We were out walking our pups the other day when we heard:
"Did you see those dogs wearing raincoats? Some people spend their money on the stupidest stuff*".
--Quote from beer-bellied guy smoking cigarettes and hanging out at a bar in the middle of the afternoon, to his friend.
*Not actual word used
Sure, sometimes we hear the occasional "those poor dogs" at dog-Halloween events where people think all dogs are miserable in clothing. Though, there are a couple of reasons we can tell that our dogs are actually happier and safer because they are wearing gear:
Keeping Warm
I never thought I would be one to dress up my big dog, but when I realized Miss M just couldn't handle rain or any temperature below 40 degrees I realized I needed to start. Since we do live in Chicago, and we need to walk in the winter, I decided to get her a coat. And it was the coat that became our gateway to
sweaters and hoodies and snoods. Knowing how miserable our pups are when they are cold or wet, I think that they are actually happier wearing things.
Getting Petted
There is nothing our pups love more than meeting people. Sure, they will meet some people when we go on our walks, but when the pups are wearing clothes or costumes it gives people even more reason to approach our dogs. Which makes our pups so, so happy!
Just see what we mean
here (in the bottom video) and
here and
here.
Safety
I know I'm a paranoid pet-owner, but since we can never leave the vet for under $150, and Miss M is prone to
letting her jowl flap in the breeze , we thought it would be a good idea to get the pups some protective eye-wear so they can enjoy looking out the window (we wrote
more about it here). I think it also helps that she gets attention from the cars that pull up alongside us and squeals of delight from people walking. And we're working on less jowl flapping.
Besides the reasons above, we also use
gear as training tools and as a way to
disarm people and open the conversation to see what pit bull-type dogs are really like.
What are your thoughts on dressing your pup?
Also:
How to make sure your dog is comfortable wearing costumes
Finding coats for bigger dogs.
This happened.
Chango is our style-icon!
23 comments:
There is nothing cuter than a dog in doggles. Makes me chuckle every time. My girls rock the purple and the black.
I agree that dressing up the pups helps draw attention to them and make them more approachable. Whenever Mugsy has his hoodie or backpack on people are more interested in him and more likely to pet him.
It's my money and I spend it exactly how I want and if beer-bellied-smoking-day-drinkers have a problem with it, they can suck it! Oh yeah, I proudly dress them up -- inside the house and outside!
I dress Holly up all the time. She doesn't mind it at all and will also readily submit to being photographed in her dress-ups as long as there are plenty of treats available.
I thank you for always posting the adorable clothes & accessories you get for your pups. You always provide plenty of inspiration for new & cute things I can buy for Holly! (plus knowing where to purchase clothes for my burly girl is really helpful)
I did get Holly the doggles and she wears them quite willingly whenever she goes for a ride on the ATV. Hopefully I will be able to get a sidecar for my motorcycle soon and then she'll be able to be a true "biker pibble" with her doggles and doggie biker jacket.
Holly also has plenty of cold weather gear and that makes it much easier for her to get out and walk on Minnesota winter days. It didn't take her long to figure out that being outside was much more bearable with coat, snood & booties!
You're right about making the dog much more approachable. I think people see the cute outfits first and don't even notice that Holly is a pit bull mix. And even just a bandana or collar with a flower attached is what people will always see first and want to meet Holly.
You guys and your pups have been such a help and inspiration to me as a new pit bull owner. Hopefully I will get to Chicago some day to meet all of you in person. :-)
Gah! I love these two.
We've gotten the same response a time or two, but we're with you -- it stems from necessity (Tess gets cold!) and works its way to ambassador-ing!
Corbin doesn't mind wearing his sweater, coat or snood and actually refuses to go outside without his sweater or coat in the freezing cold or snow. He has such a thin layer of fur on his belly, if you can even call it a layer! He comes in shivering if he's not wearing something to protect it. I am on the fence about trying goggles with him for his trips to the lake. I know the splashing in his eyes isn't his favorite thing, but he doesn't care for things on his face or head, so I'm not sure how well it'll work out!
