Is It Comfortable For Dogs To Wear Clothes?
This debate is frequent between common and professional. The opinion and tastes of pet guardians are those who try to answer the question of whether it is comfortable or not for dogs to wear clothes. Are we facing a purely aesthetic choice or can clothing be truly useful for these animals?
To give a really accurate answer to this question, we present below the factors that you must take into account so that you take a certain position on the use of clothing in dogs.
Determining factors: is it comfortable for dogs to wear clothes?
First of all, you must understand that dogs have a body temperature higher than that of humans, about 38 ° C, in general. Thus, not all dogs need clothing to maintain this temperature. Their coat, breed, and complexion will determine how necessary the clothing is or, if on the contrary, it is not recommended at all.
Generally, small dogs, puppies, and the elderly are the ones who may need warm clothing, especially in winter. This is because small breeds have a larger body surface area compared to their weight ratio, so they lose their heat more easily than large dogs.
How to make it comfortable for the dog to wear clothes?
The most important thing is that you understand that you should not force your pet to wear clothes that they are not comfortable in under any circumstances. The welfare of the animal and its health are ahead of any other parameter.
The ornaments and accessories with which you want to dress the dog should not be to make you feel happy, but to protect the dog from the cold and possible blows. Therefore, we recommend that you analyze your dog’s behavior in the following way.
How to identify if a dog is comfortable in clothes
If the dog’s way of acting is not the same as when it does not wear clothes, it is because it does not fully tolerate this new object on its body. In the same way, the dog can get used to the clothes little by little, as long as you don’t pressure him; remember that these animals do not have the same need as man to cover their bodies.
Also, the dog’s behavior will inform you if it feels haunted or scared by clothing. This happens when the garment in question is large or has embellishments – such as skirts or tutus – protruding from it. One tip to avoid this situation is to make or buy outfits according to the size of each animal.
These are other parameters that you must take into account so that your dog wears clothes without problems:
- Cover the back from the withers to the base of the dog’s tail.
- Look for stretchy fabrics that don’t obstruct her legs and don’t limit her movements. In the case of coats or jackets, it is good that the sleeves are not too long.
- Avoid putting shoes on the dogs. This accessory is only recommended for snow or ice.
- No to head ornaments! Very few dogs are comfortable with headbands or hats, as they limit their hearing and vision.
Beware of allergic or skin reactions
Another aspect that you should take into account is that the skin of dogs can be affected when wearing clothes that are very tight or exact to their body. It is recommended that the garments are not too large or small ; resorts to taking measurements of the animal’s body to prevent clothing from hurting its skin and causing small burns.
The material of the dog’s clothing will determine the comfort and well-being that is sought for the pet. Wool can keep you warm, but it’s also itchy. Cotton, on the other hand, takes longer to dry, so discard these garments for walks where your dog can get wet or take a dip.
You should also make sure that the zippers or closures that the clothing may have do not hurt the dog’s skin while it is moving, otherwise, cuts will appear that will become infected if you do not attend to them in time. As for allergies, you can resort to testing the fabric on your pet for a few hours and be careful that it does not itch.
Finally, you don’t need to have a large collection of dog clothes : a couple of outfits will do. Keep in mind that their needs are different from yours and that the main thing is that they can function without problems and feel comfortable with the clothes you provide.
