As a mom, winter is enough to make me crazy with all the accoutrement that goes with walking out the door. Not a day goes by that I’m not counting mittens and coming up with an odd number. This then sends me on a search to find where the missing one dropped. Like my dog in a Nosework class, I find myself searching the ground from door to car door, the floor of the car, the floor of the closet, the bathroom, the toilet, etc. That gives me an idea…

Note to self: train Finlay to sniff out mittens.

Sorry, my kids have made my brain so scattered that I have to write everything down!

Ok, I really am going somewhere with this… oh yes! I thank my lucky stars every day that I don’t have a dog that needs a coat, because, at this point, someone’s warmth would have to give, and it would inevitably be mine.

My husband is completely against dogs wearing clothing whatsoever – so when you go to Finlay’s picture on the AnimalSense website, you have to know he is mortified! However, there is a place for protecting our dogs from the elements.

Short haired dogs such as Weimereiners, Chihuahuas, and Greyhounds, really do feel the cold air and snow so much that they will shake. That is when a good dog coat really has its place.

Dogs such as Golden Retrievers, Newfoundlands, and Great Pyrenees are meant to weather the cold because they have natural coats that are designed to keep them warm. This doesn’t mean that they can or should live outdoors in the cold, just that they can do what they are bred to do without the addition of clothing.

All dogs can benefit, however, from some paw protection in the winter to protect them from the cold, salt and snow wearing on their paws. The best options that I’ve seen are:

Booties: These really take paw protection to a complete level. Some Alaskan sled dogs wear booties since their paws go through so much on their long treks through all kinds of snow and ice. There are a variety of options out there from reusable boots to disposable ones that look like balloons that haven’t yet been blown up.

 

 

Mushers Secret: Not every dog is easily accepting of booties, so this dense, waxy coating was created to provide a layer of protection from salt, cold and, for long haired dogs, snow balls collecting in the sensitive areas between their toes.

 

But let’s not forget that sometimes a coat is just good fashion sense… don’t tell my husband I said that!

Does your dog wear a coat? If so, post a picture to our Facebook page so we can check it out!