Should You Dress Your Dogs?

by Andrew Garcia

Aug 09, 2022

2 minute read

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Why Should You Dress up Your Dog?
Why Should You not Dress up Your Dog?
Conclusion

If you are regular on Instagram, you would have seen hundreds of dog accounts with daily photos in different cute outfits. But this is not limited to dogs with an online presence—dog owners offline also dress their dogs in exciting clothes.

This leads us to the question—should we really dress up our pups? Wearing some clothing items for your dog can be beneficial. However, even when there is almost no benefit, dressing up your dog may not have any direct disadvantage.

Dog owners need to see and treat their dogs as individuals, see what makes them happy, and make it their priority.

Why Should You Dress up Your Dog?

There is no direct answer to this question. The decision to dress your canine friends will depend on specific situations, including;

To Keep Your Dog Warm

If you have small dogs that struggle to stay warm naturally in winter, it is advisable to dress them up, particularly when going outdoors. Exposing young pups to cold weather puts them at the risk of sickness. So, you can dress up your small dogs to keep them warm and healthy in the cold months.

To Avoid Getting Wet

Dog raincoats come in handy to prevent your furry friends from getting wet on rainy days. This clothing also keeps the dirt away and helps your dog stay warm. So, if you are worried about your dog getting wet, dirty, or cold on rainy days, get them some rainwear.

To Soothe a Nervous Dog

You can help your nervous dog stay calm by wearing a tighter-fitting sweater, doggy t-shirt, or Thundershirt for them. These pieces of clothing offer some snuggling and relaxing effect.

But this method doesn’t work for every nervous dog. It is best to gradually introduce the clothing item to the affected dog and encourage it to try them on by offering sweet rewards. Remember, the goal is to help your dog stay relaxed. The dog harness can do the same too, check here to learn about The PAWAii Dog Harness Vest.

Post-illness or Surgery Piece of Clothing

Dogs with severe skin infections, surgical incisions, or contact allergies can benefit greatly from wearing a t-shirt or a little doggy overall. These clothing keep their skin away from the open and speed up healing.

Note that this option doesn’t work for all skin issues. We recommend speaking to your vet first before making a move.

Why Should You not Dress up Your Dog?

You should not dress up your dog if:

Your Dog Struggles to Walk

Walking may become a problem for your dogs when you dress them up. This should be common knowledge for most cat shovelers. Some dog owners wear shoes on their dogs to ensure their feet do not get messy. However, this impairs the mobility of such dogs in the first few weeks or even longer.

Your Dog Has Long Hair

Golden Retrievers, Samoyeds, Huskies, and Alaskans are all large and long-haired. Such dogs are not at risk of getting cold in the winter. They often dissipate heat during this period by sticking out their tongues. Some small dogs, including Corgi, Teddy, and other breeds, may need to wear some clothes to stay warm during winter. However, they are better off with no extra clothes when indoors. Check to learn more about the dog breed.

Conclusion

Dogs will always be beautiful and adorable. However, there are different opinions on whether they should be dressed up. While there are certain stereotypes about pet owners who wear clothes for their dogs, it is crucial for you, as a dog parent, to assess your pet’s situation and see what would work best for them. We hope this blog can help you achieve that.

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