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Do Protective Dog Pants Really Work?

It was a little over 10 years ago and my husband and I had spent most of the evening and into the early morning hours grooming Sherman and Leroy for a dog show. 

They were freshly bathed, blown dry, and groomed to perfection. 

Every hair was in place. 

We carefully loaded them in the car and drove to the biggest dog show of the year in a blizzard. 

When we arrived at the show we pulled up to a crowded unloading area and unloaded the dogs into a pile of slush. 

The whole area was slush and there was no avoiding it. 

We walked the dogs about 25 feet into the doors and when I looked down at them the tears started flowing. 

Their undercarriages were a mess. 

Their legs were dripping. 

And then they both shook in unison and we were all covered in dirty slush. 

I swore.

I cried. 

I stomped. 

big dog wearing pants

It wasn’t a huge deal but it was.

We cleaned them up and went on with the show.

That’s life with a Newf. 

They’re clean until they’re not and most months out of the year they’re not. 

And if you’ve ever walked a Newf in the rain, slush or sludge, you know the mess that it is. 

Their big webbed paws pick up any moisture that they can and fling it onto their leg furnishings, their bellies, their chests and anything within a 10-foot radius.

Winter in Ohio is beautiful and winter in Ohio is gross.

The freshly fallen snow is a sight to see but the aftermath is something totally opposite of that. 

We have this thing called sludge. 

Sludge is snow mixed with mud mixed with ice mixed with dirt from the road. 

Sludge smells like a dirty road. 

It’s thicker than slush and messier. 

It’s what lines the sidewalks that I walk on and it’s my least favorite part of winter because it gets all over me and the dogs when we walk. 

It’s the reason Odin has dog pants now and I couldn’t be happier. 

Yes! Odin has pants!

I’ve been looking for these for years and when our Instagram friend beckhamandleothenewfs were strutting in them one day I had to order them!

What Are Pants For Dogs?

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Dog pants, also called Bodyguard or Protective All-Weather Dog Pants, is an article of dog clothing that covers all 4 legs of a dog, part of their chest and their undercarriage. 

newfoundland dog in snow wearing dog pants

They protect the legs and chest of dogs from rain, mud, slush, snowballs, and sludge. 

Some people even use dog pants to keep their dog from chewing and licking themselves due to skin infections, anxiety issues or wounds.

Some dog pants are more of a snowsuit and protect the topline of a dog also but I just wanted something to protect the undercarriage and legs. 

The dog pants that we purchased are from Amazon.

They are made of a thin, lightweight and waterproof material that is easy to wipe clean or throw in the washing machine. 

They have 3 straps that buckle across the top line of a dog and velcro straps at the bottom of the legs that are easy to adjust. 

They come in 4 sizes:  Small, medium, large, XL and XXL. 

The Fou Fou Dog Pants also come in 3 colors: Red, Grey, and Black. (black is currently sold out in the XXL size and only a few grey XXL’s are available)

landseer newfoundland wearing dog pants in the snow

Dogs can pee and poop easily in them. They don’t cover those areas.

I’ve had these pants for a few weeks and I was waiting for the perfect weather to test them out. 

Luckily this weekend we had that perfect weather with a mix of several inches of snow, followed by a trace of ice, followed by 6 hours of rain. 

This weather was perfect for testing out these dog pants on Odin so I thought that I would break down the pros and cons since I know that a lot of Newfie owners are going to be intrigued. 

But before I get to that I want to be clear that when Odin wore these pants it was raining and we were walking through a few inches of snow and puddles of slush and rain so that’s why he looks so wet in the pictures.

Pros Of Dog Pants:

They worked well for us and kept most of Odin dry throughout a very wet walk!

His chest, legs and most of his stomach were bone dry when we got home. 

They are lightweight and not lined so I wasn’t worried about Odin overheating. 

They are definitely big enough for most Newfs. I think these were almost too big for Odin because he’s a smaller Newf.

Odin is about 115 pounds. 

You could fit at least 2 Odin’s legs in one leg hole!

