Here’s to the dogs in our lives that drag us out the door in every kind of weather. Here’s to walking in summer heat and winter cold. To potting training in the yard at 3:00am, and to slow evening strolls with a faithful grey-muzzled companion. And here’s to you, dog owners, for wearing all the layers so that your four legged friend can go bounding through the snow drifts in the teeth of a blizzard.

This dog coat recipe allows you to customize a knitted coat to custom fit your canine companion. The coat is worked in two pieces that are joined together with buttons rather than seamed, making it much easier to dress your dog than sweaters requiring that they step into leg holes, or put their head through anything.

Materials Needed:
You will need buttons large enough to securely fasten the girth strap to the body blanket, and to close the girth strap itself and the front of the body blanket

100% wool is strongly recommended, as the water repellant qualities of wool mimics the natural water repellant qualities of your dog’s own fur. Acrylic yarn that does not repel water, and cotton yarn that actually absorbs water, will not provide warmth or insulation for your dog, and when wet will actually chill your dog faster than if they were wearing no coat at all.

Additionally, I do not recommend superwash wool, as it will stretch out during wearing if your dog, like mine, is likely to wade into the river coat and all.

I recommend scaling your yarn according to the size of your dog. For example, I do not recommend bulky weight yarn for a teacup poodle, nor do I recommend sport weight yarn for a mastiff.

The specific amount of yarn and number of buttons you need will depend upon the size of the dog, and your personal gauge. It is imperative for you to work a sizable gauge swatch so that you can confidently calculate the stitches and rows needed to work the pattern. Your gauge swatch should be a minimum of 8” by 8” in stocking stitch in order to get an accurate fit for your dog.