Putting on the dog, Moscow style

February 4, 1998
Web posted at: 4:42 a.m. EST (0942 GMT)

MOSCOW (CNN) -- Harsh Russian winters demand the proper cold-weather gear -- even for Muscovites that have fur coats of their own.

Poodles, pugs, bulldogs, and other dogs whose roots are in warmer climates have trouble in temperatures that can reach more than 20 degrees below zero (-30C).

So dog owners in the Russian capital take a walk to the workshop of dressmaker Tatyana Makarova, whose business, thank goodness, didn't go to the dogs when she decided she could do better sewing for pets than for humans.

It was a howling success.

"I receive a lot of calls during the winter," Makarova says. "When the cold hits hard, people ask me to make the dresses for their dogs as fast as I can."

"They say their dogs are fainting on the streets and cannot do their business," she says. "Some poodles walk home on their forefeet because when they try to do their business they get their hindfeet frostbitten."

Makarova offers a full line of canine couture, from 1,000 rubles ($180) for a black and red leather number to a simple jacket that can be had for a mere 150 rubles ($25). Accessories are also available -- some owners order shoes to protect their pets' paws.

No off-the-rack designs for these bowsers, either; the dresses are tailored to the customer. Makarova says that small dogs prefer soft, delicate fabric while big ones do not really care about the fabric but do not like the dress to hinder their movements.

There are dresses for all occasions, from rugged outdoor gear that protects against burrs and ticks to more formal frocks for evening. There's even camouflage for clandestine operations, and a jacket with a built-in handle for portable pooches.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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