Help Needed: Designing Sweaters & Coats for Shelter Pets

[Bleenie]

With the cold weather coming in soon, I am planning on making some Fleece dog Sweaters & Coats for the dogs in some of the local shelters. I have found numerous designs online but most are slip-over sweaters, which are Great for the little dogs, but i know these kind of sweaters can be a real pain to get on bigger dogs.

I am hoping you guys can help me figure out an easier design for the larger breed dogs. As you all know, there are usually a lot of Pit Bulls or Pit Mixes in most shelters and from my experiences with the breed, they do NOT like the cold weather at all, so I plan to make quite a few of the sweaters for the bigger/medium-sized dogs. Thankfully, I have a great "Model", my mothers Pitty boy, Bishop. He's about 65lbs and a little taller than the average pit bull but his body type is right.... hopefully he will be cooperative.

Thanks everyone!

 

[bossynbella]

I don't have any pictures but the coat we have for our beagle velcros around the front chest and has a piece of elastic with a snap clip (like on a dog collar) on the end and the part it goes into on another peice of elastic on the other side. You simply reach under with one hand and and snap it to the other peice like a collar. You can make it tighter or looser. This coat was handmade, I got it second hand at a swap last spring. It works better on my Beagle then boughten coats because she doesn't like having her front legs restrained by sleaves, it just covers her back and chest. Kind of like a horse coat I think.
Will look for pictures online.
Good luck

 

[Crazyland]

I had a homemade one years ago.
It was 2 sided fleece with velcro across the chest and another under the belly. Similar to the coats for a greyhound.
It held up very well and was easier to get on and off the dog.

 

[Bleenie]

Thank you guys. I will have to use Velcro for all of the "adjustable" parts. I don't want to use anything that they might find appealing to chew on or swallow so no buttons or clips... even though that would make them a lot cuter!! I am sure i can do something cute with fleece cut outs or ribbon or anything that can be sewn flat should be okay.

There's one small animal shelter near me that I am planning on talking to & seeing if they want/need anything. I think it'll be better if i know what size dogs they most frequently have there or have come into the shelter. Besides this local one, there's the Tacoma Humane Society... I know they use donated, handmade kitty beds/pads for the cats but i am not sure if they would use the dog coats or not (if not they should!!). They have a section out front where they sell donated items but i would rather they be used on the dogs in the kennels... I know it helps either way but i hate seeing and thinking about them all in those cold, cement kennels.

But I guess I will have to call and find out

 

[Crazyland]

Tacoma is pretty well heated for the winter even though it is cement.

 

[Appytaz]

Think of how a horse blanket fits. That is the shape I make all of mine in. You can do soooo many variations of that. I do all of the halloween costumes of that same shaped fit.