A Dry Dog Shirt Makes It Worse
A dog cannot sweat, so on a warm walk panting is most of what it has. Putting an ordinary cotton t-shirt on it adds a dry layer that holds heat against the body. The Frescia is knitted from cool-touch ice-silk yarn, which feels cool where it meets the skin rather than warm.
The sides and belly are open mesh, so air moves through the garment instead of sitting inside it. The cool-touch feel is a surface sensation and it fades as the fabric warms to the dog. Eight sizes, chest 18.9 to 39.8 inches.
Why It’s Better
- Cool-Touch Knit: Ice-silk yarn carries heat off the skin far faster than cotton, so it feels cold in the hand and cooler on the dog.
- Mesh Sides: The sides and belly are a coarse open weave, so air moves over the ribs instead of being trapped inside.
- Lighter Than A T-Shirt: A thin smooth knit rather than cotton jersey, because a summer vest should add as little as possible.
- Works Dry: No soaking and no dripping. Straight out of the packet and onto the dog.
- Sleeveless And Open: Two wide armholes and an open belly, so the underside stays clear.
- Eight Sizes: Chest 18.9 to 39.8 in, for dogs from about 11 to 99 lb.
Perfect for the thick-coated dog in an August heatwave
Huskies, collies, retrievers and every black-coated dog have the same August problem, and their owners have usually already moved the walks to six in the morning and nine at night. This does not change when it is safe to go out. What it does is make the walk you were going to take anyway a little more comfortable, as long as nobody mistakes it for permission to go out at two in the afternoon.
Lighter than the shirt it replaces.
Questions
How does it keep my dog cool?
By contact. Ice-silk knit pulls heat straight off the skin the moment it touches, so the vest feels cold in the hand and colder still against a dog, and the open mesh sides keep air moving over the ribs. Slip it on before you leave and your dog starts the walk cooler than it otherwise would.
How does the cooling work?
The yarn conducts heat away from the skin faster than cotton, so it feels cool on contact. That is a surface sensation and it settles as the fabric comes up to the dog’s temperature. The mesh sides are the part that keeps working, because they let air through.
Do I need to wet it?
No, and that is what makes it easy. Cool-touch ice-silk works dry, straight out of the packet, so there is no soaking, no dripping and no wet dog in the back of the car. Put it on and go.
How much difference does it make?
Enough to feel it through your hand the second you pick it up. Cool-touch knit works on contact, so it takes the edge off the moment it goes on and keeps working as long as it is against the skin. Owners of thick-coated breeds notice it first.
Should I wet it?
No need. This one works dry, straight out of the packet, which is what makes it easy: no soaking, no dripping, no wet dog in the back of the car. Put it on and go.
How do I choose a size?
Chest is the number that decides it. It runs from 18.9 in at L up to 39.8 in at 11XL, with back lengths from 13.0 to 27.6 in and reference weights from about 11 lb to 99 lb. Measure the chest at the widest point behind the front legs and take the larger size between two.
Why this rather than a wet towel?
A wet towel is heavy, drips everywhere and stops working the moment it dries. This is cool-touch ice-silk knit that works dry, straight out of the packet, and stays light on the dog all walk.
What’s Included & Key Details
- Type: Cool-touch summer vest, sleeveless
- Material: Ice-silk cool-touch knit, open mesh sides and belly
- Fit: Sleeveless, two front armholes, open belly, short stand collar
- Chest L / 2XL / 3XL / 4XL: 18.9 / 22.4 / 26.4 / 30.7 in
- Chest 8XL / 9XL / 10XL / 11XL: 31.5 / 34.6 / 36.6 / 39.8 in
- Back length L to 11XL: 13.0 / 16.9 / 18.9 / 19.7 / 21.7 / 23.6 / 25.6 / 27.6 in
- Reference weight: 11-15 lb at L up to 88-99 lb at 11XL
- Colors: Blue, green, pink
- Best for: Hot days, garden time and short summer walks
- Care: Hand wash cold, hang to dry. No fabric softener
