Personalized Dog Sweaters

With the upward trend among Americans to have pets treated as a member of the family, it comes as no surprise that more and more people are spending their hard-earned dollars on the upkeep of these pets. Not only do the dollars get spent on the basic needs of taking care of pets like food, grooming and hygiene and veterinarian check-ups. These pets have enjoyed the luxury or rather, the lifestyle afforded by their human owners. In one respect, dog clothes have shown to follow the fashion styles after the human counterpart.

Pet owners have also shown a favorable attitude towards personalizing their pet’s clothing. Crocheting, knitting and sewing are well known techniques used to make these clothes.  Of course, there are clothing tailors that cater to the pet market who for a professional fee can do the nitty-gritty work and produce clothes that have a snug fit. However, there are some people who would rather have complete control over the details. In this case, these pet lovers need not look very hard on where to find the resources needed to start on the clothing project. There are pattern books available in the market as well as useful information and guides on the Internet to equip the pet owner with the knowledge on how to get the work started.

Knitting is a very versatile method applied in creating dog clothes. It can make a variety of clothes such as sweaters, vests and scarves. For one, dog sweater is one of the most popular styles because of its usefulness against cold weather and its being trendy since most celebrities have often dressed up their favorite pooches in this apparel. 

Finding the perfect knitted dog sweater starts with finding the relaxed fit and ease of wearing it on and off. A relaxed fit refers not to snug fit but to a slightly larger fit. The neck and leg holes on the dog sweater should be large enough to permit comfortable movement of the dog. To determine a relaxed fit, the dog’s weight, measurements and the general physique should all be taken into account. As for the body length, make sure to take a good measure starting at the base of the neck until the base of the tail.

In getting started on the dog sweater project, one has to decide on the appropriate materials needed. Basically, a yarn and needle is needed then the pattern that will be followed and finally correctly measuring the dog. Wool is generally recommended (50% at the least) to protect the dog against harsh elements like the wind, rain and snow because it will stay warm even if it gets wet. In choosing the needles, the length is related to the size of the dog and the gauge. Dp pointed is used for petite dog sizes and circular for the larger dog sizes. For the pattern stitch to be used, there are a variety of styles to choose from like stockinette, striped, etc. Measuring the dog should start with the neck at collar level. The chest should be measured around the thickest part. Measuring leg width should be done crosswise on the side of the upper front leg or around the underarm. From the underarm down to the elbow on the back of the front leg will comprise the leg length. Other measurements needed are neck-to-underarm, neck-to-chest and neck-to tail.