Aspen Parka (5 biscuits)

Our take: Lined with fleece and stuffed with genuine down, this is probably the warmest covering you could hope to find for a small dog. Though it has no sleeves, it boasts a snazzy removable hood.

It snaps all the way down the belly, making it fairly easy to get off and on, although most boy dogs will do their business better if you leave the snaps around his nether parts free. The blaze orange coloring is a little off-putting, though I suppose there's a case to be made for being able to easily spot your dog in a crowd.

Be prepared for the extra attention the Aspen Parka brings. Half the workers in our vet clinic rushed to check it out when I brought Clint in to be examined. I could do without the fake fur on the edge of the hood and the dry cleaning bills, but there's nothing else like it.

The dogs weigh in: Clint, my nine-pound Poodle, looked like Nanook of the North when he wore it, but it kept him warm in frigid temperatures. His neck stayed warm and dry, too, even when it was snowing. One problem: When he turned his head the hood blocked his view. Of course there's a simple solution, namely removing the hood.

I recently passed the parka on to a Mini Pin. Thin, nearly hairless Betty is a heat-seeking missile and will happily sport the parka in cool temperatures, not just frigid. Actually, she needs the extra layer so much she's comfortable wearing it inside.

Cost: high

--Phyllis DeGioia

Dog clothes for bad weather
Aspen Parka
Fido Fleece Coat
Companion Road Dog Sweaters
Jean Jacket
Lands End Pet Squall Jacket
Companion Road Rubber Duckie Raincoat for Dogs
Outward Hound Foul Weather Gear
Casual Canine Hooded Storm Jackets with Visors

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