Shiba Inu rain jacket and coat sizes

Two facts decide what a Shiba should wear. The coat is a dense double layer built for Japanese mountain winters, so the dog does not need warmth from us. And the dog does not want to be dressed, will say so, and will remember. So the only piece worth the argument is a rain shell that goes on fast, without anything passing the head, and comes off faster.

The numbers

AKC standard: 13.5 to 16.5 in at the shoulder, 17 to 23 lb. Chest 20 to 24 in on DogChart; The Foggy Dog puts Shibas in its 18 to 29 in medium harness and 14 to 19 in collar sizes. Back 14 to 16 in (DogChart). A Shiba in full winter coat tapes 2 in bigger around than the same dog after the spring blow-out, and that matters for which size you order and when.

Measured-dog charts, not a standard; the charts disagree with one another by an inch or so, and the coat moves the number more than that.

Sizes from our charts

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.

In winter coat a typical Shiba (21 in chest, 15 in neck) is a jacket L and a vest M. After the coat blows, the same dog at 19 in is a jacket M and a vest S. Order for the season the piece will be worn in, which for a rain jacket is probably both; L, with the chest zip, closes on the smaller measurement too.

Why not a sweater

A Shiba's undercoat insulates better than anything we knit. A sweater on a healthy adult Shiba is an overheated dog and, given the breed, an offended one. The Heritage Turtleneck is in the table because it fits; buy it only for an old Shiba, or a shaved one after surgery, and expect the "Shiba scream" when it goes over the head. The Fireside Cable-Knit and the trench are for smaller dogs and are not Shiba sizes.

What the double coat is bad at

It holds water. The outer guard hairs shed a shower, and then the undercoat takes on rain like a towel and stays damp for hours, which is unpleasant for the dog and worse for the house. The All-Weather Jacket keeps the back and sides dry; it opens flat, the dog steps in, the zip runs up the chest. Nothing goes over the head, which with this breed is the whole point. The lining makes it warm, more than a Shiba needs on a mild wet day; the Quilted Vest is the lighter option for drizzle, fastening with a belly strap and a collar toggle, and its range per size (M is 20 to 27 in) swallows the winter-to-summer change in one piece.

The back of the jacket is cut short for the chest size; on a Shiba the hem sits a few inches ahead of the curled tail, which is where it should sit. A hem under that tail would be chewed.

The leash

The jacket's harness is built in and the leash clips to the chest. For a Shiba that walks well it is one less thing to put on. For one that bolts at a cat, use the usual harness underneath and clip to that, as the product page says; a Shiba can back out of almost anything, and a jacket is not an escape-proof harness.

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 it if the dog wins (Shipping & Returns). Measuring a Shiba: the guide is short; do it with treats, in two sessions, and measure over the coat as it lies.

Questions

Jacket M or L for a 20 lb Shiba?

Chest, in the coat the dog has now. Under 18.9 in, M; over, L. Most adults in winter coat are L.

Will my Shiba tolerate the jacket?

A chest zip and no head opening is the best chance. Ten seconds on, a treat, off, for a few days before the first wet walk.

Does it fit over the full winter coat?

Yes if sized for it. The coat compresses a little under the shell and springs back; brush after.