How to Make a Dog Sweatshirt

This was contributed to eHow by Carole Kipp. She gives us another suggestion for re-using old sweatshirts - making a dog jacket.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Fabric Webbing
• Sweatshirts
• Dog Boots
• Dog Sweaters
• Sewing Needles
• Threads
• Scissors
• Scissors

1. Make sure the old sweatshirt will fit your dog.

2. 

   Measure your dog from the base of the neck to midway to his tail.

3. 

   Cut the sweatshirt to the correct length.

4. Either sew the hem or use fabric webbing.

5. Cut the sleeves so they hang just above the knee joint on your dog's front legs.

6. Hem the sleeves as well, if you prefer the tailored look.

7. 

   Place your dog's legs in the sweatshirt first and then stretch the neck opening over his head.

Tips & Warnings

• When removing the sweatshirt, take it over your dog's head first and over his legs last.
• The neck hole will probably fit if you use a sweatshirt approximately the size of the dog.
• Never leave your dog unattended with the sweatshirt on - it could get tangled in bushes, fences or elsewhere.
• If your dog seems irritated or bothered by the sweatshirt, remove it immediately.

[ldetolve]

on 6/11/2008 In response to "anonymous"...yes, feeling secure is something that is used on kids too....that might have ADD or other learning problems. Just think how comfortable you feel when you put on an old, well worn sweatshirt and paif of jeans???

[bbkbmom]

on 5/4/2007 For those who do not want the hassle of slipping the sweatshirt over the dog's head, cut the sweatshirt from neck to hem down his chest/front. Fold the cut edges in about 1/2" and finish off, then put velcro or snaps along the edge. Also, using this method allows you to adjust the fit if the dog has a large rib cage and narrow rest of body (such as a dalmatian or greyhound).

on 6/30/2006 I have found that one of my husbands shirts works great on my Golden Retriever, but since the GRs waist is, of course, smaller than hubby's, it's important to sew a dart from the bottom of the shirt to about the middle of it. This pulls the extra bit that hangs down tighter and keeps GR from getting tangled in it.

on 3/30/2006 We have a Greyhound for whom we are constantly seeking out new ways to keep her warm (very sensitive to temperature extremes) and happy. Subsequently, we have repurposed several old fleeces for her to wear around the house during the winter. We've found on all of them that we needed to cut the fleece's neck into a very deep V so that it would not choke her when she laid down.
I don't know if this is a greyhound/large dog only thing, or if it is of concern to all, but it's definitely worth checking out.

on 11/22/2005 I have a dog who is quite emotionally fragile. I've found that having a closely fitting sweater on her helps to calm her down dramatically. She loves to snuggle up in it and will curl up and go to sleep instead of pacing around and getting into mischief. Now when we go out, she gets into her sweater and knows that she will be comforted by the closeness of the fabric to her skin. It works wonders!