I recently mentioned that I had culled Chloe’s wardrobe and was mourning over her Wagwear Quilted Vest. I thought it might be helpful to know what clothing Chloe does have, and why, in case you’re trying to figure out what your small dog might need. (I won’t be much help with decorative clothing — I know lots of small dog owners enjoy puppy bling, and I’ve got no problem with it as long as an outfit or costume doesn’t cause your dog discomfort. It’s not something I’m interested in, though.)

We live in Seattle, which is normally drizzly in the fall and winter. This year it’s been raining like crazy, which isn’t so typical of Seattle, but is more like the rainstorms we encounter while traveling. If Chloe’s body is dry, she’ll stay out longer and get the exercise she needs (even though her head and tail are drenched). The TeckelKlub Slicker I described in an earlier post, with its light lining, is a good solution for cool rainy weather. Someday I’d like to add an unlined rain jacket to her wardrobe, for rainy walks in warmer weather.

Chloe has a good coat of fur, so she only uses the next two items when it’s really cold and really seriously cold, respectively. (I once bundled her up too much in New York in February, and when we got to the dog park and I removed her layers, steam came off her back.) A dog with a shorter or thinner coat would wear them earlier in the year. The first is a dog’s equivalent of a fleecy, again from TeckelKlub. It’s called The Fuzzie, and it’s a light fleece pullover that fastens with Velcro under the belly. Like the Slicker, it works nicely with a front-fastening harness. The second is the down dog jacket from Joy Pet Products I described in an earlier post. The Fuzzie is not water-resistant, but the down jacket is.

For seriously hot weather, Chloe has her Zentek jacket, which is currently being altered by Zentek’s founder (when we bought it, Chloe had a harness that fastened behind her neck, and the harness she uses now fastens in front). To regulate heat loss and gain effectively, the Zentek jacket comprehensively covers Chloe’s back, chest and belly, which interferes a bit with the working of her harness. The benefits to her well-being, though, outweigh that annoyance for me.