomfort. Also, be sure to take note of your dog's specific needs based on their breed, size, and age, so you can purchase the most suitable outfits for them. By selecting the right clothes for your canine, you can ensure that they look good and feel good.

FOR NEWS ABOUT PET HEALTH, PET MERCHANDISE, PET BUSINESSES, AND MORE, MAKE SURE TO DROP BY THE

 

PRIDEBITES BLOG

 REGULARLY. WE UPDATE WITH NEW POSTS SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK.

For the most part, no, it's not a good idea to put clothes on your pet for several reasons. There are a couple of good reasons and I will cover those.

Clothes aren't good for your pet for several reasons. One reason is that they will chafe your pet. Where a human can scratch an itch under their clothes or adjust them, a dog can't. Imagine if you're underwear were wedgified all day and you couldn't adjust them. Would you be okay? Yes. Would you be comfortable? No.

The other reason is more about psychology. I'm not going to categorically lump everyone who puts clothing on their dogs in this group, but I think a vast majority of people who dress their dogs up, do it because they see them as a child substitute. Granted they require similar care to a young child as far as not being able to feed themselves or go to the bathroom by themselves, but I think people are mentally substituting them for a baby they didn't or couldn't have, or for kids that have left home. Sometimes it happens when a child is in the house because the dog isn't argumentative. I phrased it that way, instead of saying the dog isn't bad, because a lot of them are. People feel like a talking teenager should know better. The dog should know better as well, but because they can't talk and they're dependent, it's easier to see them as a child and forgive bad behavior. It's also the reason people like cats and dogs like pugs and boston terriers. They have large eyes in proportion to their heads and this makes them seem child like.

So even though people objectively know that they're dogs, subconsciously they treat them like babies or dolls. This leads to dressing them up, painting their nails, carrying them around, making excuses for bad behavior, etc...

It's not a good psychological state for the person or the dog. On the persons side, they're transferring feeling onto an inappropriate object and they're harming their dog by not treating it like a dog. On the dog's part, they're not being taught what proper behaviors are when dealing with others. Because typically it's small dogs being dressed up, they're often forgiven for behaviors that you physically can't with a big dogs, such as biting or jumping on you. They are also carried like babies and never allowed a proper amount of exercise. These things all lead to a dog that is aggressive, territorial, and anti-social. It's all lumped in with the mindset that goes along with dressing up a dog like a person. I strongly disagree with this practice.

There are a few occasions I would find it acceptable to put clothing on a dog for short periods of time. These include a Halloween costume (though I've never put one on my dogs), a diaper when a female dog is in heat, a shirt of some kind if they have a wound you want to keep them from rubbing, a rain jacket if you don't want them to get soaked when you're taking them to the bathroom, snow boots if it gets packed in between their toes, guard vests on labs fetching in frozen lakes, and the only piece of clothing I have, which is a light jacket I put on my jack Russell in the mornings when it's still pretty cold. She has very thin hair and I put her outside when I go to work. I'll put the light hoody on her and it'll help her retain heat till the day warms up. When she heats up, she wiggles out of it and leaves it by the door.

So there are good reasons and to put clothing on dogs and bad reasons as well. If you have the correct mindset about it, the clothing serves a purpose, and you aren't projecting maternal/paternal feeling onto your dog, then clothing is fine. Otherwise, lets leave it off. Hope this answers your question.