Hey Woofa’s,

There’s no doubt that it’s been a cold start to Winter!

Anyone who knows me, knows I’m not a fan of the cold weather.

Unless I’m inside in my pj’s in front of our fireplace!

Billy loves the fireplace as well, he actually hogs it sometimes!

However, he does wear a coat when the fireplace isn’t on, because he has short hair and our house is like an icebox in Winter without heating.

I’ve also had my customers coming in with their dogs wearing coats.

This is fine, except some of their dogs are long haired!!!

Why is this a problem?  Let me tell you……………

DOES MY DOG NEED TO WEAR A COAT FOR WINTER?

It’s cold here in Australia and because we, us humans, rug up and wear jumpers and jackets, we think our dogs need to as well.

We’ve humanised our dogs, and to a certain degree that’s okay……..

However, I’ve seen dogs lately that have come into the Dog Salon with coats on and they have long hair!!!

The dog has a lovely thick natural coat and there’s a doggy coat thrown over that.

When I ask if the dog sleeps outside they say, no they sleep inside with us, they just potty outside.

I ask – ‘Why they have a coat over the already naturally thick coat the dog has?’

They say –  ‘I don’t know, so they don’t get cold!’

I totally get you worrying about your dog being cold, that’s fine!

Most people’s dogs are inside, in the warm house with their owners, they don’t need a coat on in this instance (unless they are showing signs they are actually cold).

NO, YOUR DOG DOESN’T  NEED A COAT FOR WINTER…………..IF – 

• they already have their own long thick coat that’s not matted and are inside warm already;
• your dog is inside with you in the warmth;
• they don’t like wearing one;
• your dog isn’t showing any signs of being cold;
• when they are exercising vigorously, you don’t want them to overheat.

I can’t stress enough here how much common sense needs to come into play.

My point is that if your dog has a long haired coat that is in good condition (no matting) then NO they don’t need a coat, if they’re already warm inside with you.

I always ask – ‘Would you put a jumper over your dressing gown?’

I usually get a ‘No’ answer to that question.

So I then ask – ‘Why are you putting a coat over your dog’s already thick natural coat?’

Another thing is – putting a coat over your dog’s already long hair causes matting because generally people don’t take the coat off and brush their dog.

So what happens next  is, the coat rubs up against the dog’s hair and causes knots and matting and they end up having to be shaved in the middle of Winter!!!!!

YES, YOUR DOG SHOULD BE WEARING A COAT FOR WINTER…….IF – 

• they have had all their matted hair shaved off and are cold;
• your dog is showing signs of being cold;
• you’re walking your dog out in the cold weather and your dog is showing signs of being cold;
• they sleep outside in their kennel;
• you are out and there’s no heating on in the house, and your house is cold;
• your dog is older and has arthritis and needs to be warm for Winter.

Again, use your common sense.

Billy is a short haired dog, if we are home and the fire is on, then he doesn’t wear a jacket, or it’s taken off once the house is warm.

If we aren’t home and it’s cold, he has his coat on.

He doesn’t sleep in his coat because it’s restrictive to sleep in and he also has a doona cover over him to keep him warm because he sleeps on our bed.

SIGNS YOUR DOG IS COLD!

If you’re not sure if your dog is cold, check out their body language –

• your dog will sleep in a tightly curled circle, almost as if they are folding in on themselves;
• feel your dog’s tummy, if it’s cold then they are usually cold;
• some dogs will shiver as well;
• they will scuff around in their blankets trying to tuck themselves in under them.

Your dog will tell you if they are cold it’s up to you to notice.

However, if your dog won’t wear a coat, load their bed up with lots of blankets and they will sort themselves out.

WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN?

It’s basically up to you to use your common sense as to whether or not your dog needs a coat for winter.

There’s some points above to take into consideration but basically if your dog already has naturally thick long hair, then no it doesn’t need a coat if it’s inside with you all the time.

It’s like putting a jumper over your dressing gown, it doesn’t make sense.

Watch your dog’s body language to let you know if they are cold or not.

IN THE COMMENTS BELOW – BILLY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW – DOES YOUR DOG WEAR A COAT?