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Choosing the right waterproof dog coat isn’t just about keeping the rain off. From waterproof fabrics and chest coverage to fit, warmth, harness access and fastening styles, discover what to look for when choosing the best coat for your dog.
How to Choose a Waterproof Dog Coat
A good waterproof dog coat should do more than simply cover your dog’s back. The right coat should help keep your dog dry and comfortable, allow them to move freely and provide useful protection from rain, wet grass, mud and spray.
Dogs also come in an enormous variety of shapes and sizes, so there isn’t one style of waterproof coat that will suit every dog.
At Glenndarcy McTog, we’ve designed our waterproof dog coats around different dogs, body shapes and ways of getting dressed. Here are the main things worth considering when choosing yours.
1. Waterproof or water-resistant?
This is one of the most important distinctions when choosing a dog coat.
Water-resistant fabrics may cope with light rain or a short shower, but they can eventually absorb water during prolonged wet conditions.
A waterproof dog coat uses a waterproof fabric or membrane designed to prevent water passing through the material.
This is particularly important with fleece. Ordinary Polar Fleece can feel warm and cosy, but fleece itself isn’t necessarily waterproof.
Our Pour Off® waterproof microfleece combines soft microfleece with a waterproof PUL/TPU laminate, giving dogs the comfort and flexibility of microfleece with genuine wet-weather protection.
This makes it particularly useful for British weather, where a perfectly respectable walk can turn into an aquatic expedition with very little warning.
2. Look at the coverage, not just the dog’s back
Many traditional dog coats concentrate primarily on covering the back.
For smaller dogs and dogs with lower ground clearance, however, much of the water and mud comes from underneath.
Wet grass, puddles and spray can soak the chest and tummy even when very little rain is actually falling.
That’s why McTogs are designed to provide generous chest and tummy coverage, while still allowing the dog freedom to run, walk and play.
When comparing waterproof dog coats, look at photographs of the underside of the coat, not just the attractive view from above.
3. Think about how your dog likes to get dressed
This is something that’s surprisingly easy to overlook.
Some dogs couldn’t care less how their coat goes on. Others have very definite opinions!
A pullover waterproof dog jumper is simple and streamlined. It goes over the dog’s head and has no row of back fastenings. It’s a great option for dogs that are comfortable having clothing pulled over their head.
Our Pullover Waterproof Dog Jumpers are made from lightweight Pour Off® waterproof microfleece and provide excellent chest and tummy coverage.
For dogs that don’t like clothing being pulled over their head, a Step-In Full Poppers design can be much easier. The coat opens along the back so the dog can step into it before the poppers are fastened.
Our Full Poppers Step-In Waterproof Dog Coats are particularly useful for dogs that prefer easier dressing.
We’ve also introduced our High Neck Waterproof Dog Coats, where the waterproof Pour Off® microfleece continues up the extended neck and the poppers open along both the back and neck for additional wet-weather coverage.
4. Consider your dog’s harness
If your dog normally walks in a harness, check how the harness and coat will work together before buying.
Depending on the coat design and harness, you may want to wear the harness over the coat or underneath it.
Our popper-back McTog styles offer flexible harness access because the lead can be connected through a suitable gap between the back poppers rather than relying on one fixed-position harness opening.
Our RainHug design takes a different approach, with a covered popper-fastened harness access opening for dogs wearing their harness underneath.
The important thing is to consider where your dog’s particular harness connection sits. There is no universal harness position that suits every dog and every harness.
5. Choose the right amount of warmth
Waterproof doesn’t automatically mean warm, and the warmest coat isn’t necessarily the best choice for every dog.
For active dogs, a lightweight waterproof layer may be preferable because it provides protection from wet weather without unnecessary bulk.
Our standard Pour Off® waterproof microfleece McTogs are designed with this in mind.
For colder conditions or dogs that benefit from additional warmth, our Double Layer Waterproof Microfleece Dog Coats use two layers of soft microfleece with the waterproof membrane between them.
We also make Polar Fleece Dog Jumpers. These use a warmer Polar Fleece upper with a waterproof chest and tummy section. It’s important to understand the distinction: the Polar Fleece upper is warm and water-resistant rather than fully waterproof.
6. Don’t assume every dog of the same breed needs the same size
Two dogs of the same breed and weight can have surprisingly different proportions.
One may be longer in the back, another broader through the chest, and another considerably finer.
That’s why it’s better to measure your dog than choose a coat purely according to breed or weight.
McTogs are available in 18 sizes, including Slim and Deep fits, allowing us to accommodate a much wider variety of body shapes than a simple small/medium/large sizing system.
If your dog’s measurements fall between two McTog sizes, we generally recommend choosing the larger size.
7. Consider your dog’s age and mobility
The fastening style can become particularly important for older dogs or dogs with reduced mobility.
A coat that requires legs to be lifted or manipulated may be perfectly suitable for a young, flexible dog but less comfortable for another.
Our Full Poppers Step-In styles completely open along the back, while our High Neck Full Poppers design opens along the neck as well. This can make dressing considerably easier for dogs that don’t enjoy having clothing pulled over their head.
8. Think about where your dog actually walks
The ideal coat for a short pavement walk isn’t necessarily the same one you’d choose for a dog charging through wet Scottish hills.
For muddy countryside walks and wet grass, chest and tummy coverage can be particularly valuable.
For darker winter walks, reflective details may be useful. Our new RainHug, for example, includes reflective piping as well as extended rear coverage.
For dogs that regularly swim or come home soaked, you might also want a dedicated Dog Drying Coat for afterwards rather than expecting one coat to perform two completely different jobs.
So, which waterproof dog coat should you choose?
There isn’t one perfect style for every dog.
Choose according to your dog’s shape, activity level, tolerance for getting dressed, harness position and the conditions you normally walk in.
If you want the simplest lightweight option, consider a Pullover McTog.
If your dog prefers not to have a coat pulled over their head, look at Full Poppers Step-In.
If you’d like additional waterproof neck coverage with the same easy-opening design, consider High Neck Full Poppers.
For additional warmth, look at Double Layer Waterproof Microfleece.
And for a wraparound design with generous coverage, reflective piping and covered harness access, take a look at RainHug.
You can browse all the different styles together in our Waterproof Dog Coats & McTogs collection.
A final thought
A waterproof dog coat doesn’t need to be bulky or restrictive.
The aim is simple: keep the areas that get wet protected while allowing your dog to move comfortably and enjoy being a dog.
After all, they don’t care whether their coat has impressive technical terminology. They care whether they can still run through the mud.