Have you ever been in a situation where you have to leave your dog indoors when going for a walk in the rain since you do not want to get him wet? If that is the case, then you might have been wondering what could be the best solution to avoid leaving your dog inside. One of my suggestions which I believe will work for you is getting a dog raincoat.
With one of these coats, you do not have to leave your dog in the house whether it is snowing or raining since it can help to prevent your pooch from getting soaked up with water. So, this leaves us to answer, where can you get a raincoat for your dog? While you can buy one of these coats like kuoser dog coats, you can also get a homemade raincoat where you can take up the task of making one. Given that idea, therefore, what are some of the methods to make a dog raincoat? Read on and learn some of these methods.
Homemade Dog Rain Coat ideas
Today we will discuss two ways in which you can make a raincoat for your dog;
- Using fabric material
- Using a plastic bag
➦ 1. Using a fabric material
What you will need:
- Waterproof vinyl upholstery cloth for the outer cover
- Polar fleece or flannel material for the lining
- Sewing machine
- Thread
- Hook and Loop velcro fastener
- Scissors
- Pins
- Dog coat pattern/ Your dog’s favorite coat.
- Tape measure
- Working paper
- Felt Pen
- Rough workbook and pen
Steps to follow:
Part A: Measurements
The first step should begin with taking the measurements of your dog, that is the length and width and recording these on your workbook using the pen.
To measure the length, measure the distance of your dog from the head to the tail using a tape measure.- To measure the width, measure the circumference of your dog from the neck down to behind the front legs and back to the starting point.
Also, measure the circumference from the back near the tail set to the front of the behind legs and back to the starting point. - Measure the circumference of your dog’s leg above the elbow point.
- Measure the circumference of the tail near the tail set.
- Measure the length from the right upper arm to the left upper arm.
- Measure the circumference of the neck. This measurement will help you when making the collar.
- Measure the distance from the forehead to the neck.
Part B: Make a Sketch on the working paper
Once you are done with the measurements, draw a sketch of the raincoat on a big working paper using a pencil. This should help you get a rough idea of the shape and size of the dog raincoat.
As you do this, however, add some extra inches on the ends since these should serve to give an allowance of the area to hem.
After drawing the sketch, it is now time to get a pair of scissors and cut the working paper along the sketched drawing. Here your aim should be to end up with a working paper that looks like the raincoat you are about to make.
Part C: Use the working paper to draw a similar sketch on the fabric and lining
Here, you will need to get a big working area such a big table. Place one of the vinyl fabrics on the table with the outer side down.
Next, place the fleece or flannel fabric on top. This should act as an insulating material to make the raincoat warm to wear.
Lastly, place another vinyl cloth on the top of the insulating material. Note that this should feature the outer side facing the top so that the outer and inner sides of the raincoat feature similar colors.
Once you have set up the raincoat materials, take the sketch you made in Part B and place it on the materials. Take a felt pen and draw on the top vinyl based on the edges of the working paper.
As a result, your aim should be to end up with materials that are similar to the working paper both in shape and size.
Once you have done this, it is now time to take a pair of scissors again and cut all the materials based on the felt pen drawings. This means that you will have the three pieces of material bearing the same shape and size at the end.
Part D: Sew the three pieces of materials together
Once you are done with part C, it is now time to sew the three pieces of material together. Here begin with attaching the three pieces using pins so that it will be easy for you to stitch.
After that, set up the sewing machine and hem along all the edges. This means that you will end up with a fully sewn raincoat, with the insulating material between a similar vinyl tablecloth.
Part E: Attach the hook-and-loop Velcro fasteners
On the edges along the neck and stomach area, attach the hook and loop Velcro fasteners. These are essential to help you ensure that the raincoat will remain in place even when the pet is on the run.
Part F: Fit the raincoat on the dog and leave it to enjoy the rain
Once this is done, you are now good to go. Fit the raincoat on your pet and use the fasteners to secure it in place.
➦ 2. Using a plastic bag
Besides using fabrics to make a dog raincoat, you can opt to use a plastic bag which serves as an easier and faster method of making the coat.
Materials
- Thick plastic trash bag
- Pair of scissors
In this method, you will only need two materials, i.e., a pair of scissors and a plastic trash bag.
Steps to follow:
Part A: Reduce the length of the paper
Here, begin with laying the plastic bag on flat ground.
The first part should be to reduce the length of the paper so that it is a little bit longer than your dog’s length.
Do this by cutting off the end that is already open so that the trash bag can bear a similar shape to the original just a little bit shorter.
Part B: Create a hole for the head
With the smaller trash bag, use a pair of scissors and cut a hole in one of the corners. This should serve as the spot where the dog will insert its head.
Part C: Cut one side of the bag open
Take a pair of scissors once more and cut the lower side of the trash bag (the side that is left untouched when cutting the hole meant for the head and neck).
Part D: Test the dog raincoat on the dog
In this step, allow your pet to wear the raincoat so that you can find out if it is long. If you find that it is preventing your dog from walking comfortably, reduce the height so that it can suit your dog’s height.
Final Verdict
Now you have it, two ways of coming up with a homemade dog raincoat. So, do not allow your dog to get soaked up in the rain when you can protect him/her with a raincoat. After all, these methods are inexpensive, and better yet, they do not consume a lot of energy or time.
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