Should we shelter our dogs in winter?

Owners often ask themselves questions about whether to shelter their pets in winter, this question at the same time comes with many others of this type:

Don’t dogs already have enough hair?
Is it a bit ridiculous?
Does it depend on the breed?
Does it depend on the area?

Is it normal in small dogs that are colder and silly in large breed dogs and especially with long hair?

All these questions may have more than one answer, but in general we SHOULD shelter dogs in winter, especially if we are in cold areas.

Older dogs are more likely to suffer from cold than younger dogs, who have more vitality. Older dogs especially with problems such as osteoarthritis suffer a lot with the drop in temperatures, we must do something to protect dogs with osteoarthritis from cold weather.
Dogs small breeds are more prone to cold than large ones, so they should be warmer.
There are some large breeds that are very prone to suffer cold and have a very bad time especially very short-haired dogs such as greyhounds.
The amount of hair influences, we will not shelter a Nordic dog in a Mediterranean city, but perhaps yes, if we go to the snow at sub-zero temperatures and do not do physical activity.

Regarding the ridicule is very opinionable, I could be more embarrassed to see the dog shiver and do nothing to help him.
Elderly dogs are very grateful for a blanket in winter, and even in warmer times if they suffer from osteoarthritis in the spine or hips, the typical hip dysplasias of Golden, German Shepherd … they improve a lot with special thermal blankets. In winter especially if the dogs live in cold areas, or very humid or mountain, when we do not want the dogs to get wet on their outings, we can use waterproof blankets that also protect the muscles and joints from the inclemencies of the weather.

In summary, if we have a small breed dog or a large breed with short hair, or an elderly animal in any of its breeds and sizes , we must shelter it in winter.

 

Ortocanis technical team