Border collie rain jacket sizes

A border collie was bred to work sheep in the rain and does not, in any ordinary sense, need a coat. Its rough or smooth double coat sheds weather and insulates, and the dog generates its own heat by never standing still. The reasons an owner still buys a shell are practical: a soaked undercoat takes the afternoon to dry, a wet collie in a car is a wet car, and a black-and-white dog on a dark lane at dusk is hard for drivers to see. The piece that answers all three is the lightest one we make.

Numbers

AKC standard: 18 to 22 in at the shoulder, 30 to 55 lb. Breed charts: chest 18 in (Doggie Style Store, which is not an adult border collie), 75 to 85 cm, 29.5 to 33.5 in (TARIGS, over a full rough coat), in the "up to 28 in" size at The Foggy Dog; neck 14 to 18 in (Doggie Style Store); back 48 to 52 cm, 19 to 20.5 in (TARIGS). Between them most adults tape 24 to 30 in around the chest over the coat, with a smooth-coated working dog at the bottom and a rough-coated show type at the top. Coat makers' charts of measured dogs; the coat type moves the number 2 in.

Our sizes

Worked out from the size charts on the product pages for the measurement range above. Your dog's own tape measurement is what decides it.

Vest L (24 to 31 in) on most, M on a slight smooth-coated female at 24 or under. Jacket XL (26.8) on most, L on a small smooth, 2XL on a big rough-coated male. The knits stop at 24.4 in and fit only the smallest; a border collie does not want one anyway.

Light, loose, and off when it runs

The Quilted Vest is the border collie piece: padded but unlined, sheds drizzle and showers, blocks wind on an exposed walk, and has reflective trim, which on this breed's colouring at dusk is the feature that matters most. A wide belly strap and a collar toggle mean nothing goes over the head and one size holds the coat change between seasons. For a dog that runs flat out after a ball, take it off first; a working collie generates more heat than any shell lets out.

The All-Weather Jacket is lined; on a border collie it is a sleet coat for a slow walk, not an everyday piece, and a dog in full coat under it on a mild day will pant. It zips up the chest and clips the leash to the harness built into the chest. A collie that walks at heel is fine on it; one that stalks every passing cyclist is a strong puller for the length of the lunge, and the product page's advice applies: regular harness under the jacket.

Over the coat

Rough or smooth, the top coat flattens under a shell for a walk and springs back; brush after a wet one. The hem sits ahead of the tail, so the feathered trousers and the plume come home wet, and a border collie's plume holds half a stream.

Shipping and returns

Free US shipping; ships in 1 to 2 business days and usually arrives 4 to 9 business days after that; 60 days to return a size (Shipping & Returns). The measuring guide is short; on a border collie, measure over the coat at the widest point of the ribcage, and expect a smooth coat to read 2 in under a rough one.

Questions

40 lb border collie: vest M or L?

Chest over the coat. Up to 27 in, M fits; at 24 to 31, L. Most rough-coated adults are L.

Does a border collie need the lined jacket?

Rarely. Sleet on a slow walk, or an old dog. The vest does the rest.

Will the dog work in it?

A shell on a dog running sheep or chasing a ball is a dog overheating. Walks, yes; work and play, off.