How to Keep Your Dog Warm This Winter
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During cold weather, it’s crucial to prepare your dog for warmth and comfort. Dog owners often know their dogs better than anyone else, but some animals have unique preferences.
Short-haired dogs prefer outdoor activities, while furry ones prefer rainy days.
Regardless of the dog’s preferences, whether they’re finicky, cold-hearted, or well-behaved, you worry about their comforts, especially when temperatures drop.
This article provides tips on how to address their warmth and ensure they have the necessary protection. By doing so, you can keep your dog comfortable and ensure they have the necessary protection.
Basic Considerations
It’s not always viable to keep your dog enclosed all day while you are at work, and if you have space, most likely allow your pet to have the room to run and explore even when you are not at home.
Even if your dog prefers to curl up in a crate or on your bed all day, you still face the basic needs they have when heading into colder, wet weather.
A few things you should consider about your animal’s comfort are their breed and their age when approaching your plans to provide care.
Can Some Dogs Handle the Cold?
Dogs, like humans, can get cold due to their fur coat providing insulation but not enough protection. They have extremities prone to frostbite and a higher baseline body temperature.
Size affects how dogs lose warmth more quickly, with heavy dogs carrying more natural insulation. Age and health also play a role, with senior and sick dogs experiencing colder temperatures due to muscle loss and distracted bodies.
A dog’s insulation is largely dependent on its long, shaggy coat, which can be found in breeds like the Labrador Retriever, Siberian Huskies, Newfoundlanders, Old English Sheepdogs, Golden Retrievers, Saint Bernards and Alaskan Malamutes have thick double coats, while others, like Greyhounds and Chihuahuas, lose heat quickly.
How Long Can Your Dog Be Outside in the Cold?
The duration a dog can be outside in winter is a complex issue. If you are outside with your dog and feeling cold, it’s time to come inside. Even if you’re still warm and your dog starts to shiver or look cold, it’s still time to warm up. If your dog spends time outside alone, it becomes more complicated.
When the thermometer hits 40 degrees Fahrenheit on a dry, windless day, keep a close eye on your dog, as they are more sensitive to cold temperatures. If they’re not actively playing, they may become cold quickly. Once 30 degrees Fahrenheit on a sunny, calm day, most dogs start to get cold if they’re not busy walking, running, or playing.
If the temperature is 20 degrees Fahrenheit or below, most dogs will notice the cold and benefit from sweaters and booties. Time outside should be limited to active playtime and allowing your dog to relieve themselves. Most dogs will be uncomfortable outside for extended periods at these chilly temperatures.
Signs that Your Dog Is Cold
Dogs often show signs of discomfort when feeling cold, such as shivering, holding their feet up, whining, hunching up, tucking their tails, and exhibiting behavioral changes. If they don’t find warmth, they can become hypothermic, which can be fatal.
Signs of hypothermia include weakness, lethargy, decreased mental function, and a loss of consciousness. It’s crucial to act quickly when your dog starts to look cold or before the cold has time to set in. .Hypothermia is a serious condition, so it’s essential to act quickly when your dog starts to look cold or even before the cold has time to set in.
They may shiver or tremble, hold their feet up, whine, hunch up, tuck their tails, show behavioral changes, and refuse to walk. Most dogs are quick to tell you if they are getting cold and want to head inside.
Tips for Keeping Your Dog Warm
You should always pay attention to the weather when your dog is outside, but there is no need to keep them locked up indoors if you provide proper protection and warmth. The following tips provide a quick guide to ways you can create some easy comfort solutions.
- Provide a Heated Area to Outdoor Dogs
Providing a heated, protected area for your dog to warm up in is not necessarily a difficult task. Dog houses can be equipped with simple heaters and lamps only when secured properly and used in a non-hazardous manner. You can also provide a heated mat to the floor of your doghouse, or, if your dog has access to a shed or building, keep it at a warmer temperature with a garage heater—of which many different designs and options exist.
- Layered Doghouse Floors and Insulation
Dog houses are easy to insulate with newspaper, foam, or housing insulation, and you can easily layer the floor with straw, cedar and pine shavings, and old blankets or dog beds. Plus, by doing so, you provide a more comfortable area to lay in.
- Consider a Dog Coat or Sweater
If your dog is small, has a thin coat, is elderly, or otherwise groomed or not well acclimated to colder weather, you may want to consider a coat for them. Just like a coat serves to retain our body heat and insulate us from the cold, so does a dog coat. Don’t skip your daily walk just because it’s cold out; simply provide the extra layer your pup needs to stay comfy.
- Protect Their Feet
Some dogs have an abundance of fur on their feet, and even though this may serve to keep them warm, they can also collect snow, which can melt into painful ice balls. Trim the hair on the tops of their feet, paying particular care to remove it from between their toes. If you plan on walking outside in icy conditions or for any length of time, you may also want to provide a foot covering to avoid frostbite.
- Have a Heated Water Bucket
Keep a heated water bucket full and available at all times. Winter can be extremely dehydrating for humans and animals alike, and a heated bucket ensures that your dog isn’t drinking chilled water, which can lower their body temperature.
What if Your Power Goes Out?
Staying comfortable with your dog can help them stay warm during power outages. Offer warm beds, blankets, and quilts to your pet, and allow them to wear their sweaters and booties indoors. Chemical/portable hand warmers can also be helpful, but be careful not to put them near your pet’s skin or chew on them.
Tuck them into blankets for the best warmth. If your dog is starting to look cold and sharing body heat isn’t possible, consider finding warmer shelters like a veterinarian’s short-term boarding or a local kennel.
In case of a major natural disaster, your local humane society may be able to help. Some shelters may allow pet parents to bring their pets along. Always plan to protect your animals in case of an emergency and create an emergency safety plan for your pup before it’s needed.
Final Thoughts
Dogs need warmth to avoid hypothermia, which can be fatal. In emergencies, always take your animals to a safe shelter. These tips address the comfort of your animals during cold, seasonal changes. Remember, many animals feel the chill when temperatures drop below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, so providing a warm place is a priority.
