I have been thinking about buying my dog a good looking shirt but I thought about doing it myself with old Fabric pieces and all that stuff, I could sew it myself if that is going to be the case, would you do the same or buy your dog a factory-made suit?
My 3 dogs have their clothes but only on occasions. The Philippines is a tropical country and at this moment the summer heat is sizzling and can cause dehydration not only for dogs but also for humans. When we go to Baguio City, that's the mountain city with a cold climate, my dogs are clothed all the time to shielf themselves from the cold temperature. And our dogs also wear clothes during Halloween and Christmas for pictorials only. I don't know how to make clothes so I just buy. But often, I buy on bargains when pet shops go on sale with their pet accessories.
Well, if that is the case, my country is a tropical country aswell, making my dog wear a shirt or that kind of suits will probably make him suffer a lot, however, as you say, I might just buy/make one for special ocations, we never know, good point though.
I don't believe in clothes for dogs. Dogs should be comfortable in their own skin. What extra benefit does a shirt bring to a dog? Instead of clothing for the animal, I think that proper care and grooming will be a better form of enhancement to the dog's appearance.
I agree with Corzhens. Buying your dog a shirt can cause discomfort and isn't a practical thing to do when you live in a tropical country. These days, temperatures have increased drastically and there's widespread drought in the tropics. Your dog should not wear shirts under the scorching heat. On colder months, like the Ber months for instance, you may put on a shirt or two for your canine pet.
I think you should save your money and not buy your dog a shirt. It is going to get warmer soon and it might make your dog too hot. If you want to give your dog some flair try a cute bandanna.
You somehow read my mind, I was actually thinking about a kind of hat or something alike, I will definitely take your advice andtry some different type of hats, I will start off with a bandana and see how he looks, thank you!!
They make compression clothes for animals which are supposed to be very comfortable. I myself am a cat person, and I only use collars because it's a practical way to hear the animal before I trip on her and to make it clear if she gets out that she is a pet and not a stray. But I know a few dogs who love wearing clothes! I really think it depends on your pet, but I think a low-cost item or a DIY project is a great way to try it out if you don't know how your pet will react to wearing clothes!
It's not always about appearance. My small breed dog doesn't have a lot of body fat, so he shivers when it gets cold. I put a little T shirt or sweater on him to keep him warm. It's a practical choice, not motivated by fashion. Small breed dogs like JRTs, Chihuahuas and skinny dogs like whippets need a shirt sometimes to stay warm.
There are times when I've had to dress up my dogs when it's really cold. I've known some pet owners who buy their pets clothes each time they buy something for themselves but it certainly isn't something I would do. Dogs look good enough without clothes.
It's tempting to keep buying stuff for them like cute outfits and dog toys. However, ever since I saw cute doggy and cat costumes on YouTube, I've learned to sew my Clio some shirts and I'd paint words on them and costumes with arms and/or feet that would make her look funny. I only make her wear those when the weather is cold though.
I live in a tropical country, so clothing dogs aren't really required over here, so I don't even consider clothing our dogs. In your case, if you really want to buy your dog a shirt, then just choose the most convenient route and buy him the cheapest shirt.
Like many mentioned it's good to see the weather situation for your pet, see if the pet likes clothes...you can buy something so cheap at thrift shops to see if your pet loves clothes or not and you got to clean it...how are you going to clean it? Pets are different from people so another thing to find out about for clothes for pets. I've had pets before and never bought clothes for them, but I live in Hawaii and not much cold weather here so no extra clothes is necessary for a pet too.
I live in place where the weather is mostly warm during all the year. Therefore, In my opinion, dress your pet is only for the sake of the pet owner's own satisfaction. It can look cool on your dog, but is purely for aesthetics, as It is chopping off the tails and ears of a boxer breed. If you want to put a shirt for your dog, I think is better and cheaper to pick a old unused shirt of yours, cut the fabric and sew it to fit your pet size.
We have sweaters for our little dogs to wear outside when the weather is bad; but even then they usually do not need anything because they run outside and hurry right back inside again. Plus, it is harder for them to go to the bathroom when they are wearing a coat, so unless there is a reason to need it on when they go outside , I don't put it on them. However, sometimes it is chilly even in the house in the wintertime, so then we all put on our warm sweaters, dogs included. If I see them curled up and shivering, then I know it is time for the winter clothes and the dogs seem to think that it is a good idea then, too.
If your budget allows it, why not? Dogs generally look cute wearing cute shirts and if you're into dressing up your dog, then not only it will make you happy, your dog would surely enjoy it as well.
Much as I appreciate - that it always makes us feel good to buy things for our pets - even though our pets have absolutely no idea why we do this or for that matter - understand our reasons for doing it either - in this instance I would save your money and put it towards something that would be more beneficial to your dog's health and well-being. Especially as - its actually far kinder not to dress animals in human clothing - for the simple reason - that unlike humans - not only are the majority of animals gifted with their very own extremely effective fur coats containing natural oils - which combined with their own natural mechanism for regulating body temperature - keep them warm as well as cool - but putting clothes or coats on animals - can be detrimental to their health - as apart from the fact that it impedes their natural ability to regulate their own body temperature - it can also cause skin conditions or sores where the clothing rubs against their skin. Either way - I do think that when making a choice on an animals behalf - as our human needs are very different to theirs - that we sometimes need to take a step back and ask ourselves - whether what we are doing for our pet is actually going to be beneficial to them.
