Whenever we’ve been in a pet store, we’ve always loved stopping and staring at the doggie apparel offerings; their eye-catching, creative designs and colourful, shiny materials. Often my mind’s eye conjures up an image of Mikki in said item. However, neither of us have never been partial to buying dog/pet clothes. In total, I had bought 5 items of clothing for Mikki in the past and only 1 of those items I still own which is the sweater pictured above. There tends to be two common reasons for dressing up your dog which is either ‘just for fun’ and to take cute pictures or it’s a ‘necessary’ item, such as a dog coat or sweater for when they have their walks in cold temperatures. I’ve actually known people to keep sweaters on their dogs inside the house.

I want to point out that I personally do not believe it’s necessary for most breeds of dog to wear a coat to keep it warm as they are pretty good at regulating their body temperatures on the whole and, they also have fur 🤷🏾‍♀️ The exception are short-coated breeds like the Min Pin or slim breeds such as Italian Greyhounds, Whippets. If your taking your Min Pin on a long outing for several hours or even an hour walk a coat may be necessary in temperatures below 5 degrees. But even then most coats or doggie sweaters don’t protect your dog very well from rain on walks in my experience, as half their body including their head is exposed. This is why you need to be discerning when it comes to buying clothing for your Min Pin because not all are well made. We will do another post about in the future about our recommendations for dog clothing-so check back!

There are things to consider when wanting to dress up your dog if you intend on walking him in clothes which also relates to quality of the garment and how well-made (or not) it is. Some dogs will find being in a piece of clothing a nuisance when they’re moving about but may not show it. Aside from that, I have found that with Mikki who pees a lot on walks (in all positions!), had manage to soil some of his clothes which had to be cleaned after every outing, as well as to remove any mud or debris from the ground. Another chore you may not want. If you intend on letting your dog wear something at home maybe in the winter months (because I assume your central heating has failed!), I would like to point out that Min Pins can be prolific chewers and may start to chew away at that expensive, cute sweater you just bought. Something to consider.

👆🏾Mikki’s very first doggy coat complete with little hoodie!😍🥰

With the above said, we feel that it can be a fun thing to dress up your Min Pin with the intention of taking cute photos for example, inside or outside. A few things to remember which should be the case for any dog is;

• Is he experiencing discomfort? Can he run and play with ease? Ensure that you don’t leave him unattended for too long in clothes, in case he becomes destructive or uncomfortable. If he does start chewing and he’s a full grown adult, it may be a sign that he’s irritated and wants the clothing off.
• It’s kind for your Min Pin to ensure that the clothes are the right size or a bit larger-never undersized and therefore too tight. Ensure your chosen items allow proper movement for your Min Pin.

Now your armed with all the good info, go ahead and buy that cute coatie (or not)! 💁🏾‍♀️