Do you dress your pets?

Discussion in Pets started by Sweetkymom • May 5, 2014.

  1. Sweetkymom

    SweetkymomActive Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2014
    Threads:
    64
    Messages:
    361
    Likes Received:
    9
    I currently work in a box retail store and have noticed an increase of sales in the pet clothing area. Do people really dress their dog as much as they have clothing? One customer bought 10 outfits for her dog and said that dogs need to have different outfits, too. I've never dressed any animal except maybe a blanket over a horse and that's about as far as I'll go.

    Do you dress your animals?
     
  2. Denis Hard

    Denis HardWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2013
    Threads:
    991
    Messages:
    4,335
    Likes Received:
    790
    I don't see the need for dressing pets unless [during winter] it's so cold that the animal needs some extra warmth. As for dressing pets at any other time, I wouldn't do it. The money I'd have spent on those clothes can be channeled elsewhere or just saved.

    In fact, pets in clothes don't look that cute.
     
  3. LindaKay

    LindaKayActive Member

    Joined:
    Apr 15, 2013
    Threads:
    54
    Messages:
    464
    Likes Received:
    8
    I put sweaters on my Chihuahua/Dachshund mix during the winter. I don't necessarily do it because I think they're cute -- even though some of them are. I really do it because she gets cold really easily and shivers like crazy all the time during the winter, and the sweaters help. I don't get the super fancy ones or anything; she has two pink ones that are sufficient for now.
     
  4. whnuien

    whnuienActive Member

    Joined:
    May 2, 2014
    Threads:
    37
    Messages:
    456
    Likes Received:
    4
    We never dressed our pet ever. We have dogs, cats, chicken, and monkey and they all live just like any animal does. We also have only hot and rainy season so we never have to worry about the temperature. I do have a friend who dresses up her cat though and really treats the cat like a human baby. She would dress the cat in pink, purple, and so on and she spent so much money just on that.
     
  5. Sly14Cat

    Sly14CatActive Member

    Joined:
    Apr 23, 2014
    Threads:
    1
    Messages:
    204
    Likes Received:
    0
    No. You're practically degrading the animals when you put it in a little pink jacket and it's just weird IMO. I'll only get my dog a jacket in the winter cause she's tiny and needs it or she'll freeze to death. Maybe boots, just to keep her paws from freezing when it gets to -30C.
     
  6. ebby23

    ebby23Member

    Joined:
    Feb 28, 2014
    Threads:
    0
    Messages:
    91
    Likes Received:
    2
    I enjoy dressing my pets but only for special occasions. Although, one of the two tends to give me a hard time, I think it's cute when they are dressed up. We usually dress out pets up for Halloween and Christmas. We take family Christmas photos every year and they look so adorable with their Christmas outfits on!
     
  7. sidney

    sidneyWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 14, 2012
    Threads:
    110
    Messages:
    5,621
    Likes Received:
    378
    No, I haven't tried dressing up my pet, and the only time that I think that it's ok to do so would be during Halloween parties when you carry your pet as props, or during dog/cat shows. I live in a tropical country, so even if I think it's ok to dress pets up during winter in other countries, I think over here it will look whimsical.
     
  8. 003

    003Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 23, 2014
    Threads:
    174
    Messages:
    1,148
    Likes Received:
    36
    Sometimes only whenever I feel like doing. There are times that my dog feels just feels like he does not want to be dressed. He feels irritated, so I don't pushed dressing him on something. I want my dog to be always comfortable, so I just don't do whatever it is that seems to make him uncomfortable. There are also times in which he's just fine to be dressed, and so I put him one on.
     
  9. Nickchick

    NickchickWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2013
    Threads:
    8
    Messages:
    1,076
    Likes Received:
    34
    No, I think it's tacky. Often, the animal will look so unhappy when you see them in clothes. I don't even put anything on them in the winter because they have long fur so they don't really need it. I think I can see it for holidays particularly Halloween but I never do that either because I'm sure the outfit will be demolished in 2 seconds especially on Lily.
     
  10. secondhandsaint

    secondhandsaintNew Member

    Joined:
    May 13, 2014
    Threads:
    3
    Messages:
    20
    Likes Received:
    0
    I used to have a little female pug, and I can't lie, I loved dressing her up. I wouldn't spend a lot of dresses, but she had a few different dresses and some costumes. It was that whole mothering instinct, since I didn't have a kid at the time.
     
  11. Ruth B.

    Ruth B.Active Member

    Joined:
    May 12, 2014
    Threads:
    22
    Messages:
    227
    Likes Received:
    5
    I was one of those people that said they would NEVER put anything on a dog. Then I ended up with a dachshund. Rules changed. She gets really cold easily. There is the temperature in degrees, then there is the Ayla temperature. lol. Basically that is anything under 60 degrees, depending upon of course if there is any sun out. She is the short haired kind and so it's understandable. I have a coat for her, and need another. I have also a rain coat simply because when we go walking and it's kind of wet, but not actually raining, her belly gets really wet being so close to the ground. With a coat when it's cold, then the coat is soaking wet and useless. The raincoat has a thin lining. Having a dachshund has also changed my mind about dressing my pac that actually has fur. I think the 'sliders' or bandanna's are really nice. That's as far as I would dress a dog with fur. Unless I was somewhere other than Texas, then of course, again, would depend upon the weather.
     
