DoggyStyle: Saving Money with Human Gear for Dogs

I always love seeing that preparedness estimator saying that you should be prepared to spend $1,000 a year to own a pup. Though after some unexpected illnesses, food, and training classes, we found the cost can be much, much more, especially when you have a short-haired, cold-prone pup in the middle of Chiberia.
We are always looking for ways to save money, thought it seems like so many of the dog-specific items can cost more than our own clothes. Here are some ways we've learned to save money using human products for our pups. 

If You Can't Find a Dog Sweater:

get an inexpensive human sweater and modify it for your pup.

Our Sociabulls friend Buddha got this argyle sweater from a thrift store for only $3. You can have the option of having more coverage in the arms, or removing all of the arms for the sweater-vest look. The only other modification would be to sew it so it fits  closer to the body and leaving an area to pee.  It's so inexpensive that it wouldn't matter if it gets torn when playing, and you probably wouldn't find another pup with the same sweater.

If You Need to Keep Your Pup's Neck Warm:

use a human scarf.
We have been using snoods to cover the space between our pups' coats, especially where the metal from their collars can get really cold, but human scarves would work just as well.
You could use a kids' scarf if you need something shorter, or an adult scarf that you would just wrap around a few more times.
Doesn't our friend Sprocket look so stylish?

If You're Looking for a Less Expensive Coat Option:

use a kid's puffy vest.
We had been looking for a dog coat with a hood and fuzzy collar for a long time, and when we saw this kids' vest on super-sale we thought we would test it out. It turns out, kids' size 10/12 fits our Mr. B perfectly. We made a slit in the armholes for extra movement. The biggest modification it needs is to hold up the stomach area so the pups don't pee on the gear. When we first tried it we pinned it up with a binder clip (making sure it didn't rub against his skin) and later we were able to sew that section up.

If you can't find a dog costume in your pups' sizes:

check the kids' section.
We know a lot of pups participate in Pride Parades or dress up for Halloween, though it can be difficult to find gear for larger dogs. Plus, it can get expensive to find things they will only wear once. We search the kids' section for the pups' hats and costumes. We wrote more about it, here.

Does anyone else have ways you save money using human-geared products for your pups?

Also:
Other ways we save money using human products for our pups.
Macguyver with dogs.
Walkable Halloween costumes.

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