I Never Thought I’d Be Someone Who Puts Clothes on My Dog. But Here We Are.

When I brought up my worries about Buddy’s wintertime comfort and well-being, Mel Plaut, Wirecutter’s pets writer, was gentle but dubious. They had their own experience with their dog, Dave.

“In my reporting, the vets I talked to said that dogs need to get acclimated to temperature changes,” Mel said. “Dave’s first cold season after arriving in Nebraska from Mexico, he shook when the thermometer hit 50. But then he got used to it. We did panic and rush out and buy some sweaters, but now they just sit in the to-be-donated pile. They’re a pain to get on and off, and that’s the part he really dislikes.”

While clothing didn’t work out for Dave, I have other colleagues I trust who have had more luck with some warm fuzzies for their furry friends. Writer Kaitlyn Wells, who covered pets at Wirecutter for five years, has a soft, comfy matching hoodie set for her 10-pound Chihuahua mix, Sutton. It’s from the brand Spark Paws, which has been making dog clothes since 2017. And both Dave and Sutton, it should be noted, wear winter coats when the outdoor temps get chilly.

“Sutton and I wore our sweatshirts for a flight and we received several compliments and inquiries about where we purchased them,” Kaitlyn said. “The fit was great for Sutton’s small, lean, and long frame. She wore it while crated under the seat in front of me, and it kept her plenty warm on the plane.”

Staff pick

Soft and fuzzy, these matching-set hoodies are available in several color combinations. And they come in a range of 15-inch to 39-inch chest sizes for dogs and in S to 2XL for humans.

Mel supported my decision to try a set from Spark Paws based on Kaitlyn’s recommendation.

After perusing the many options on the Spark Paws site, I selected the Cyber Punk Dog Hoodie and the associated human version. I thought the color blocking of the purple, teal, mango, and black would nicely complement Buddy’s coat and my brown hair. Spark Paws sells multiple color-blocked sets (the set that Kaitlyn and Sutton wear is pink, turquoise, and cream), and there are other sets that come in single-color earth tones or pastels.

The site seems to have a perma-sale, and Wirecutter paid $65 for our matching fits (which will be donated after this story publishes, per Wirecutter’s standards policy). I’ve bought Buddy a new one in blue camo for $33, including shipping, and skipped the matching set (I am someone who is perpetually casual, so I have more hoodies in my life than days to wear them).

I measured Buddy and followed the size guide; you can either use a breed/weight chart or measure your dog’s chest and back in inches. For Buddy, I ordered an XXL, which fell in line with both his measurements and weight. And there’s a 30-day free exchange window, if you need to size up or down.

Our Cyber Punk sweatshirts arrived on the same day that Buddy returned home from having two teeth pulled. (In my distress, I kept calling it “major oral surgery” to anyone who would listen, in order to reinforce the gravity of the situation.) As he was coming down from the general anesthesia, he couldn’t sleep and was whining from the pain. I was desperate to soothe him — he looked like he needed a perpetual hug — so I gingerly placed the sweatshirt over his head and passed his front paws through the sleeves. The result was instant calm as he settled next to me for a nap. Could this be a hallucination? Was he really placated by this silly little sweatshirt?

Now, after weeks of wearing the sweatshirt (off and on), Buddy really is placated by it. Just the other day, he was feeling a little gassy, and he kept whining at me. I sat with him on the couch, which didn’t calm him, but then I slipped on the sweatshirt, and he immediately fell asleep. I know it sounds hyperbolic, but I promise you, it’s not. I don’t want to be this person, yet it turns out that I absolutely am this person. (For what it’s worth, there’s limited evidence that compression shirts help to alleviate stress in dogs, Nichelason said. But a recent study found that they are unlikely to cause harm, which is good.)

While this sweatshirt most definitely does not provide compression, I do see how it comforts Buddy in a similar way that a blanket would. The stretchy knit (it’s 100% polyester) is thin enough that it provides some warmth. Yet it doesn’t make him overheat, and because the sleeves end at his elbows, he can easily move around. This design also prevents his front legs from slipping out , so he won’t accidentally get tangled or stuck. The shirt washes well, and though I’ve used ours for only a few weeks, Kaitlyn said hers has held up over three years of occasional wear.

Nichelason cautioned that dogs can overheat in clothing, especially if the fabric isn’t breathable. Look for signs like panting, restlessness, and seeking cooler surfaces. If that happens, remove the shirt!

The thing is, I’ve never even contemplated matching clothes with my actual human children. But dogs require additional consideration.

“In general, I don’t think indoor dog clothes serve much of a practical purpose most of the time, but they’re totally fine as long as the dog is comfortable and doesn’t mind wearing them,” said Nichelason, who dresses up her own dogs. “If someone wants to give their dog something casual to wear, comfort should be the top priority. Look for breathable fabrics and a fit that allows easy movement. In my experience, legs that are too long tend to bother dogs the most, especially if a leg slips out and they get stuck mid-strut.”

It’s also very dog-specific. Anything that goes over the head can be challenging for dogs, who often don’t like having their ears touched. In addition, if a sweatshirt has strings or a hood, it can pose a strangulation risk (during rough play) or other accidents. So it’s not a good idea to leave dogs unattended when they’re wearing their fits.

But what surprised me the most (and maybe it shouldn’t have) is how even friends and family members who would ordinarily dismiss dog in clothes were charmed by Buddy’s look, showering him with endearments like “handsome fellow,” “tough guy,” and “cutie patootie.” As for me, while people seem to like my sweatshirt just fine, I am not, apparently, a cutie patootie.