A sweater for Max

Since I introduced you to our toy poodle, I figured I'd share a sweater that I knit for him before he arrived. But before I do that, I realize that some people think sweaters on dogs are cruel and just for the owner's amusement. Not so. When you have a 6-1/2-pound dog whose hair needs to be kept somewhat short so that it doesn't mat, a sweater is a necessity in the winter. It would be cruel not to bundle him up for walks.

Of course, some dog sweaters are ridiculously cute - like this one. I combined two patterns to make this dog sweater, and they're both free on Ravelry. The main sweater is the Hoodie Dog Coat pattern. I made it in the small size and it's a little bit loose on him. Then I added the heart and bone design from The Boyfriend Dog Sweater. I added it in duplicate stitch afterward instead of knitting it in as I went.

Here's a better view of the back of it (and the heart and bone design).

This is the view from the bottom of the sweater. It has "sleeves" to keep his front legs warm, too.

I have a few more dog sweaters to share whenever I can get pictures of him in them. (They're cuter when he's wearing them!)