Like much of the US, we’re about to be hit by unusually cold weather. We normally have chilly winter days (and we have a cuddly faux sheepskin coat for our Lab-Coonhound-GSP mix Irie since her hair is super short). But our longer-haired dog Tiki never wears a coat (and would probably prefer to not wear as much as a collar if the truth be known.)
So we don’t have a coat for Tiki…but with temperatures about to stay below freezing for the next several days, we needed one…fast…for our upcoming walks.
The answer: transform an old sweater into a dog coat.
Tiki is a 55-pound dog so we started with a women’s sweater (medium). I selected a sweater made from a fleecy material that wouldn’t unravel when cut like a knitted sweater would do. An old sweatshirt would be another good option.
This sweater had a cowl neck; if you choose one with a turtleneck, you might have to remove the turtleneck so your dog’s head will fit through the neck easily. I removed the sleeves about a two inches below the shoulder. Moving down a couple of inches below the sleeve, I cut off the lower front of the sweater, leaving the back untouched.
The chest was a little too large so I stitched a seam by hand to tighten up the sweater a little. I snipped a half-inch slit in the back, just below the collar, to hook the leash. The result? A stylish sweater that (surprise!) Tiki seemed to enjoy wearing. We’re ready for the cold weather!
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