Scope: Pet Apparel = worn garments for dogs (cats incidental) — outerwear (coats/jackets/sweaters, warmth+rain), footwear (boots/paw protectors), flotation vests (life jackets). Excludes collars/harnesses/leashes (sibling leaf "collars"), carriers, beds, medical e-collars (sibling leaves). Costumes/bandanas sold under this leaf but not given a deep facet set — see Noise.

Seed: Equivalent of "weave over thread count" here is sizing method over size label — a girth+back-length measurement (the real expert axis) beats a generic breed-based S/M/L, same way weave beats thread count. The sommelier persona would notice process/provenance details novices miss: that a brand's numeric size code (Hurtta's "28S") directly encodes a cm measurement rather than being an arbitrary label, and that "waterproof" on a shell fabric means two different build processes (laminated membrane vs. DWR coating) with very different durability over wash cycles — survived into shell_weatherproofing and sizing_method facets.

Sources:
[wikipedia_dog_coat] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_coat — double coat (topcoat+undercoat) vs single coat insulating function — fetched excerpt: "a top coat of stiff guard hairs... and an undercoat of soft down hairs, to serve as insulation... Dogs with both... are said to have a double coat."
[wikipedia_rug_animal_covering] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rug_(animal_covering) — dog boots prevent ice balls between toes; small/thin-coated dogs need weather protection — fetched excerpt: "Dog booties prevent ice balls from forming between dogs' toes... Small dogs and dogs with thin pelage often need protection from extreme weather."
[ruffwear_float_coat] https://www.ruffwear.com/products/float-coat-dog-life-jacket — girth sizing XXS-XL, EVA/PE foam panels, handle, webbing, reflective trim — fetched excerpt: "Girth... 13-17in...XXS... 36-42in...XL"; "Foam: EVA and PE layered foams"; "reflective trim boosts visibility in low light."
[ruffwear_polar_trex_boots] https://www.ruffwear.com/products/polar-trex-winter-dog-boots — paw-width sizing 1.50-3.25in, glass-fiber winter lugs, hook-and-loop gaiter — fetched excerpt: "Paw Width 1.50 in... 3.25 in"; "Winter-specific outsole with glass fiber lugs... micro-cleat effect"; "Outsole: Rubber outsole with winter-specific fiberglass lugs."
[ruffwear_powder_hound_jacket] https://www.ruffwear.com/products/powder-hound-jacket — girth 13-42in/back 10-32in sizing, leash portals over harness, high-loft recycled insulation — fetched excerpt: "Girth Back Measurement Size 13-17in(33-43cm) 10-15in XXS... 36-42in(91-107cm) 26-32in XL"; "Leash portals on chest and back allow for wear over most harnesses"; "High-loft recycled polyester insulation in back and belly panels."
[hurtta_extreme_overall_ii] https://www.hurtta.com/en-us/products/extreme-overall-ii — Houndtex TPU membrane + DWR, foil lining, multi-point adjustment, closable harness opening, all-four-leg coverage — fetched excerpt: "Houndtex® TPU membrane"; "Fluorocarbon-free RUCO®-DRY PLUS water repellent treatment"; "Foil lining reflects body heat"; "Closable harness opening"; "First the head, then the front legs, then the back legs."
[hurtta_weekend_warrior_boots] https://www.hurtta.com/en-us/products/weekend-warrior-boots — neoprene+latex flexible sole, reflective piping, standing/front-rear-separate paw measurement — fetched excerpt: "100% PES surface fabric with 2,5mm neoprene 100% Latex rubber shoe outsole"; "measure... paw at its widest point while your dog is standing... front paws are often larger than back paws."
[akc_dog_boots_guide] https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/dog-boots/ — paper-trace paw measurement method, use-case-driven boot choice (lugged/hiking, breathable/hot pavement, waterproof/rain) — fetched excerpt: "trace the indentation... measure it"; "search for boots with traction... deep grooves"; "look for boots with a mesh that allows their feet to breathe."
[kurgo_life_jacket_blog] https://www.kurgo.com/blog/6-reasons-your-dog-needs-a-life-jacket — handle+D-ring safety features, brachycephalic/weak-swimmer breeds need more buoyancy, bright color for visibility — fetched excerpt: "Most life jackets include a handle on the top... Most life jackets also come with a d-ring attachment"; "French Bulldogs or Boxers are not built for swimming... Pugs... brachycephalic... tire very quickly."

