Short-coated dogs tell you they are cold long before you feel it yourself: the shivering, the reluctance at the door, the tight hunched walk that turns a stroll into a route march. A double-faced fleece is a straightforward answer for the months between needing nothing and needing a proper coat, warm enough for a frosty garden trip without the weight of padding.

Double-faced means the pile runs on both sides of the fabric, and that is what does the insulating, because it traps a layer of still air against the body. A single-sided fleece of the same thickness will not hold heat nearly as well. It pulls on over the head with no clips or straps to fight over, sits along the back and chest, and stays where it is put as the dog moves. The lace ruffle at the shoulders and the small cherry badge are the decorative part.

• Double-faced fleece with pile on both sides
• Pull-on design with no fastenings
• Lace ruffle shoulders and a cherry badge
• Pastel yellow or green
• Sizes S to XL
• Suits small dogs and cats

On sizing and on limits. Measure back length from collar to tail base and chest girth behind the front legs, then use the chart, because a fleece cut too long bunches at the hips and rubs. This is an indoor and dry-weather layer rather than a raincoat. Fleece soaks up rain instead of shedding it, and a wet fleece will leave a dog colder than no fleece at all.

Who it's for: small dogs and cats who feel the cold indoors and on dry autumn walks.