Hey Woofa’s,

I know, I know, we’re not even officially in Winter yet and it’s already been cold.

I don’t do the best in cold weather, it’s not my favourite type of weather.

However, if it’s cold outside, I don’t mind being all comfortable and cozy, and warm inside.

My favourite is being in comfy pj’s, the fireplace on, the house is warm, I’m sharing the lounge with Billy and we’re about to settle in to watch a good movie.

What’s this got to do with dogs I hear you ask?

Well our dogs feel the cold as well, some more than others but they definitely feel it.

The best thing we can do for our dogs during winter is to keep them as warm, comfortable and cozy as well.

Why not, they deserve it!

HOW TO KEEP YOUR DOG WARM, COMFORTABLE AND COZY THIS WINTER?

1. CHILLED TO THE BONE!

The last thing you want is your dog to be cold.

Keeping them warm will depend on the type of coat they have, i.e are they short haired, medium haired or long haired.

What also comes into play is where your dog spends most of their time.

For example – Billy is a short-haired dog who spends most of his time inside.  He goes outside to the loo or if we are out there, but mostly he’s inside with us.

Given that our house is 90% tiles it can become quite cold inside during winter if we don’t put heating on.

If we aren’t home and we know it’s going to be cold, we’ll put a jumper on him to keep him warm.

If we are home and have the fire place on, we don’t put his jumper on him because the house is warm enough.

Your medium to longer haired dogs probably won’t need a jacket if they are inside.

This would be like putting a jumper on over your dressing gown, not necessary!

If your dog spends most of their time outside you may want to look at putting a jumper on them HOWEVER do proceed with caution!  You don’t want your dog’s jumper to get stuck on something and your dog can’t move for most of the day.

Make sure your dog’s jumper fits them properly.

If your dog wont wear a jumper that’s fine, don’t force one onto them.

AN IMPORTANT NOTE!

Give your dog jumper free time!

A coat can be restrictive at times, so allow your dog to play and run around without it on.

Billy doesn’t wear his jumper when the fire is on, nor does he wear one to bed as he snuggles in under the covers.

We don’t want to over heat them and make them uncomfortable.

Jumpers can also make your dog’s hair knot up, so when their coat is off give them a brush as well.

2. NICE AND COMFORTABLE!

If your dog won’t wear a jumper, make sure they have a nice comfortable bed they can retire to if the day is too cold.

Ideally it’s best if this bed is a bit off the ground so the cold from the ground doesn’t work it’s way up through the bedding.

Also if they have a kennel outside, make sure it’s clean and they have clean bedding to snuggle into.

Some nice comfy blankets work well also, pending your dog isn’t a pup or a chewer who rips them up.

If your dog’s bed is outside, during winter it might be ideal to have it situated in the sun.

If you can, maybe bring them inside during the cold evenings, say in the laundry room or garage even, away from moving cars!

Give them somewhere out of the harsh elements.

Billy has our bed, the lounges as well as two of his own beds on the floor he can choose from.

All his beds, including ours, have plenty of blankets for him to burrow into if he needs to.

3. COZY AS!

For me, cozy is somewhere to snuggle into.

So make sure if your dog is a snuggler they can snuggle into you, your bed, their own bed and feel safe.

I’ve had many people comment about the amount of blankets I have around the house and on my bed.

I just find having a blanket on hand during winter is cozy.

Billy loves snuggling under blankets with me.

How can I tell?  Well when we’re on the lounge and I put a blanket over the both of us, he doesn’t move, he snorts and snuggles in further.

HOW TO TELL IF YOUR DOG IS COLD?

If the weather is cold, it’s important to know your dog’s behaviour for tell tale signs that they are cold.   Some dogs are affected by the cold more than others.

Some signs to look out for –

1. Is your dog shivering?
2. Is your dog curled up in a tight ball?
3. Feel your dog’s belly, if it feels warm then they are fine.
4. Is your dog reluctant to come out from their warm bed?
5. Tail is tucked under, they are hunched and can’t seem to get comfortable.
6. Your dog tries to snuggle into you to get your body warmth.
7. Is your dog reluctant to walk out into the cold or step onto the cold ground?  Billy doesn’t like sitting on the cold tiles or the cold ground when outside.

If you know your dog’s behaviour they will give you signs that they are cold.

It’s up to us to listen to them and make them comfortable.

PLEASE NOTE –

I don’t live in an area where there is snow, obviously you wouldn’t leave your dog outside at all if there’s snow fall.

HOWEVER, if you do live in an area of snowfall, I’d love to hear about how you prevent your dog from being cold.

WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN?

With the cold weather it’s important to make sure our dogs have a nice warm and dry place to be.

If your fluffy dog wears a jumper, make sure to take it off and brush them each day.

Regardless of coat, if your dog wears a jumper make sure to give them jumper free time.

Don’t worry if your dog won’t wear a jumper, just make sure they have a warm, comfortable and cozy place to reside in during the cold weather.

IN THE COMMENTS BELOW – BILLY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW – HOW YOU KEEP YOUR DOG WARM, COMFORTABLE AND COZY DURING WINTER?