Dog Sweaters

Dog Sweaters

Putting a sweater on your dog is a great way to embody their personality and give them a fun and unique look while keeping them warm and comfortable in colder months. Dog sweaters come in a variety of materials and with different features that can be good for different settings, temperatures, and activities, so it is important to consider your pet's day-to-day activities and what the sweater will be used for when looking to purchase one. These pet accessories come in a variety of colors, sizes, cuts, and knitting patterns.

Other than giving your dog its own personalized look, dog sweaters can have many benefits that relate to the health of your pet, including:

• Warmth: Although the fur of your dog is designed to keep it warm, smaller breeds, elderly dogs, and dogs with thin, short fur may need that extra layer to keep them comfortable and dry in cold weather.
• Skin protection: Sweaters can protect your dog's skin from parasites and itching, and they can even reduce hair loss and decrease shedding of allergy-inducing dander.

Dog sweaters can be made from a variety of materials, giving the sweater various knit looks, thicknesses, and features. Many sweaters are made of wool-knit yarn, providing many designs from intricate cable patterns to classic ribbing. Other materials include polyester, fleece, cotton, and velvet. Some pet sweaters may include adornments, such as plastic or wooden buttons, sequin patterns, and metal zips. The thickness of the material is important to consider as materials such as wool, yarn, and fleece are great in the snow whereas cotton and thinner varieties may be better indoors or in the fall.

Dog sweaters can be treated in the same manner in which you treat your own sweaters. Because the materials may vary, read the product tag for specific cleaning details. Most wool-knit dog sweaters can be put in the washer on a cool, gentle cycle using pet detergent or a mild detergent, and other materials, such as cotton or fleece, may be washed on a warm cycle. Dog sweaters can be hand-washed as well. Line-dry dog sweaters to avoid shrinking and altering of the cable patterns and other adornments.

There are a few measurements to take into consideration in order to pick the right size dog sweater for your dog. Take the measurements from the base of the pet's neck to the base of the tail, the girth of the chest, and the circumference of the neck. Record these and use available sizing charts when purchasing the dog sweater. The dog sweater should fit snug enough so that the knitting doesn't sag or get caught easily on objects. Although yarn and other knit sweater materials may be somewhat stretchy, it is important to make sure that the sweater is not too tight to allow for flexible movement and keep your dog comfortable.