Fair enough, not everyone loves the rain, but we had to insist that he go outside a few times even during rainy days to do his business.  We became familiar with specialist dachshund techniques like shadowing walls, sheltering under hedges, awnings, and tables, or simply going so far and refusing to go further.  A quick Google revealed that this was typical dachshund behaviour. 

Our attempts to get our dachshund outside in the rain 

During those first few months together we mobilised handfuls of tasty treats to lure him outside and then along the street, went out with umbrellas (not easy to use with a dog on a lead), fished out hats from cupboards, and bought two spotty rain ponchos from IKEA.  We discussed whether we should build a covered walkway outside the kitchen door, or some kind of shelter for him, but concluded that was a step too far.

Maybe a dog coat will help?

Maybe sausage dogs just don’t like being wet, we thought.  We’ll just order a couple of dog coats online.  We had no idea how difficult this would be.  

Our specification for a dog coat for our dachshund was simple: great fit (obviously), quick and easy to wash and dry, waterproof or water-resistant, and the kind of bright simple pure colours, modern styling, and technical fabrics that we like for our own sportswear.  

We ordered a number of lovely dog coats online, from some great pet suppliers and designers in the USA and Europe, but none of these off-the-shelf dog coats were suitable for the unique proportions of dachshunds. If they fitted over the big doxie chest these dog coats were usually too short along the back, and too long over the legs.

Providing our own solution: Barkmatic for custom fit dog coats for dachshunds

In the end we decided to join the club of other dog owners who end up designing, producing, and marketing dog products to meet their specific needs and tastes.  That’s how Barkmatic was born, early in 2017.  Our mission is to design coats and specify fabrics and trims with just three functions in mind - to keep your dachshund warm, dry, and visible, whether they are a mini, a standard, or something in between.  

We’ve started online with just one custom fit coat style, in a lighter weight and an insulated version, each in five colours.  We want to ensure that it’s easy for our customers to take four simple measurements needed to custom fit this simple dog coat style.  Other styles are in development, including a more covering dog coat design to keep the low-slung dachshund undercarriage as dry and clean as possible. 

We’ve had a lot of fun so far.  We look forward to helping you keep your dachshund warm and dry.  Here’s to sharing adventures outside together with our dachshunds!