Your dog doesn’t have the luxury of spending all day and night indoors. Instead, your pup has to go outdoors to take care of business. Unfortunately, when it's windy, rainy, or snowing your dog is exposed to the elements and probably not happy about it. There are ways you can keep your dog warm during the winter.
Keep Outside Time Short
Your dog’s nose, earflaps, and tail tip can easily suffer frostbite in extreme cold. Some heavily coated northern breeds can tolerate the cold well, but most dogs don’t have the needed coat to stay warm. You’ll want to limit your dog’s outside time so try to encourage Fido to quickly take care of business so you can both return to the warmth of the house.
Dress Your Dog for the Weather
There is a wide assortment of sweaters, winter coats, and dog booties. Put a dog coat on your pup to help keep him warm. Check out the DoggyKingdom Winter Jacket.
Trim Foot Hair
Your dog’s feet are susceptible to the cold. The hair between the toe pads can quickly become encased in snowballs and ice which makes your dog cold. If you trim away the foot hair, then the dog’s paws won’t pick up as much snow and ice. You can also invest in insulated dog booties when going for a walk during the winter.
Invest in a Heated Dog Bed
Senior dogs, short-haired breeds, and toy breeds can all suffer from the cold even indoors if you keep your heat turned low. Houses also become drafty during the winter months. In a house, the heat rises and the chilly air stays near the floor so your dog might feel overly chilly laying on the floor. Invest in a heated dog bed to help keep your pup warm.
Avoid Bathing Your Dog
During the winter months, you should avoid bathing your dog unless absolutely necessary. It can take hours for a dog’s undercoat to dry completely so your pup can quickly become chilled after a bath.
Don’t Shave Your Dog
Many pet owners like their dogs shaved but without fur, your pup is exposed to the cold. Ideally, you should avoid shaving your dog. Simply trim your pup and wait for summer for a shave down.
Increase Your Dog’s Food Intake
During wintry weather, your dog will burn extra calories in an effort to stay warm. Feed your pet more food during the cold months to give your canine much-needed calories to stay warm. You should also focus on keeping your pup well-hydrated to avoid dry, flaky skin which can occur during the winter when a home’s heating system dries the air out.
Protect the Paw Pads and Nose
The dry air and exposure to extreme weather can cause your dog’s paw pads and nose to dry out and crack. Apply petroleum jelly or a paw protectant to your pup’s nose and paw pads to keep them lubricated and avoid painful chafing.