  12. Jessi

    Jessi<a href="http://www.quirkycookery.com">QuirkyCooke

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2012
    Threads:
    126
    Messages:
    2,256
    Likes Received:
    78
    No, it's not for me at all!

    I can OCCASIONALLY understand it for dogs who need a bit of extra warmth because of their breed vs where they live.

    In general, though, people who dress their dogs are doing it because they like dressing them up. There's nothing useful about it at all. They simply enjoy it, regardless of if the dog enjoys it. This is often people who don't have children either and are treating the dogs like kids....
     
  13. j24a25c5c2@yahoo.com

    Joined:
    May 15, 2014
    Threads:
    0
    Messages:
    5
    Likes Received:
    0
    I have to say that I never really saw the point of people dressing their pets. I do not dress my pets but that is because they are big dogs not little ones. Now though after reading these posts I could understand why people do dress their little dogs. Most little dogs do get cold easier and have a harder time warming up mostly due to short hair. So I would definitely dress my dog if I had a little one.
     
  14. JoanMcWench

    JoanMcWenchActive Member

    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2013
    Threads:
    157
    Messages:
    762
    Likes Received:
    76
    I try not to dress my pets. Sometimes, I must admit, I'll dress them up to laugh but this is a rare occasion. All my animals do not care for outfits. It may be because they are definitely not used to it or it may be because they were born without a sense of style. Who knows?
     
  15. Tapel

    TapelMember

    Joined:
    Jul 9, 2014
    Threads:
    5
    Messages:
    40
    Likes Received:
    0
    Ha! I have Pythons as pets. I don't really know how to dress them but thanks for the post. I'm going to try dressing up my pets for a change. haha! I just know it would be funny to see a real live snake wearing a gown. It would look like my wife turned into a snake. haha! No pun intended. :p
     
  16. DrRipley

    DrRipleyExpert

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2012
    Threads:
    740
    Messages:
    4,313
    Likes Received:
    315
    Pet dresses aren't very popular here, fortunately, in my opinion, because I've always seen these pet costumes as a bit too uncomfortable and unnecessary for animals, so I personally wouldn't even consider it even if it were more trendy in my local area. However, I wouldn't deny that they look cute and adorable when wearing costumes, and I'd maybe give in to this on a choice few occasions, but I would really be apprehensive towards making this a regular thing especially since it gets so hot here sometimes that even I myself would like to go without clothing.
     
  17. pfaemaster

    pfaemasterMember

    Joined:
    May 17, 2014
    Threads:
    16
    Messages:
    83
    Likes Received:
    1
    Dressing your dog up due to harsh weather conditions or every now and again for special holidays is absolutely fine and no one should judge for it. To each his own, and I personally see nothing wrong with it as long as the dog isn't bothered.

    The only time I dress my dog is for Halloween. And, I'd rather search Ebay than go retail, as there are literally TONS of Halloween costumes for dogs that look adorable! Pet-stores also have them around this time as well for pet parents who love their dogs to gear up for Halloween, but I found that the designs and costumes are limited.
     
  18. forextraspecialstuff

    forextraspecialstuffActive Member

    Joined:
    May 13, 2014
    Threads:
    9
    Messages:
    613
    Likes Received:
    8
    I do not dress any of my pets and am against it because I don't think it is fair to the animal. The only time I do dress my dog is in the winter, extreme heat in the summer and during the rain. In the winter she has a sweater coat, definitely not for fashion but to keep her warm and we have boots for her paws so the salt on the sidewalks doesn't crack her paws. In the summer we have shoes for her so that her paws aren't burned by the hot sidewalk. When it rains we have a raincoat and rain booties for her, she won't go out without them.
     
  19. bmarks

    bmarksMember

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2014
    Threads:
    15
    Messages:
    83
    Likes Received:
    0
    I always find it weird when I see chihuahuas strutting about in knit sweaters. Maybe I've just always thought of dogs (the only pets I own) in the more traditional sense where their fur coat is all they need. Pet dressing irks me in much the same way as pet strollers and kid leashes (and especially the combination of those two)
     
  20. isabbbela

    isabbbelaWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2013
    Threads:
    105
    Messages:
    2,037
    Likes Received:
    130
    I only dress my dog when it's cold. Right now, he's wearing a little plush dog clothing because it's so cold outside where we live. He doesn't seem to mind wearing clothes, I have seen dogs that absolutely hate wearing those, but he's okay with that.