The right attire to keep small dog warm in fall/winter?
Yesterday a cool weather front moved through my area and the temperatures are going down (into the low 50's F at night) and my small dog seems to be cold (he was adopted in late spring, so this is our first experience with him & cooler temperatures). I knew this day would come so I already had a fleece jacket on hand & I have put that on him. My concern is that if he is chilled now, how do I keep him warm enough in the winter when we have to go on our walks?? My dogs are house dogs, but they potty outside - I am always with them when they are outside in the yard or we are going on a walk. While I have had dogs before, they were larger & better equipped for cooler temps (Husky mix & St. Bernard mix) than the two I have now -- Beagle mix & Toy Fox Terrier.
Does anyone have recommendations on warmer clothes/coats I can get for my dogs - especially the Toy Fox Terrier? Has anyone found booties that their dog didn't hate? I didn't expect for the little one to need to use his coat so soon, I really want to be prepared when we have snow & temperatures in single digits.
Cheryl2011-09-16T09:54:51Z
Favorite Answer
i have a couple jackets that are water resistant and wind resistant and lined with polar fleece ... i find those are great for the colder days ... i have never found my dog to need boots due to the cold, but i do use musher's secret on her paws to protect from the salt on the sidewalks/roads in the winter ...
http://www.rcpets.com/rcpets/index.php/browse/category/id/RC_Coat - these are great quality, can be washed again and again ... and done up with velcro so easily adjustable ...
Neither dogs need a coat yet. However, the Toy Fox Terrier will need a coat later on, they are a single coated breed. The beagle mix, will not need a coat, unless it's brutal outside.
As for the booties, why do they need booties? The only time I used to use booties on my dog was when it had snowed and the city had salted the roads. We have a big problem with dogs getting electrical shocks from the ground, because of the combination of salt, water and wiring form the street lamps.
For boots, I like Muttlucks. As for coats, just look around and see what you like. BTW, I own dachshunds and they hate their coats.
Where I live, it can get as cold as -50 F. Yes, negative 50. Frostbite on exposed skin in seconds cold. -50 is pretty rare, but -40 to -30 is a daily occurance December to february. I live in Saskatchewan, Canada and have two small dogs who go potty outside. When it is that cold, they run out and do their business in a minute and run back in. We play fetch inside for exercise.
Friends of ours have small dogs,and one of the problems is your dampness going through the dog .I found a great free pattern and instructions for a water resistant dog coat, Maybe it will be helpful to you too.
Both of the dogs you mentioned above are working breeds, one with a harcdore coat to keep it warm and the other thick skin.
Dogs already come with coats, and don't need clothes in any weather. Working dogs were bred to not really care what's going on with the weather, so don't panic, because your dogs will naturally warm themselves up on walks, and inside the house, it's warm anyway.