Have you ever been stuck in a situation when you have to leave your dog’s indoors due to rain? If yes, here are a few solutions to overcome such problems. There are many readymade raincoats that are available in the market. One of the best is to learn how to make a dog raincoat.
Providing a raincoat to your dog will make them ready to enjoy the rainy weather without any trouble. In this article, you can learn a few easy ways to make a raincoat and also gain some knowledge about picking the best readymade raincoat for your dogs.
Why Dog Dislikes Rain?
Many dogs do not like rains or being wet. Wet makes them feel cold and makes them uncomfortable. We too do not like to get wet without any definite reasons. Many of the dogs that are trained to hunt ducks that swims can bear slight rain. The main scientific reason that lies is that the sensitive ears of the dog do not like the sound of rain. So actually, it’s not the water but the sound that makes them feel awkward. So, they try to escape from such situations.
How Actually Does the Raincoat of Dogs Works?
The raincoat for dog works in the same way as for us. It is designed specifically to keep your lovely dogs dry. Such raincoat comes in various sizes and designs that are comfortable for the dogs. They usually come with zippers, straps or Velcro to maintain a firm grip. The raincoat of dogs is designed in such a way that they can easily move around and also perform their potty business. They usually stop before their belly area so that they do not have problems while urinating.
First of all, let us understand the need to use raincoats for your dogs. There are plenty of valid reasons for this some of the important ones are –
Advantages of Using Raincoat for Your Dogs
Many dogs do not like to wet themselves. They change their calm mood to aggressive if exposed to rainwater. Providing them with a suitable raincoat can give them confidence. Many of the breeds also refuse to potty and show unusual behavior when they are soaked in rainwater. Also using a raincoat for your dog will avoid the unusual wet dog smell in your home.
The raincoat also helps to prevent your dog to get dirty in the rainwater. The raincoat prevents the mud water from splashing on your dog’s fur. Thus, it will also reduce the tension of bathing your dog regularly. Also, raincoat keeps your dog warmer in windy and wet conditions.
A raincoat also helps your dog’s easily visible to the motorists. Many of the raincoats come with bright and punchy colors to ensure their visibility.
The Best Homemade Dog Raincoat Ideas
Here are some of the best homemade dog raincoat ideas that you can make for your dog :
1. Using a Fabric Material
2. Using a Plastic Bag
Idea – 1: Using a Fabric Material
Things You Will Need :
- A waterproof vinyl cloth for the outer cover
- Flannel material for lining
- A sewing machine
- Scissors and pins
- Tape to measure
- Rough paper and pen
Steps to follow :
First of all, you should take the exact measurement of your dog. Make sure to consider its length and width. Record the measurement on your paper. Remember to take care of the below mention points for the exact measurement –
- To measure the length of the dog, make sure that you cover the distance from the head to the tail of your dog
- To measure the width of your dog, measure the area that covers the circumference of your dog from the neck, including the front legs of your dog.
- Remember to measure the circumference of the neck of your dog, in case you are planning to attach a hood to the raincoat.
Now, as you have finished with the measurement part, begin with working paper to portrait a similar sketch on the fabric. Make sure to add a few inches more in the ends to ensure better fitting. As soon as the sketch on your paper is ready to keep it over the cloth and cut the areas accordingly.
After cutting the fabric accordingly sew them up to obtain the desired pattern. Use hooks and Velcro wherever necessary to provide a firm grip to the raincoat if necessary.
Idea – 2: Using a Plastic Bag
In case you witness rough weather outside and also cannot leave your lovely dog at home alone. Here is the quick DIY raincoat for dogs –
- Find a most resistant trash bag in your house that is similar to the size of your dog
- Then cut the area of the trash bag accordingly by assuming the space that the neck and paws would need to fit in the spaces comfortably.
- If you need you can also use a fabric belt to make a firm grip thus making the raincoat of your dog more durable.
Alternatively, you can use a raincoat that is no longer used by any of your family members. That will provide you with a more suitable base. You can also sew soft fabric within it to make your dog feel the warmth. Using a Velcro, you can give a firm grip to make the best dog raincoat. Finally, your friend is ready to enjoy the rainy season with you.
Important Factors to Consider if Purchasing a Dog’s Raincoat
After knowing how to make a dog raincoat, you should also be aware of the features if you need to buy a readymade raincoat for your dogs. Some of the important ones are –
Weather :
Before purchasing a raincoat for your dog make sure that it fits perfectly with the weather conditions of your city. Ensure that the raincoat is warm and insulated within if you live in cold and moist areas, while raincoats with no inner coating are the best in rains during the hot months.
Importance of Sleeves :
In case you are trying to get rid of the smell of your dog, using a raincoat with sleeves is the best option for you. Raincoat with sleeves also helps in preventing your dogs from catching a cold due to rain.
Hoods :
If you are in planning to buy the best dog raincoat with a hood, there are many options available for you. The main advantage of using hooded raincoat is that it helps to keep the head of the dog dry. Some dogs also resist the raincoats with hood but with proper training, they become comfortable with it.
Fasteners :
Fasteners provide a firm grip to the raincoat. They are quite useful in cases where there is a windy condition outside along with rain. They commonly come with a belly strap or zippers that lie around their center area. Some of the raincoats even have a Velcro system to keep the raincoat steady. Getting a pullover style raincoat is often not recommended as it makes it difficult to get off and on quickly. Stomach straps are a god option but face problems if they stuck in your dog’s fur. Zippers are also a good option but care should be taken so that it does not pinch your dog.
Poncho :
The popular dog’s raincoat is the poncho style. The poncho style is raincoat is much easier than the pullover type. You have to just slide the raincoat from the back of your dog and fix it up. You will definitely notice the flexibility and convenience while using such raincoats.
Raincoats With Reflective Material :
In case you worry that your small untrained friend might get lost in the rain, you can use such type of raincoats. Making your dog wearing such raincoats will keep him safer on the roads and also helps you in noticing him easily.
Size :
Although there are no standard sizes available for dog’s clothing. It just works on an estimate basis and let them try methods. You as a customer should choose carefully the size of the raincoat for your dog. Taking too tight raincoat will restrict their movement. Also, too loose raincoats make them feel bulky and awkward. The main measurement that you should take care of is that of the neck, circumference of chest, and the length of the dog.
An important tip is to slide two fingers inside the raincoat. If you feel that your finger slide in and out easily that’s the perfect raincoat for your dog. Take care that the length of the raincoat should not cross the tail length of your dog. As such raincoats disturb their bathroom habits.
Harness Friendly :
Some of the raincoats available in the market come with a harness friendly option. They usually have a hole in their back to support the harness while others have the same option on their collar areas. If you are choosing a raincoat for your dog with harness features make sure that your harness attaches itself well to the raincoat.
Apart from this, you have to train your dog for a few days to make him comfortable using a harness in such type of raincoats.
Light Weight :
The raincoat you choose should not be heavy or bulky. The heavy style of raincoats creates trouble for the dog to attain its usual running speed. Also, such raincoats due to their weight make the dog exhausted very soon as he has to walk or run with additional weight on it. Choosing a light weighted style of raincoats is the best choice. Lightweight raincoats do not disturb the activity of the dog even you make them wear throughout the day.
The Final Verdict
These were some of the easiest answers to how to make a dog raincoat. So, never allow your lovely dog to get soaked in rainwater. These methods can consume a lot of your time, skills, and energy but definitely are budget-friendly.
Apart from these homemade methods, there are several readymade and fancy raincoats available in the market. You have to just make sure that they fulfill your dog’s needs perfectly.
