Making a Dog Sweater From Your Sweater
January 6, 2010 by Paris and John
Filed under Budget Tips, Tips
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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