dog medium sweater
dog medium sweater
Would a sweater help my dog?
I have an older dog (almost 12 years old) and she suffers from arthritis from time to time, especially when a cold front comes through. She gets very stiff and looks to be in pain. Other than meds, what else can I do for her? Would a sweater help to keep the chill off her bones when she is outside? She is a medium weight – 45-50 pounds.
I bring her in as much as possible, but she does stay outside when I’m at work. I have left beds outside for her, but she chews them up. She’s still pretty feisty for her old age! 
I don’t crate her inside because she freaks out and will hurt herself. I would leave her in all day, but she has a leaky bladder on top of everything else. I keep her in when I’m home. And this doesn’t happen all the time. It’s like one time every month or two. Believe me, she’s my baby and I’m doing everything I can to make sure she has a long quality life. She gets LOTS of exercise, too.
A sweater may help, however, she may not like it. Many dogs, if they are not accustomed to a coat, will try to chew it off.
So when you put it on, keep an eye on her. Get a fabric that is tightly woven, so she cannot get a tooth or claw hooked in it if she tries to pull out of it.
Finding Clothes and Accessories for Dogs
The other day, I was out at the dog park, watching my pooch play with the other puppies out there. I have a medium sized mutt who is a bit temperamental, so play time at the park is always a little bit dicey. On most days, I have to watch my pup constantly, less he gets into a fight with one of the bigger dogs. On this particular day, however, I was running into another problem. Basically, my puppy just did not seem to want to play. He sort of skulked around and sulked while the other doggies frolicked around him. I took a closer look, and that is when I saw it: he was shaking.
I had never bought any clothes and accessories for dogs before except for the basics. I bought him a simple collar, a reliable leash which was about five feet long, and a few toys to play with. When I saw my doggy that cold, however, I knew that it was time to start looking for dog clothes. I went down to the local dog store and bought a simple sweater. It was woolly and thick, and it looked pretty warm. When I tried to put it on my dog, however, I was in for a bit of a surprise: the bad-tempered pup wanted nothing to do with it.
At that point I realized that dogs are every bit as difficult as humans are. When I was shopping for accessories for dogs, I had never even considered the possibility that my dog would not like what I got for him, but the evidence was right in front of my eyes. He would twist, twitch, scowl, and squirm when I tried to put the dog sweater on him.
I tried getting a looser weave of sweater for him, and that seemed to do the trick. I think that the first sweater might have been a little bit too scratchy. Although the second sweater was not as warm as the first, it was still quite a bit warmer. There is a local pet store that specializes in accessories for dogs, so I was able to get a few more of the same kind once I figured out what he liked. I even picked up a jogging leash for him while I was there. Now he is looking good, feeling alright even in the cold weather, and back to picking fights with the other dogs.
About the Author
Roland Jefferson III is a web based writer out of Manhattan Beach Village, California. For free resources covering Accessories for Dogs, please visit our Accessories For Dogs Resource.