Comfort evaluation of dog apparel using 3D virtual fitting with clothing pressure across body size movement and fabric

This study qualitatively and quantitatively examined simulated clothing pressure in companion dogs as a function of body size, movement, and fabric type using the CLO 3D virtual fitting system. A vest-type garment was simulated for three dog body sizes (small, medium, and large), three movement types (sitting, walking, and running), and three fabric types (cotton, mesh, and padding). Clothing pressure was assessed at four body regions (neck, chest, back, and abdomen). Across the simulated conditions, clothing pressure generally increased in the order padding > mesh > cotton. Larger body sizes and more dynamic movements, particularly running, were associated with higher pressure, whereas sitting generally resulted in lower pressure. The chest and abdomen consistently showed relatively high-pressure areas within the simulation outputs, suggesting that these regions may warrant particular attention in future comfort-validation studies. While pressure maps enabled visual inspection of pressure distribution, discrepancies observed under certain conditions suggested that quantitative evaluation is necessary to support interpretation. Without conducting live-dog wear trials, this study demonstrates the feasibility of virtual clothing pressure assessment within the CLO 3D environment and highlights directions for improving pet-apparel simulations, including dog-specific avatars and motion presets, enhanced pressure-map visualization (e.g., zooming), real-time display of pressure values, and optional settings to account for fur–garment contact. Overall, the findings provide a simulation-based basis for comparative evaluation of pet apparel pressure and for informing future validation studies.