-Corbin's momma, Jenn
While I don't dress my dogs up very often, I fully embrace all the reasons you listed. Living in a moderate climate, warmth is rarely an issue. Even though it rains a lot, I'm a true Portlander and eschew rain coats for me & the dogs. And I don't think the world could handle the cute of Hurley in a costume :-)
Kudos to you on dressing up your pups to make them more approachable! And for all your pro PB efforts. Petey doesn't get thicker hair in the winter and has barely any on his "under carriage". AND he loves to be warm (burrows under the covers). So if you want to spend your $ on something that enhances life (vs a lethal addiction) YAY for you!
We always get silly comments when the boys wear their PAWZ booties. Trust me, I would gladly skip the 10+ minutes required to stretch 12 of them over 12 unwilling paws if it was just a matter of playing dress up. I suppose I get defensive when I hear "Look at the dogs wearing boots!", and I want to explain that it's because of the salt, but then I realize that I probably would have been on the other side of the situation a few years ago, especially if I saw a small girl with 3 pit bull-type dogs wearing blue and purple balloons on their feet.
I don't think there is anything wrong with dressing up a dog as long as it's something that doesn't make them miserable. In the case of Miss M and Mr. B they like it and it helps to keep them warm and dry, so there is nothing wrong with that.
My pups absolutely hate to be dressed up for any reason and will rip off anything we put on them. I think that's a sign!
We need to work with Mushroom a little more to desensitize her to the different things we put on her. She absolutely hates when we put things on over her head or her back, but once they're on, she just forgets they're there. Badger, on the other hand, lets us put anything on him, but then he wriggles out of it. So we don't dress up our dogs very often.
I think I told you that I had someone make fun of Zoe (on the same street/area....) for wearing a snood. But she gets cold! So I just try to ignore the haters.
I never had a sweater wearing dog until my current, he demonstrates how freezing it is by nearly shivering rattling apart. Forgive us, we live in Florida and use the term "freezing" figuratively, but his fur coat is just painted on his under carriage.
Barbie could do with a jacket sometimes but she doesn't like wearing clothes and will remove them herself. SHe also has booties because she has delicate paws but they are only for rough hikes. Good thing it's not that cold here!! My dogs also don't stick their heads out of the window unless we are going slowly or stopped so I don't need to worry about that either :D
I like seeing big dogs in gear, especially if it is for the welfare of the dog. I like seeing Pit Bulls in jackets because it makes them more approachable.
I get sick of seeing small dogs dolled up while in someone's arms. They seem more like an accessory than companion. Hypocrite, I know!
You are the best looking / dressed dogs in Illinois
Benny & Lily
I know that some people think it's cruel to put dogs in clothes, but if they understood the function of them (for cold temps) and how it can help make a pittie seem more approachable (which makes a huge difference when trying to get him/her adopted), they might not be so quick to judge!
Emily @ Our Waldo Bungie
I always joke that my dogs eat a fancier diet and get better health care than I do. And I think it's a pretty dang great way to spend my money. I heard some lady humming and hawing over the prices in the produce section at the grocery store, I saw her a few minutes later with 4 2-liter bottles of coke in her cart...to each their own! What is my point? Some people be crazy! You're dogs look great always:)
I have 2 beagle mixes and my smaller dog Roxy loves clothes and my Molly who is a little bigger is a little more difficult to find clothes but she loves her sweaters and she mainly only likes to wear clothes in the winter Roxy likes clothes all year around. Where do you shop for your dogs clothes? I would love to see if I could find some more outfits for Molly
Before I adopted my 3 girls (2 white boxers + 1 American Bulldog) I just didn't "get it" about dressing dogs. I sure do now! And although we live in FL it does get cold and wet in the winter for a bit and they do have their sweaters and jackets! <3
Before I adopted my 3 girls (2 white boxers + 1 American Bulldog) I just didn't "get it" about dressing dogs. I sure do now! And although we live in FL it does get cold and wet in the winter for a bit and they do have their sweaters and jackets! <3
I force my staffy to wear her Oakland A's jersey. She will be getting a new ruffwear fleece next winter.
I force my staffy to wear her Oakland A's jersey. She will be getting a new ruffwear fleece next winter.
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