I run a fashion for dogs website called ******** and Im doing some market research to see if dog owners are fans of dressing their dogs, or if they feel it is unfair to them. What are your views?
Many thanks
Barker

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:D :rolleyes: ;) :p

Personally - I hate to see dogs dressed up in such ridiculous outfits. I don't like fancy dress on dogs in any form.

mho

me too pammy :( Julie:)

Dogs have perfectly fitting fur coats, unless they are ill and in need of some extra protection why would anyone put other clothes on them!

Mine come already dressed thanks very much and very nice it is too! Wish my clothes came so easily :)
Christine, Spain.

I have an ordinary waterproof coat for one of my dogs now to protect him because he is very elderly. Fashion clothing is not my thing. I've seen dogs in fashion clothing with baseball caps and frilly things etc... and it makes me pity the dog. I know it shouldn't matter - but somehow for me it's sort of degrading :(
I'm sure there's a thriving market for that sort of thing though and I wish you luck :) Just keep your stuff away from my dogs! :)

I think dressing up dogs purely as Fashion is demeaning to their dignity as an animal, and the worst sort of anthropomorphism. I always feel uneasy about people who feel the need to do this to their dogs, and suspect they have little understanding of them as fellow creatures.

I do not put in this catego9ry items such as coats that keep a dog dry and clean.

Think you are onto a loser here guest...most of us are PROPER dog people & wouldn't dream of making our dogs look foolish & stupid by dressing them up.

Oh help, dig me a hole and I'll climb in it :-( I enter mine for the Fancy Dress at the training Christmas Party. Does that mean I'm excommunicated now. Having said that I hate these bandanas and hats for dogs to wear everyday as I feel that is saying more about the other end of the lead.
Anne

Anne, thank goodness, I was keeping quiet but mine also have a full fancy dress wardrobe! But only for special occassion photos!! :D ;) Emma

Honesty is the best policy :-D.
Anne

See , you're all coming out now :D ;)
Liz

Anne, I think it's split down the middle due to size/purpose of favored dog breed :)
Those who have large outdoor-type furry dogs --- who needs clothes? (well, I'd keep a Greyhound in a coat if the temperature and wind is very cold :( )

Small dog fanciers --- well, coats/sweaters are necessary. And some really get bizarre with dressing dogs up :rolleyes: Hey, I'd have done it when I was a little girl, but now mine have their outerwear for need based practicality.--- like Sunday at the Market when the temperature dropped and the wind picked up. A 9 year old light coated dog does not need to get chilled and wet to make a statement :P :(

AND THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE stuff AVAILABLE FOR DOGS 12-20 pounds!!! (harnesses, sweaters, etc.. it's like a void :rolleyes: :( )
jmho
toodles

So Emma and I can stay?? :-)
Anne

And for the giants. I'd use an online shops that that carried a good range of working warm-up coats, collars etc for giants and know lots of others who would too.

Have to admit that I instinctivly recoil from the idea of 'dressed up' dogs, but live and let live, each to their own etc.

PS - Is there a business opportunity here? How many would be keen to see an on-line shop carrying 'serious' items for very large/very small dogs?

Mind you if you do normal clothes for dogs I am looking for a coat for shih tzu as I think she may need one if it gets too cold. Am I wrong people DOES she need a coat or not for her walks????

Gina

I don't and never have owned a Shih Tzu, but if the dog is fit and healthy I don't think a coat should be needed. If old then may be.

Remember seeing a lady bring 4 Swedish Vallhunds into a show in nice matching tweed coats, I was so suprised I had to ask what was wrong with them, Oh nothing but I don't like them to catch cold.

So I supose if you think it's needed then it's up to you, I think the dog would be better with the air on it's coat. Ja:)kie

I wasnt sure. Think it is because she is so small I wondered if she would get cold. Mind you she is the leader of the gang and has to be first in line so she doesnt mind the cold at the moment :D
Gina

Well dont take my word for it but I have alway thought it is only short coated dogs like Italian Greyhounds, Chinese Crested, Whippets and a few more like that who have very fine coats. And even then if they are running about they should be OK but not if they are standing still or sitting outside a shop. Ja:)kie

I have a Whippet and Italian Greyhounds and must admit they have a selection of coats for all occasions!! Waterproof outdoor coats, polar fleeces, thin fleeces for chilly but dry days, I'm even having a denim coat with check fleece lining made for my puppy- she'll look soooo cute!

BUT, I would never put hats, bandanas, or stupid restricting 'outfits' on them, I think that's just demeaning and embarrassing for the dog (unless in a fancy dress competition, of course, which is OK!). My dogs only wear coats for a purpose- to keep warm/dry.
Liz

Oooh errrr.....

I must admit, Rocky has a few items of clothing! He has a flourescent jacket (constructed out of a tabard that i found), cos sinces he is black, it can get very hard to see him at night. He also owns a fleecy jacket, i made that too, cos he will swim whatever the time of year, so i put it on when he gets out of the water.
Saffi has no clothing, she s a totally natural girly, plus her fur is so thick i wonder somedays if there really is a dog underthere, or is it just a really enormous fluff ball. Hmmmm
When Dill is older, he might have a jacket, it entirely depends on how his coat turns out.
Also, i must admit, Rocky has a tshirt with the name of my mates band on it, as he is their offical dog! so he has to wear it to gigs.

