Fall is coming. I told you earlier how I used to dread it but I changed my attitude and now I look forward to several things. One of the reasons I look forward to fall is that I get to pull out my favorite dog jackets for keeping Chester and Gretel dry and warm.
Two of my go-to fall dog jackets are the Torrent Raincoat and Summit Parka from Hurtta. Together, they offer the perfect range of rain protection and warmth to help us transition into the cold winter season.
I mainly use the Torrent Raincoat on days that are wet and rainy but only a little cool. The outside fabric is made of a highly-water-resistant and breathable laminate called Houndtex®. The inside is lined with a thin, fleecy nylon to add a little warmth.
Two great things about this jacket is that it has a panel that covers the chest and it drops down to cover their rear legs. It makes a nice warm cocoon around their body without impeding their movement at all. Chester is not a big fan of jackets but her hardly seems to notice he has this one on.
As we get further and further into fall, it gets colder and colder around here… and continues to be rainy. On the colder days, Chester and Gretel wear the Summit Parka. It’s also made of the waterproof Houndtex but has a thicker insulation on the inside than the Torrent coat. I wish I had slippers made of this stuff. It’s just so cozy to the touch.
On the very inside is a thin fleece but insulation has been stuffed in between the inner and outer layers. The back end of this jacket is a little different than the Torrent coat in that the top of it is designed to only be as long as your dog’s back (whereas the Torrent coat has a portion that covers their bum). The length of the jacket can be adjusted a bit with the small bungee cord embedded in the rear of the jacket.
Torrent Raincoat (top) and the Summit Parka (bottom)
Both jackets have:
- A Houndtex outer laminate that is highly water-resistant (I would argue waterproof), breathable, and soft/flexible to the touch
- An adjustable waist belt
- A high protective collar that can be adjusted with the small bungee at the base of the neck
- A long rear hem protect your dog’s most important muscle groups (extends down the rear legs) and little elastic bands that go around the leg to help hold them in place
- A panel to cover the chest
- High-quality 3M reflectors improve your dog’s safety at night or during the dreary fall days
- Harness holes just behind the shoulder blades
Hurtta has a wide range of sizes that allow a good fit for most dogs. If you own a Dachshund, you know how challenging it is to find an “outdoor performance” coat that actually covers their back and doesn’t trip them up. Gretel wears a size 12 in these jackets. Chester is in between sizes but I usually get the 14 and tighten the waist belt, and elastic cord at the neck, all the way down for a custom fit.
I can even throw these jackets on random mini Dachshunds that we watch and get them to fit by making a few small adjustments.
The middle Dachshund is our friend Laalaa wearing the Summit Parka. Chester and Gretel are in the Ultimate Warmer, also by Hurtta.
I think the Summit Parka makes Gretel look bad ass. Ok… maybe she IS bad ass. Ha, ha. I mean she managed to climb a super steep mile and a half trail (that was after the 3 easy miles) only 4 months after being sidelined with a back injury and being diagnosed with Intervertebral Disk Disease!
Did I also mention the jackets are cool because they were designed for active dogs in Finland? Like, literally, there were designed in Finland and tested by dogs in Finland. No? Not in this post? Well I did in my other post where I said I am throwing out most of our other jackets and switching to Hurtta (well, we are a family of gear geeks so we WILL still be giving other jacket a try but I donated a lot of what we had that didn’t work well).
If you are looking for a new fall or winter jacket for your pup, I definitely suggest you check out what Hurtta has to offer. I especially recommend them if you consider that you have a “hard to fit” dog when it comes to jackets and outdoor gear.
Note: We are unofficial Hurtta ambassadors and I received jackets for Chester and Gretel in exchange for spending my valuable time telling you about them. I don’t accept stuff “in exchange for a review” unless I am sure I already like it because I won’t try to make something seem better than it is out of obligation. Thanks for trusting me on that.
Robin Whiskers says
September 9, 2016 at 4:09 PMThese look awesome!
Leigh says
September 21, 2016 at 5:24 PMThose jackets on Chester and Gretel looked really great on them too. Our pets should not only be comfortable, they should look equally good on it too.
Michael Verdirame says
December 16, 2016 at 6:37 AMDo your doxies prefer the ultimate/extreme warmer or the summit parka? It is hard to tell the difference online. Which is warmer for the NYC winters? Thanks!
Jessica Rhae says
December 16, 2016 at 7:01 AMHi Michael. We like all of our jackets. I prefer the Extreme Warmer when going out in snow. I like the Ultimate Warmer for around town on colder days or cold hikes. I use the Summit for the same purpose. However, out of the three, I like the Summit Parka least. It works fine for Chester and Gretel but I have “loaned” it to other Dachshunds I’m dog sitting. It doesn’t fit quite the same way as the other two jackets and, on a few occasions, the part of the jacket by the chest sagged, their feet got caught up, and they tripped. That’s happened very rarely in my experience but I just wanted to let you know about that possibility. It seemed to me that it occured when the jacket was on the big side for the dog so if the jacket was a snug fit for your dog (close to the measurements listed on the size chart), I doubt it would be a problem. To specifically answer your question, the Ultimate Warmer is warmer than the Summit because it has a higher neck and side flaps that extend down the legs. The Extreme Warmer is the warmest because it has even more side and leg coverage, a snood (longer neck warmer that can cover the ears), and a a silvery pattern on the inside designed to reflect your dog’s body heat back to them. I hope that helps.
Kasie says
September 10, 2017 at 7:50 AMHi,
I know this was posted a year ago, but I am looking for a coat for my new mini longhair wiener and love your blog. Been looking at the Hurtta coats, then found this post. I’m in Monterey, so it doesn’t often get freezing, but “winter” is definitely chilly and misty, and the nearby mountains are obviously colder. And my family is on the east coast, and the pup will come with me for holidays, etc. I’m leaning toward the Ultimate Warmer, but the only negatives I’ve heard about it is that the back flaps get in the way for potty breaks, even if they are snapped up, and that the elastic is flimsy. Have you run into any issue with the flaps, or do you like them? Thanks!!
Jessica Rhae says
September 10, 2017 at 4:22 PMHi Kasie. My blog is active and continually updated so the age of the blog post doesn’t matter in most cases.
The back flaps on an Ultimate Warmer are only an issue if you snap them and they attach the elastic bands around their legs. I just remove the jacket from that area when I see they are getting ready to do their #2 dooty and I’ve never had an issue. As for the elastic being “flimsy”, I would not describe it that way. It’s think so it can be very flexible and comfortable for your dog and not cause any chafing for your dog. it’s certainly not a negative thing for me. I don’t always use it anyway. It’s my favorite Hurtta jacket but it is very warm so we only use it for snow adventures or when it’s below 40. For milder temperatures, I use the Teckelklub Fuzzie with the Hurtta Torrent over it if it’s raining. Hurtta also has a new quilted jacket I want to try.