Dog Coats to Make or Buy

Last Updated on November 23, 2018 by lydiaf1963

Make your best friend’s tail wag with a great looking coat. Choose from patterns to make yourself or buy something stylish.

I must confess, I grew up in the country where our dogs slept in their own houses outside and roamed around at will. We’d go on bike rides and all three dogs would tag along. If one of them tired, they headed back home…alone. It was a different time and the idea of a pack of dogs trailing a pack of kids on bikes seems incredible nowadays. I hope it still happens somewhere.

There are a lot of dogs in the city where I live, large and small. They are remarkably well behaved for the most part and there are strict laws regarding leashes and picking up the dog poop (both rules are ignored on occasion). It’s not unusual to see a dog wearing a coat in the winter, especially the small dogs and the rail thin sighthounds.

I’ve assembled a small collection of dog coats and sweaters in a variety of styles and fabrics. Use them for inspiration.

Knit, Crochet and Sewing Patterns

From left to right:

A matching set for you and your dog: sweater, bag and mittens from Interweave.

Love the 1950’s vintage pattern reproduced by Miss Julia on Etsy.

Here’s a free pattern from Anna Murray’s blog. She links to a basic pattern she used to create the striped sweater and gives instructions for the cabled one. I found the link on Ravelry where there’s quite a collection, including some really fun Fair Isle styles.

The doggie hoodie pattern looks like it could be a fun knit. The pattern gives instructions for four sizes. You’ll find it in Annie’s Catalog.

If you’re a sewer you’ll find a free tutorial on how to create a custom pattern for your dog at Sew Doggy Style. I like the idea of creating a quilted block and cutting it to fit my pet (actually, my friend’s pet).

If you’re also interested in creating other items for your dog, these two books offer patterns and tutorials:

Left: Jenna Wingate Designs offers a free downloadable booklet full of crochet patterns including coats, collars and blankets. She’s also listed on Ravelry if you’d like to add the book to your library.

Right: Dogs In Knits by Judith L Swartz features seventeen knit and crochet patterns for sweaters and blankets in a variety of styles and is available on Interweave.

Dog Coats to Purchase

You may prefer to purchase a dog coat. I’ve found these from various retailers:

From left to right:

Target has a huge selection for all sizes of dogs. I picked this one as an example because I love the dog 🙂

These pretty cabled sweaters are washable and range in size from 6 to 16 inches and can be made to order. You’ll find them in Focus For A Cause’s shop on Etsy. (There are lots of dog coats available on Etsy)

I’m not sure how I feel about a dog wearing this shearling dog coat from Amazon but I have to admit it’s stylish.

The heavy duty plaid Kuoser dog coat is reversible and comes in four colors and seven sizes. In addition to these coats you’ll find a large selection dog coats on Amazon, most of which are eligible for Prime Shipping.

Take advantage of holiday sales to purchase a constructed dog coat or pattern. (I don’t know about you, but my “making” schedule is pretty full right now. However after the holidays I’ll have time to make something cool for one of my doggie friends. I can start looking for the materials I’ll need now and buy them on sale.)