They fit over his harness. 

The pants have 3 straps with plastic buckles. 

1 strap towards the back, 1 in the middle and 1 a few inches behind the front legs.

newfoundland dog wearing bottom pants

The straps were plenty big enough for Odin’s body with plenty of fabric to spare.

The strap that went over his harness was a little tighter than the others but I still had about an inch of strap left so just keep that in mind if your Newf wears a harness. 

Odin didn’t seem bothered by the pants at all. He went about his business as usual. 

Cons of Dog Pants:

The pants are made in China and aren’t the best quality. I think they’ll hold up for more than a year with regular use though.

The pants should be easy to get on a dog that wants them to go on but an excited dog like Odin might take some practice.

This will go for impatient younger dogs too. 

I put the pants on Odin twice before we went for a walk to make sure that he could move in them but it was a definite struggle getting all 4 legs in.

3 legs would be in and then he would step out of them but eventually, we got all 4 legs in!

I had some trouble with the velcro on the back left leg at first. I thought I had them adjusted well but after a few minutes of walking, I noticed that Odin’s back leg was getting lost in the pants. 

I stopped and readjusted the velcro and we walked a bit more and the same thing happened. 

After the third adjustment, I’m thinking this was more user error than product error. 

Either that or it got really wet but it was fine for the rest of our walk. 

I think the XXL might be a little too big for Odin because the way that it is cut to go around the lower part of the stomach was almost too much and Odin’s fur did get wet there. 

close up of dog pants

Depending on the way that you look at it, another con would be drawing attention to your dog. 

If you thought that a Newf walking down the road without pants draws attention, wait until you walk a Newf that IS wearing pants. 

You’ll be at a whole other level of gawks, questions, and finger-pointing. 

All in all, I do think that these are well worth the money and will come in very handy during the next several months when the weather gets truly gross here in Ohio. 

These will protect Odin’s legs from the elements and the salt from the roads, I will use fewer towels and Odin will stay cleaner for longer. Winning!

As I said earlier in this post, I wasn’t looking for a full bodysuit for Odin but they do make those if that’s what you’re looking for:

Canada Pooch Dog Slush Suit

Hurtta Casual Quilted Overall Dog Coat

Muttluks Four Legged Reversible Snowsuit

Have any questions? Let me down below!

Dog pants can help protect your dog's coat and skin from rain, mud, slush and snow.

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Jenn K

Wednesday 12th of February 2020

I have a smaller newf also- 115 lb boy. Would an XL be better for me to order?

Jen

Thursday 13th of February 2020

Odin is about 120 pounds and these are a little big but I wouldn't go any smaller due to the straps on top. If you use a harness to walk it may be a tight fit with a smaller size. definitely measure your dog.

leesha h

Wednesday 22nd of January 2020

We have a pair coming for Ned that we ordered after seeing you and Beckham/Leo postingabout them! I cannot wait! I busted over laughing when you mentioned all the attention. I hadn't thought of that.?‍♀️ haha.

Jen

Wednesday 22nd of January 2020

I didn't think about it either until I saw the faces of the people driving by. Most of them were doing a double-take and one person slowed down and turned around to have another look. Hahaha

Jan K

Tuesday 21st of January 2020

I'd never seen these before, what a great idea! I'm not sure I'd have the patience to put them on Luke, just putting a coat and his harness on seems like enough work! But he's short-haired so it's not quite as vital, but man, that would have been great when we had our golden retrievers who were always getting "snowballed" on their legs and undercarriage!

Jen

Wednesday 22nd of January 2020

Yes! Besides the struggle to get them on a dog that is super excited to go for a walk they are so great! It will save a lot of towels and cut down on baths this winter for sure!

Ducky's Mom

Tuesday 21st of January 2020

Those pants are great! Somehow, though, I can't see myself having tried to put a set on Callie, Shadow, or Radar before going out in the snow storms we get around here.

Jen

Wednesday 22nd of January 2020

Getting them on an impatient dog is half the battle. Lol

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