Owners often question whether to wrap their pets up in winter to keep them warm. With such question comes many others, such as:
Do dogs have enough fur?
Is it a bit ridiculous to wrap them up?
Does it depend on the breed?
Does it depend on the area?
Is it normal to wrap-up small dogs more sensitive to cold and silly to do so for large breed dogs and especially those with long hair?
There may be more than one answer to all of these questions, however in general - YES, wrap up your dog in winter, especially if you live in cold areas.
Older dogs are more prone to the cold than younger dogs, who have more vitality. Older dogs, especially with problems such as osteoarthritis, suffer greatly in lower temperatures. It is therefore important to protect dogs with osteoarthritis in cold weather.
Smaller breeds are also more prone to suffer from the cold than larger ones, so extra care must be taken.
Certain large breeds suffer badly in the cold, in particular very shorthaired dogs like greyhounds.
The length of a dog’s fur is a factor to keep in mind, we obviously would not wrap up a Nordic dog in a Mediterranean city, but we would do so if we take them in the snow with freezing temperatures while not doing any physical activity.
Regardless of whether or not we should debate the ridiculousness of this topic, it is worse to see your dog shivering and do nothing about it.
Elderly dogs enjoy having a blanket in winter, even in warmer seasons if they suffer from osteoarthritis in the spine or hips. Breeds such as Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, etc., typically suffer from hip dysplasia therefore special thermal jackets can help their condition. In winter, especially if the dog lives in a cold, rainy or mountainous region, if you do not want your dog to get wet when they go outside, you can use waterproof jackets to further protect the muscles and joints from the harsh weather.
In short, if you have a small breed dog or a large breed with short hair, or an elderly animal of any breed and size, yes - keep them warm in winter.
