Do dachshund need to wear clothes?

Dachshunds are known for their distinctive elongated bodies and low to the ground, countries like Canada (where I live now) have a relatively long winter so it’s almost essential to put on clothes for your dachshunds to keep them warm.

My dachshund was born in Australia and was not used to the cold weather. It was hard to see him shivering and reluctant to go on walks in winter. He looked depressed (as going on walks is one of his favourite activities) and as we all know, mental and physical exercise are important to ensuring a dog’s wellbeing. 

That’s why I’m a big advocate for putting clothes on my dachshund.

For older or sick dachshunds, they will also benefit from wearing clothes to stay warm and comfortable.

Choose the right clothes for your dachshund

But how do you choose clothes for your dachshunds?

Compared to a couple of years ago, there is a lot more supply of clothing made for dachshunds’ unique body shapes, so dachshund owners are getting more spoiled with choices. 

When choosing the right clothing for your dachshund, you will need to pay attention to the following:

1. Measure Accurately:

Measuring your dog is a challenging task for sure.

However, if you don’t measure them correctly, you will likely be getting an unfitted sweater and your dog will not want to wear it.

And as they are so low to the ground, if the sweater is too loose or baggy around the chest, there is a chance that your dachshund may trip on their own clothing.

In order to measure them accurately, you should always check the size chart and how to measure your dog’s section from the brand you are interested in purchasing from, because each company has its own standard.

At dear cooper, we measure the back length from the lower neck, where the collar sits. You can see this chart for more information:

https://www.dearcooper.store/pages/how-to-measure-your-dog

2. Consider the Season:

This goes without saying, choosing appropriate clothing for the weather it’s important. Sometimes, we dachshund owners love our dogs being so cute and stylish in certain clothing and forget the most important reason for purchasing clothes for our dachshunds.

Our raincoat, for example, is meant for summer rain so it’s made with lightweight waterproof fabric so your doxies won’t be overheated as they go on walks on a drizzling day. 

And our classic bamboo fleece turtleneck is meant for winter in countries with warmer climates such as Australia. But it will likely be too light for winter in Canada.

The sweater will be more suitable for an underlayer and put another coat over the sweater on severe cold winter days.

Make sure you check the listing and understand the material of the garment so you won’t be disappointed especially when you purchase dog clothes online.

our raincoat (left) is more suitable for the summer rain, while turtleneck fleece (right) is for the chilly fall days and early winter

3. Ease of Dressing:

Choosing the right material and design for your dachshund’s clothing is also important.

When it comes to a fitted sweater, it’s critical to choose materials with stretch and are breathable.

This is one of the main reasons why we chose bamboo fleece to make our sweaters as bamboo fabric is soft, stretchy, hypoallergenic and breathable. 

Some dachshunds also hate having clothing going over their head, that’s why the bamboo fabric is great as it’s stretchy and easy to put over or take off.

4. Safety First

If your dachshund is a chewer, make sure you choose simple clothing without any small parts like hand-sewn buttons, zipper etc as they may chew it up and swollow. 

If you prefer the convenience of buttons, choose clothing with snap buttons which are likely “glued” to the clothing so your dogs are less likely to pick on the buttons.

Sewing clothes for your dachshund

While there are plenty of choices for your dachshund’s fashion needs, dachshund clothing can get expensive.

The reason is that most dachshund clothing is not mass-produced.

When it comes to mass production, factories often require higher volume to keep the cost down.

It is a lot more economical for companies to produce clothing that is suitable for different breeds than just dachshunds.

Therefore, you tend to see more independent dressmakers or home sewers creating clothing for dachshunds.

While you get more choices, they can get expensive.

If you happen to have more than one dachshund at home (can’t blame you, they are adorable), chances are you will need to buy more than one sweater at a time. 

In order to keep your dachshund’s clothing cost down, it’s a good idea to DIY and sew it yourself.

All you need is a sewing pattern — which you can find via this link.

And:

• Old sweater or knit/fleece fabric from any fabric store
• Scissors (ideally fabric scissors as normal paper scissors will be hard to cut fabric)
• Sewing machine or your hand and willingness to hand sew
• Needle and thread

Our sewing patterns are extremely beginner-friendly, with photo instructions and explanations on some sewing lingos so it’s easy to understand.

If you don’t have a sewing machine, but you are willing to take time to hand sew, you can still make beautiful sweaters. We had customers hand-sewn a sweater for their dachshund.

I was surprised to find out our customer hand sewn this sweater for her dachshund (using our Turtleneck sweater sewing pattern)

We also included suggestions on how to alter the pattern to make it a better fit for your dachshund.

Final Thoughts

Dressing your Dachshund can be both functional and fashionable, especially in certain weather conditions. 

Remember to consider your pup’s comfort and safety when choosing or making clothing. Whether you opt for store-bought outfits or get creative with DIY projects, the goal is to keep your Dachshund warm so they can’t enjoy the outdoor activities they love.