Episode 19 - Dog Coats for Puppies: How to Make a Grow-With-Me Dog Coat
Episode Air Date: September 26, 2025
Runtime: 16:34
✨ Episode Summary
Puppies grow fast — sometimes faster than their coats! And that’s a challenge many dog owners face. How do you make a coat that actually lasts through those rapid growth spurts?
In this episode, I answer a question I get asked all the time: Can you make a dog coat that grows with your puppy?
From my years of sewing custom coats for customers, I’ve seen both the frustrations and the creative solutions — and I’m sharing the most practical ones here.
We’ll talk about how puppies outgrow coats in every direction (neck, chest, back length, and side coverage), plus real, workable adjustments to these areas to extend the life of your pup’s coat.
This isn’t about creating a magical forever coat — but it is about making coats smarter, longer-lasting, and more sustainable.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- Why puppies grow out of coats so quickly
- Planning ahead by checking your breed’s expected adult size (and using my Dog Size Chart)
- Adjustments for neck and chest circumference: Velcro, elastic casings, and drawstrings with toggles
- Fixes for back length: fold-back panels, drawstring channels, and modular add-ons
- Ways to manage coat length (side coverage): drawstring hems and deep hems you can let down later
- Which dogs benefit most from a grow-with-me coat — and when to simply start fresh
- Sustainability tips: extending a coat’s life, then gifting or donating when it’s outgrown
🕒 Episode Highlights
Here are a few key moments from this episode:
00:00: Intro + why this question comes up so often
02:00: The challenge of puppy growth (neck, chest, back, and coat length)
04:30: Why starting with a larger size works best (bridge coat strategy)
07:10: Practical adjustments for circumference: Velcro, elastic, drawstrings
11:20: Tackling back length growth: fold-back panels + add-ons
14:40: Adjusting coat length (side coverage) with hems and drawstrings
17:00: Realistic expectations + sustainability takeaways
19:30: Wrap-up + Q&A invite
📥 Ready to Take the Next Step?
Want to try these ideas for yourself? Start with my free Cozy Coat Pattern Package — it’s the simple, adaptable base pattern I use in this episode’s examples. It includes a printable pattern, video tutorials, a step-by-step guide, and a measuring workbook to help you get the fit right the first time.
Resource Links Mentioned
Free Pattern: Download the Cozy Coat Pattern Package
Dog Size Chart: Get the full chart with breed examples
Email me your questions: jill@thankdogwemadeit.com
YouTube Live: Watch it live instead of listening
💬 Got Questions or Feedback?
If something in today’s episode resonated with you—or brought up a question you’ve been wondering—I’d love to hear from you.
DM me anytime over on Instagram @thankdogwemadeit, or come join the conversation inside the Creative Circle. This is exactly the kind of stuff we talk about together.
You can also comment, rate, or follow the podcast here:
🎧 Listen on Spotify
🍎Listen on Apple Podcasts
You don’t have to do this alone—and you’re definitely not the only one feeling it.