Branches: garment_function→outerwear routes to shell/insulation/leg-coverage/harness facets (supported by ruffwear_powder_hound_jacket + hurtta_extreme_overall_ii, both spec these). garment_function→footwear routes to paw-size/sole/closure facets (ruffwear_polar_trex_boots + hurtta_weekend_warrior_boots). garment_function→flotation_vest routes to foam/handle facets (ruffwear_float_coat + kurgo_life_jacket_blog). primary_use_condition→water_swimming_boating and →icy_snowy_salted make insulation/buoyancy mutually irrelevant (a dog is never dressed for both ice traction and open-water flotation at once, per the type split itself).

Noise: REACH/phthalate-free compliance (hurtta_weekend_warrior_boots) — generic EU chemical-safety regulation applying to all consumer goods, not pet-apparel-specific; left out. Bluesign-certified/recycled-content materials (appears on both brand sheets) — sustainability marketing that doesn't change fit or function, reads unchanged on any outdoor-apparel category; left out. No mandatory buoyancy/weight-capacity certification (like USCG-approved human PFDs) was found governing pet life jackets in this run — not asserted as fact either way, just not located; no facet or judgement added for it. Costumes, bandanas/bow-ties, sun/UV shirts are sold under this leaf but got no dedicated facet set — no brand spec sheet or buyer's guide for them was reachable this run; their one real expert consideration (loose small attachments, coverage/mobility) is already covered by closure_type and leg_coverage, which apply to any garment. Biodegradable/single-use paw coverings (akc_dog_boots_guide) are a distinct disposable product sold under the footwear leaf, but get no facet of their own — they share boot_use_case's "protective" value and have no sole/traction axis of their own worth a separate facet; left out rather than forced into boot_closure, which doesn't describe them.

## Corrections (2026-10-26)
- Added `waterproof_rating_mm` facet (10,000mm, both ruffwear_powder_hound_jacket and hurtta_extreme_overall_ii fetched text confirm "rated at 10,000 mm" / "Water column at least 10 000mm") — was the clearest coverage-test gap.
- Re-fetched hurtta_extreme_overall_ii: confirmed its size chart loads via the KiwiSizing widget and the static page has no inches/cm back-length figure, so `size_by_back_length` now cites ruffwear_powder_hound_jacket only; its 10-32in range stands on that one source pending a second.
- Added `size_by_chest_girth` facet (13-42in), citing ruffwear_powder_hound_jacket and ruffwear_float_coat, whose fetched girth charts independently agree; Hurtta's girth figure is in the same inaccessible widget as its back length, so it is not cited.
- Removed `insulation_type` from the `footwear` branch's `makes_irrelevant`: akc_dog_boots_guide names insulated lining as a real boot feature, so it isn't irrelevant to boots.
- Added `closure_type` to the `flotation_vest` branch's `makes_irrelevant`: closure_type's values (wrap/zip/step-in/pullover/snap) don't describe a life jacket's strap-and-buckle closure, so the facet doesn't apply rather than going unanswered.
- Added vocabulary entries for "Foil lining" and "neoprene" (Hurtta spec sheet, Hurtta boots page), used in `insulation_type` and `sole_traction_type` but previously undefined.
- Reclassified `buoyancy_foam` from `source: listing` to `researched` (most retail listings don't state foam placement; the register already defaults it) and dropped its `backfill_cost` to `low` to match.
- Resolved `paw_size` as the buyer's own measured attribute, not a listing field: `backfill_cost` raised from `medium` to `high`, matching `coat_type_need`'s pattern; `listing_field_hint` clarified that the boot's chart only translates an already-taken measurement.
- Rejected: did not add a single-use/reusable boot facet (see Noise, above) — a one-line Noise justification covers it without a thin facet that would just restate boot_use_case.