Now that the weather is warmer, sweaters and coats are no longer needed, and put away for the summer. Now, dog shirts are the new must have wardrobe for my girls when we go out. Dog shirts can be fun depending on where you shop. Lots of online retailers are starting to come out with trendy clothing lately.
I know, you might be saying, “Are you serious? Dog shirts? But why?” Yes, yes, I dress my dogs up in all sorts of clothing. Honestly, I suppose I do it for the same reason that I like to look nice myself when I walk out of my house. There’s something about making your dogs look nice when they’re walking outside with me. In the winter, it’s a necessity. In the summer though, it’s just fun!
Dressing Them Up Can Be Fun!
Depending on the weather, Atlas and Buttons will wear all kinds of different outfits. If it’s slightly chilly out because it’s raining, then I opt to put them in a sweater and/or a rain coat. If it’s warm out, maybe I’ll put Buttons in a TuTu (she’s my smallest Chihuahua, weighing 2.5 lbs). When I dress them up, I swear that they actually prance around with a big smile on their face.
I won’t dress my dogs up if they look miserable – I’m not cruel to my pets. My male dog, Harry, hates wearing clothes unless it’s cold out, so I only put sweaters on him when the weather warrants it. For both my females though, they love being dressed up. Dogs will portray what they’re feeling, much as some might disagree, and that’s okay. We are all different with our pets, same as we are with everything else.
Different Options For Outfits.
The sky is the limit when it comes to a wardrobe for your pets. There is everything out there to choose from, from bathing suits to rain coats for your pets. Yes, there are bathing suits. I actually have a tote dedicated to the clothes for my pets. I have their Halloween costumes in there, extra sweaters, skirts, barrettes, even cloth diapers that I wash after their heat cycles.
No matter what I buy or from where, I take care of their clothing the same as I do my own wardrobe. Some dog clothes are very expensive, so I opt to make sure that I don’t let them try to chew or play with their clothing. They’re not toys, so I put them away when we’re done running around.
They’re Always The Center Of Attention.
When I dress my girl dogs up, anytime we’re out and about, they’re the center of attention. They get extra treats when we go somewhere that have them. Also, they get pet everywhere we go. People always stop to say, “Oh, they’re so cute! Can I pet her?”
There’s also no mistaking their gender! Oftentimes, people have a hard time deciphering between a male and a female especially if they’re long haired. If they’re in a TuTu, there’s no mistaking it’s a girl. My male dog is a different story since like I mentioned above, he hates when I put anything on him. I’ve tried, and he looks miserable. So, I have a more masculine collar on him to try to let people know he’s a male.
Is It Silly To Dress Them Up In Dog Shirts?
This is a question only you can answer for yourself. I don’t feel silly when I put outfits on my dogs. Or, I should say, I don’t really take other peoples opinions into consideration. I know that my girls love it, so I continue to do it. On a recent camping trip in Alaska, I had all my dogs in sweaters. It was super cold that night and they were all shivering. Some days, you need dog clothing no matter what.
Bringing clothes with me in the event that it rains is something I always do, even if I don’t need them. But if the weather looks like it could turn, and I know I’ll be out with my dogs for a long time, I bring them clothes just in case. The weather in Alaska can be unpredictable, so I make sure I’m prepared just in case.
Some Clothes I Always Have.
As mentioned, I have a stockpile of clothes for my dogs that I’ve kept on hand for years. Buttons is 7 years old, and I’ve been buying her cute clothes since she was a puppy. She is actually the one that started it all for me. When you have a Chihuahua as cute as she is, you can’t help but buy the cutest outfits for her to wear when she’s out walking!
She has everything under the sun, from T-Shirts to Petticoats. Since she’s the long furred babe of the house. She also has hair accessories as well as bandanna’s that I’ve put on her. I don’t think there’s ever been an instance where I’ve been out with her dressed up and someone makes a negative comment. She’s the center of attention and she loves it.
Watching your dog lap up the attention, feeling happy and prancing around makes me happy, so, she gets the outfits. Atlas is a little more difficult to dress up since she’s a larger dog, so I suppose you don’t see as many large dogs in outfits as you do small. However, Atlas is starting to get a wardrobe just like Buttons, so I imagine when she’s 7 years old, she’ll have the collection Buttons has.
One thing I do want to mention; you should have a raincoat, a sweater and a life-vest for your dogs unless you live in a very warm climate. The water in Alaska is extremely cold, so I have to have a life-vest for my dogs in case they jump off our boat and can’t swim because it’s too cold in the lake.
I also have a raincoat for each of my dogs because up here, when it rains, you can see your breath (Alaska is unforgiving, even in the summer). And the sweater and coat is also necessary because it’s very cold in the winter and two of my dogs are short haired dogs. So if you live in a colder climate, be sure your dog is warm too when you take them outside.
What do you have for your pets as far as clothes? Comment below and post a picture!
