Monday, December 6, 2010

The Cold Puppy

Dog Blog Post #168: Ok - I need some help.

I'm looking suggestions for a winter coat for my poor, skinny puppy. Yes, I know he has a fur coat, and it might even be enough of a fur coat, but just looking at the skinny little guy is making me cold, and that's not OK.

So - if anybody out there knows of a good source for a cheap coat (as he's growing like a weed, and will probably outgrow whatever I buy in a month or two) I would be most appreciative!

(Henry would be really appreciative as well!)

We don't need to worry about rain or snow, as we rarely walk in the former and don't get the latter. Walks are mostly on sidewalks, so durability isn't that important.

I might even consider sewing something, if the instructions were clear and the pattern was easy. I have a nice machine, and have made a few quilts in the past.

I'm mostly looking for something to keep him warmer. Cutting the breeze a bit would be a plus. While the house is a balmy 55F this time of year, it's a good 20-30 degrees colder outside when we walk and the poor little guy just looks cold.

So, if there is someone, anyone, out there who knows of something, I'd love to hear about it!

(Zachary's coat came from REI. It's very nice, but at $60, that starts getting pricey when you think Henry will probably go through 2-3 coats before he reaches full size!)

Hello?

Is there anybody out there???

(Shading her eyes and peering into the ether, with her scrawny pup huddled close beside her.)







3 comments:

Wendy Krehbiel said...

My mom used my "cool coat" as a pattern to make the bodies for the halloween costumes she made for my dogs. (http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_id=918&ParentCat=256&string=cool coat).

The design is simple and uses a velcro "belly band" to keep the coat on. If you wanted to borrow one of the costumes or the cool coat to use as a pattern (which would need scaled down), let me know.

I also have a jacket I got for free from placing an order of a certain amt from some place that you could borrow. Not sure how huge it would be on him though.

Wendy

Lisa said...

If you want to sew one - this looks like a handy pattern - forget about the weaving part and use a polar fleece or similar material.

http://www.make-and-build-dog-stuff.com/support-files/canine_coat.pdf

or this one for a pull one sweater type

http://www.barlowscientific.com/technotes/home/sweater.htm

BZ Dogs said...

Hmm... I hadn't thought of trying to create a pattern using an existing coat. I have Beau's old coat - too big even for Zachary - but of fairly simple design that I might be able to glean something from.

That said, Lisa's canine_coat.pdf looks pretty straightforward, as well.

Thanks for the ideas!