Thin-coated dogs lose heat fastest from the belly and the inside of the legs, and that is precisely what an ordinary tabard-style coat leaves bare. This one has legs. Double padding runs through the body, so for a whippet stood in a frozen field at seven in the morning it is a different order of garment from a fleece thrown over the back and fastened under the chest with a strip of hook and loop.

Arctic velvet is a dense brushed polyester with a deep, short pile, chosen here because it traps air against the skin without adding the bulk that stops a dog moving naturally. The reindeer design is the one most people come for, though the same coat is made with a mouse motif, and the range runs across six sizes with chest, back and neck figures published for each of them.

• S: chest 26-30cm, back 20cm, neck 24cm
• M: chest 30-34cm, back 24cm, neck 28cm
• L: chest 34-38cm, back 29cm, neck 32cm
• XL: chest 38-42cm, back 33cm, neck 36cm
• XXL: chest 42-46cm, back 38cm, neck 40cm
• XXXL: chest 46-52cm, back 43cm, neck 44cm
• Arctic velvet, double padded, four-leg cut

The sizing runs small and the chart has a gap. The manufacturer states its sizes come up one to two smaller than UK sizing and says to take the larger option if you fall between two, which is sound advice for a four-leg cut. Allow two to three centimetres either way for hand measurement.

Who it's for: whippets, Italian greyhounds, lurchers, French bulldogs and any short-coated dog who shivers on the doorstep before the walk has even started.