Some dogs genuinely need a coat. Others are wearing one for their owner’s benefit, and a few are actively uncomfortable in one.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you — it helps keep this site free. We only recommend products we would use with our own dogs.
Who needs one
Genuinely need one in cold or wet weather:
- Thin and single-coated breeds — Greyhounds, Whippets, Italian Greyhounds, Boxers, Dobermans, Staffies, Pointers, Vizslas
- Toy breeds — Chihuahuas, Yorkies, Miniature Pinschers. High surface area to volume ratio, so they lose heat fast
- Puppies and senior dogs
- Arthritic dogs, for whom cold noticeably worsens stiffness
- Dogs with heart, kidney or endocrine disease
- Clipped dogs in winter
- Any dog who visibly shivers, hunches, or refuses to walk in cold
Do not need one:
- Huskies, Malamutes, Samoyeds, Newfoundlands, Bernese Mountain Dogs, most northern spitz breeds, and most thick double-coated working breeds. They are frequently too warm in one, and a coat over a double coat flattens the insulating air layer
In between: Labradors, German Shepherds, Collies, Retrievers. Fine in most conditions, though a waterproof is genuinely useful in prolonged cold rain — a wet dog in wind loses heat far faster than a dry one at the same temperature.
A rough temperature guide
Not rules, and wind and wet matter more than the number:
- Below about 7°C — small and thin-coated dogs may start to feel uncomfortable
- Below freezing — those dogs need a coat or a shorter walk
- Below about -6°C — all dogs need attention paid to duration
What to look for
- Waterproof outer, not merely water-resistant. A wet coat is worse than no coat, and this matters more than insulation in most climates
- Covers the chest and belly. Most heat is lost from the underside, and that is what contacts snow, slush and wet grass. A coat covering only the back is largely decorative
- Does not restrict shoulder movement. Watch your dog walk in it — the front legs should extend normally
- Adjustable, with no rubbing at the armpits, which is where coats cause sores
- Reflective panels. Most winter walks happen in the dark
- Easy to put on. A coat that takes two people and three minutes stays in the cupboard
- Machine washable
- A harness opening, if you attach a lead to a harness worn underneath
Fitting
Measure, do not guess by breed.
- Back length: from the base of the neck (where a collar sits) to the base of the tail
- Chest girth: around the widest part, just behind the front legs
- Neck girth
Buy on measurements. Deep-chested and narrow-waisted breeds — sighthounds especially — frequently need breed-specific cuts, and standard sizing fits them badly.
Check the fit on the dog:
- Two fingers under any strap
- No rubbing at the armpits
- Full shoulder movement
- Belly coverage without catching when they toilet — male dogs in particular need the cut checked
- Not so long that it interferes at the back end
Types
Waterproof shell. Lightweight, no insulation. The most useful general-purpose coat for a moderately coated dog in rain.
Insulated waterproof. For thin-coated dogs in genuine cold.
Fleece. Warm, not waterproof. Good for indoor wear for an elderly or clipped dog, useless in rain.
Drying coats. Absorbent microfibre worn after a swim or a bath. Genuinely useful for double-coated dogs and for the car.
Cooling vests, which are the summer equivalent and work by evaporation.
Ruffwear Swamp Cooler Dog Vest
The opposite problem, and worth owning alongside a winter coat. Soak, wring out and let it evaporate — and take it off indoors, where without airflow a wet vest simply insulates.
Introducing it
Some dogs object strongly to being dressed.
- Show the coat, feed. Ten times
- Drape it over the back without fastening, feed, remove
- Fasten and immediately unfasten, feeding throughout
- Build to wearing it in the house for a few minutes
- Then a short walk
A dog who has had a coat forced over their head will resist it every time thereafter. Five minutes a day for a week avoids that entirely.
Signs it is not working
- Frozen, hunched, or refusing to walk while wearing it
- Trying to remove it
- Rubbing at the armpits or the neck
- Restricted, shortened stride
- Panting and seeking cool ground — it is too warm
The rest of the winter kit
A coat is one part. The others matter more for most dogs.
Musher's Secret Paw Wax
Road salt burns pads and is a poisoning risk when licked off. A barrier wax before walks and a rinse afterwards deal with the most common winter injury there is.
Earth Rated Dog Wipes
For getting salt and grit off paws and legs at the front door. The rinse only happens if the kit is where you come in.
Visibility — a light on the harness and reflective gear — is the winter purchase most likely to prevent something serious, and it costs very little.
A warm draught-free bed off a cold floor, particularly for older dogs.
The honest summary
Buy a coat if your dog is thin-coated, small, old, arthritic, clipped, or visibly cold. Choose waterproof, with belly coverage, that does not restrict the shoulders.
Skip it if your dog has a working double coat. You are not helping, and you may be making them too warm.
And if you are unsure, watch the dog. A dog who is cold hunches, shivers, lifts their paws and wants to go home. A dog who is fine simply gets on with it.
