I’m somewhat an expert with dogs and blankets. After all, I have three Dachshunds, and if you know anything about Dachshunds, they love to get under the blankets and stay there all night. So, when ASM introduced Snuggie™ for Dogs, I had to get Odie one so he would stay warm during day.

Normally product reviews are easy to write, but honestly, Snuggie for Dogs is somewhat perplexing even for the adept pet owner like me attempting comprehend how to put the thing on.

First off, you pull the thing out of the box and the Velcro is unattached. Of course it takes a few minutes to figure out where the blasted hole is for the dog’s head. I located the two holes for the front legs and eventually found the Velcro that when attached connects to make an opening to insert the neck.

The small blue Snuggie for Dogs is a good design

All this time, I’m holding the Snuggie from the bottom underneath Odie’s chest failing at the Velcro neck attachment while he’s trying to step out of the blanket.

Let’s say that for $10, I’ve had more fun at a really bad movie.

Frustrated, I started over. The first thing you need to do is to attach the Velcro at the neck of the garment, then slip the Snuggie over your dog’s head. Next, insert the front legs into the leg holes and finally, attach the last two Velcro adjustment straps for that “perfect fit.”

Unlike the two back straps, the neck adjustment is not adjustable. You can’t make it looser or tighter so the front part of the Snuggie dog sweater may be loose on your dog. In my case, it’s too tight across Odie’s chest. I should have followed the instructions and got a larger size, but the box had a nice picture of a miniature Dachshund and it looked somewhat small on that dog, so I thought it would have been a good fit for Odie.

Odie Sporting his Snuggie for Dogs after several attempts to put it on him.

Snuggie for Dogs Outside Test

After I got the Snuggie on Odie, I was somewhat surprised that he did not try to shake it off.  After walking and running around the backyard, he did his “marking the territory” which passed when the Snuggie didn’t  get wet.

Odie Loves his Snuggie for Dogs

The jump test

Odie likes to jump!  I was a little apprehensive when he started to jump up to his favorite pooping place.  The Snuggie was not restrictive and he mangaged without any problems to jump up to the small retaining wall to get into the bushes.

Snuggie Passes Jump Test

Where Did My Snuggie Go?

Good question.  The soft blanket material was caught on a branch and allowed Odie to step out of his dog sweater.  The unusually large neckline did little in helping keep the clothes on him.

Odie returns from the bushes without his Snuggie and notices the change in temperature.

Product Summary

Is Snuggie for Dogs a Good Dog Sweater?  Once you figured out how the attach the Velcro at the neckline, the Snuggie is really easy to put on like all dog sweaters.   However, the neckline is large and your dog will have a tendency to walk out of his Snuggie.  For us, this limits the use to indoors, but who would be caught outside wearing a Snuggie anyway?

NEW AS SEEN ON TV BLUE SNUGGIE FOR DOGS FLEECE THROW US $16.99 End Date: Friday Sep-03-2010 13:37:45 PDT Add to watch list

NEW AS SEEN ON TV BLUE SNUGGIE FOR DOGS FLEECE THROW US $16.99 End Date: Friday Sep-03-2010 13:37:48 PDT Add to watch list

NEW AS SEEN ON TV BLUE SNUGGIE FOR DOGS FLEECE THROW US $16.99 End Date: Friday Sep-03-2010 13:37:51 PDT Add to watch list

NEW AS SEEN ON TV BLUE SNUGGIE FOR DOGS FLEECE THROW US $16.99 End Date: Friday Sep-03-2010 13:37:53 PDT Add to watch list

NEW AS SEEN ON TV PINK SNUGGIE FOR DOGS FLEECE THROW US $16.99 End Date: Friday Sep-03-2010 13:38:12 PDT Add to watch list

NEW AS SEEN ON TV PINK SNUGGIE FOR DOGS FLEECE THROW US $16.99 End Date: Friday Sep-03-2010 13:38:14 PDT Add to watch list

NEW AS SEEN ON TV PINK SNUGGIE FOR DOGS FLEECE THROW US $16.99 End Date: Friday Sep-03-2010 13:38:16 PDT Add to watch list

“OMG, he’s so cute!” my wife said.  I couldn’t agree more after I first saw Odie wearing his new argyle dog sweater we bought him at Home Goods.  The $7 blue and white sweater was on sale and I couldn’t resist buying it even though it was labeled for a cat. But it looked like it was the purr-fect match for his Miniature Dachshund stature despite being made for his mortal enemy.

Now, I never tell him that he’s wearing a kitty sweater, because the very mention of the “kitty” will send him running outside barking at an imaginary cat fast than you can say “Pavlov’s Dog.” (Plus he can’t read, despite the hours sitting in my lap watching me browse the internet. So only you and I will know if you can keep a secret from him.)

Of all the clothes we’ve purchased for him over the years, you would have never guessed that the cat –now dog sweater – would fit him the best.  Odie’s unusual length makes it difficult sizing him properly.  He’s not quite a Mini and not a Standard Dachshund, so the smaller sizes are too tight for him yet the medium sizes are too loose.   But this sweater looks like it was custom made for him.

Great fitting knitted sweaters really comes down to picking the right size.  Since sweaters tend to stretch, you probably want one that snuggly fits your dog.  But if you get it too small, the fabric will rub against your pet’s skin and cause a rash.  Sometimes you can find a sweater with Velcro that allows you securely close the garment for a great fit even if the sweater stretches over time.

The cat – now argyle dog sweater – we bought for Odie did was not adjustable so I imagine over time his sweater will become lose on him.  But now it is simply the best clothing we’ve ever found for him.

SM Dog Sweater Green Argyle Yorkie Poodle Shih tzu Coat US $11.99 End Date: Thursday Sep-02-2010 21:35:40 PDT Add to watch list

Gift New Dog Clothes Argyle Dog Sweater Grey Medium US $16.98 End Date: Friday Sep-03-2010 4:54:47 PDT Add to watch list

NWT Gymboree EASTER Blue Argyle DOG SWEATER Size Small US $19.99 End Date: Friday Sep-03-2010 6:43:50 PDT Add to watch list

XXS TEACUP Dog Clothes RED ARGYLE SWEATER HAND KNIT US $24.00 End Date: Friday Sep-03-2010 13:22:37 PDT Add to watch list

MED Dog Clothes RED ARGYLE SWEATER HAND KNIT CUTE! US $24.00 End Date: Friday Sep-03-2010 13:25:43 PDT Add to watch list

XXS Dog Clothes NAVY/RED ARGYLE SWEATER HAND KNIT CUTE! US $24.00 End Date: Friday Sep-03-2010 14:07:33 PDT Add to watch list

MED Dog Clothes NAVY/RED ARGYLE SWEATER HAND KNIT CUTE! US $24.00 End Date: Friday Sep-03-2010 14:09:37 PDT Add to watch list

Image by RiffRaff via Flickr

There seems to be a lost art of making pet sweaters in this country especially since we can drive down to the local Wal*Mart and buy something really cheap.

But I would remind you that not all is lost and making clothes – for your dog – is a simple as knitting a pet sweater.

Case in point where Alyson knitted a sweater for her grandparents Dachshund.  In her blog she has the measurements around the chest and length to make a very comfortable sweater for the elongated dog.

But even if you don’t have the talent for making a designer knit sweater for your dog, you can typically pick one up at eBay or at etsy where commercial or hand knitted sweaters are available.