Emma

Come to think of it Madame La P. had an outfit as she was mascot for a Scottish/Irish/'celtic' band (mostly bagpipers). It's a dark blue tabard/coat type thing with the band's logo in gold and a gold fringe. I didn't even think of it when I posted first because I hadn't mentally classed it as 'dressing up'. But I suppose it is, so I'm guilty of both dressing up dogs and snobbery :(. Madame La P. loved wearing it to Burn's Suppers etc and visibly drew herself up when it was on. The Wee Flea has now inherited both the role and the outfit and seems pleased as punch when it goes on too.

I think its degrading too , but wouldn't be against joining in the odd fancy dress class for a laugh at ringcraft. If people have spare money to throw away they should give it to breed rescue or an animal charity. I'm not including coats that dogs actually need to keep warm/dry/seen at night of course. I posses one waterproof doggy jogging suit which I use on bitches who have puppies, in cold wet weather for their walks to keep them warm after lying under a heat lamp and their undercarraige dry and clean.

well i have an afghan and if i didnt put a coat on her in the rain she would likely get very cold and i have seen her shivering before now! Also, how on earth could she be dried every day with the hairdryer for an hour? I really cant see anything wrong with wearing a coat (not the sparkly variety), to keep a dog clean and dry.

I don't think anyone has a problem with purposeful coats for dogs - what this person was selling was pink furry type things with matching hats and deely boppers!!

I'm still contemplating getting coats for my boys for the wet weather to save them being wet so much. I do draw the line at sequins and fake fur jobbies. jmho

Pam n the boys

Gina,
I think it depends on how well your dog's hair keeps her warm. She doesn't have insulating fur at all, so that silkiness does make a difference in letting the warmth escape.

I did have a problem with my yorkie that sweaters badly matted her hair up just from rubbing on her skin when she walked. I found a really nice black nylon jacket here in Germany which was warm, waterproof, and fit her well. It looked like heavy black rough silk on the outside, had a small quilted padding, and nylon lining. It would slide over her hair and kept it nice-- flattened, but untangled :) Very snazzy and I thought we looked a bit elegant in black coats together :) Ah, the dog who forced ME to dress up out of shame :D :D

I also liked how it fastened and haven't seen anything like it since. Most are too bulky and leave too much spaces for dirt/wind to get down. Much more form fitting than what's out there now. It snapped up on both sides and kept her throat/chest area dry and clean. One of these days, I"m going to make a pattern off of it and see what I can do for other dogs -yep, I still have it :) :D

(that's another reason, I like coats/sweaters -- It's easier to just throw the dirty sweater in the wash than the dog in the tub :D :D )

If you are going to make practical `Doggy Wear` by all means do it but please don`t make those SILLY OUTFITS that we always see on TV making dogs look ridiculous.Short coated and elderly dogs do need coats for extreme weather conditions,stick to them and you`ll be a much more credible company in the dog world.
Carole

My deerhound has a towelling coat I put on her to dry her off/keep her warm on the way home in the landrover after lamping/coursing...but thats somewhat different to "dressing a dog up" I think!!

Errrrrrr.....

Ok I hate to see poodles etc etc in stupid sweaters etc etc.

But I have to admitt 2 of my huskies have neck scarfs I do not put it on them for walks etc just for photos.

At my local Pets At Home they do have a large selection of doggie clothes these include a kilt, sweaters, hats and baseball caps

Im like get a life folks........

Each to their own, and the odd dressing up for 'special occasions' could possibly be forgiven but I personally don't like to think of dogs being dressed up for ridicule on a regular basis. As others have said, they come complete with a perfectly good coat. Unless old, or ill, why try to improve on nature-she usually has it down to a T!!
Nic:)

Um, Nic, not to be a pain or anything....but none of our dog breeds are what Mother Nature started out with or even intended :) :P :D We've been tinkering for thousands of doggy generations for 'improvement' for our selfish interests :rolleyes: :D :D

My point was more that in most cases, dogs are born with the coat that suits their needs best. Sorry, I did'nt mean to upset anyone who dresses their dog/s up, was just saying that IMO it's not neccesary.

Nic, people may ridicule but I suspect most dogs are not degraded or upset and know some actively enjoy it. I think it probably depends on the dog. Our Corrib was a reserved and dignified lady who clearly disliked us using her pet baby name in front of anyone else. Had we ever dressed her up for show I'm sure it would have upset her badly. But Madame La Piranha was a life-long show-off. I have video of her wearing her fancy Pipe & Ceilidh coat and walking in front of the piper (Ian!!) as he piped in the haggis at her last hospital Burns Supper. She was a very old dog then but she is - there is no other word for it - strutting along as if the entire audience had come to admire her. As usual she had a place at the top table, got some of everything on the menu (served on proper plates), her own cup of coffee & glass of malt and everyone made a fuss of her. She posed - again no other word fits - for lots of pictures, made a complete pest of herself and had an absolute ball :).