People often prefer to wear new clothes during the Spring Festival period and it can be the same for dogs.

At many petshops, petkeepers are busy buying new winter clothes for their dogs. Increasingly, petkeepers want their dogs to be warm and comfortable for the new year.

For example, Ms Wei bought several items for her pet dog, including a pair of shoes and some snacks on Jan 25 at a pet store in Harbin, spending more than 100 yuan ($14.5).

"It turned cold recently and people started to wear winter clothes," Wei said.

"I feel it is necessary to buy clothes and shoes for my dog to keep him warm," she added.

Wei believes that as she is the dog’s keeper she should treat him well.

A teddy dog, kept by Ms Wei, wears clothes bought for the new year. [Photo/dbw.cn]

According to some Harbin residents, there are a large variety of clothes for pets available in petshops, including sweaters, suits, fur coats and down jackets. An item of winter clothing for pets usually costs around 50 yuan.

However, pet experts claim that not all pets have to wear clothes during winter. Dogs with long hair don’t need any type of clothing to keep warm, only short-haired breeds benefit from some additional warmth, for example, Chihuahuas.