Care and wear

Machine wash your Hound-Tee cold on a gentle cycle, then hang it on the line to dry. Use a gentle detergent, and a wash bag is optional. You'll find cold wash and line dry on the tag as well.

A few things to skip:

• hot water, which shortens a tee's life
• soaking or bleach
• the tumble dryer, because heat breaks down the stretch fibre
• the iron

Wash it weekly or as needed, and always wash it before you pack it away.

If a hole turns up, it can usually be mended, and our repairs answer explains how. The full care instructions also live on their own page.

Head first, then legs: slip the tee over your hound's head, centre it along their back, and lift each front leg at the ankle to feed it through its armhole.

For long sleeves, cover the claws with your hand as you guide each paw down the sleeve, so nothing catches. For Long Johns, do the front first, then slide the garment to one side, lift a back leg just enough to step it into the leg hole, repeat on the other side and line it up around the tail.

To take off a sleeveless or long sleeve tee, use the Reverse Banana Peel (a very technical term): gather the garment up under the front legs, pull the tail end of the tee up over their head towards the floor, and step your hound out.

Our blog post on getting your hound in and out walks through it step by step, with videos. If your hound really won't have their legs lifted, the snap-up cardigan alteration does up at the side instead.

Pop a tee on your hound once it's 15°C (60°F) or below. A good rule of snoot: if you're reaching for a long sleeve or a jumper, your hound probably wants one too.

In the evenings, go a layer warmer, because body temperature drops while they sleep. Long Johns, long sleeve splice tees and Snuggle Sweaters all work well overnight, and the last two suit hounds who don't like the feel of back legs.

For serious cold, layer a fleecy sweater over a tee or over Long Johns, which is what the roomier sweater cut is for.

A light sleeveless tee earns its keep on milder days too, as a layer against the sun or to keep a dirt-roller clean (wash the tee, not your dog). Our clothing guide has more tips, plus a video from Auntee Jen on dressing your hound.

Check their ears first: if they're cold to the touch, your hound is feeling the cold. Other signs to watch for:

• sleeping curled up tight in a donut, or with their snoot tucked under a paw
• cold paw pads
• shivering
• holding a paw up off cold ground, or not wanting to walk on it

Sighthounds have thin skin and very little body fat, so they feel the cold more than most dogs. At 15°C (60°F) or below it's time to pop a tee on them, and if you'd want a jumper yourself, they probably do too.

It works the other way too, so if your hound warms up after a run or once they're inside, take a layer off. Our blog has more on telling if your sighthound is cold and keeping them warm.

Ease them in one garment at a time. Start with a Classic Sleeveless Tee, move up to a Long Sleeve Tee once they're comfortable, and then see whether they'll entertain Long Johns.

Your new hound may never have worn a coat, so clothes can be a whole new idea. Before you dress them for the first time, gently play with their paws so they get used to having their legs handled, because you'll need to lift their front legs. Treatos, scritches and lots of praise help.

Every hound is different: some bound around the house in their first tee, and others do a statue freeze. Not every hound likes back legs either, and a long sleeve tee or a Snuggle Sweater keeps those hounds warm without them.

Our step-by-step dressing guide covers getting legs in and out, and the clothing guide has a video from Auntee Jen.