Dog coats/jackets - are they needed in cold weather?

tk123

What do people think of dog coats/jackets - not do they look stupid but are they needed? I use a light one for my retriever when it's raining because he gets so wet and mucky and takes ages to dry but are they needed in the colder months? I know he's a retriever and he was bred for sitting in a damp field hunting but he's a house dog - he doesn't have that thick furry coat like some of the lighter colored retrievers. He'll be getting his leg sorted in 2 weeks so when we start walking again at the end of November after his crate rest we'll be walking early in the morning and again in the evening when it's coldest and dampest in our area...we'll have to walk SLOWLY to encourage him to use the leg which is why I'm wondering if he might feel the cold. I've seen one I like(it matches his collar lol) but I'm not sure if it's a waste of money lol!? Also he'll have a baldy leg and bum lol which might make him feel a bit cold :pac::pac::pac:

Cherry Blossom

My dog has thick, soft fur thanks to dog groomers skinning her and neutering, she also has an aversion to having her hair brushed so she was walked in an ancol coat with a splash guard last winter and in muddy conditions, I found these lost their waterproof properties after a few washes and just soaked up rain and puddles meaning the coat got too heavy and had to come off. She goes hiking with me now and is a little more 'waterproof' but her fur still holds a lot of water and once wet won't dry out properly for hours. I don't want her getting cold/pneumonia so I got this one from Molly's stall at pet expo. I may well go back to the ancol one for snow though.

What are your views on dog boots for winter OP?

tk123

I think we're ok for the boots lol - but I have these ones and found them very good - they stay in place no probs. He's good with his leave it command and knows he's to leave them on. Before his op last year his pads were getting split and had uneven wear so we had to use the booties a few times to let them heal.

This is the coat that I've been looking at - we have an EzyDog collar and I find it brilliant - especially when he's been swimming because it has a layer of neoprene closest to his skin/fur and dries really quickly. We have an ancol one too for the rain and no probs so far but it does hold the water. The first time I used it on him I put it on the back of a chair and seconds later there was a pool of mucky water on the floor! :rolleyes:

TooManyDogs

My 3 terriers have a coat for during the day when they're in the back garden for the day. They don't get them for walks cos I figure them running around has their blood pumping. This year I ordered another one for my old collie, her coat is getting fairly thin and she's 13 so figure she's entitled to a little bit of comfort! When the snow was really thick last year I let them have the coats on for walks but that was the exception.

Now if I could come up with somesort of long legged coat thing so they wouldnt' get splash back when we walk on the roads that would be great....

tk123

TooManyDogs wrote: »

Now if I could come up with somesort of long legged coat thing so they wouldnt' get splash back when we walk on the roads that would be great....

They have a few on zooplus.co.uk lol - I saw them the other day : http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/dogs/dog_clothing/dog_coats

seamus

We have a high-vis jacket that's frickin' hilarious, we call her "Garda Darcey" in the wintertime. It's actually only high-vis because my wife couldn't find a bright pink one. I think I'm happy to settle for the lesser of two evils.



She's particularly prone to getting too hot or cold, so we consider it fairly vital when the temps are down below zero during a walk, though we can usually take it off after 20 minutes or so when she warms up. We leave it on when it's raining or snowing.

Might look at boots this year. We had some problems with bleeding from her pads after 15 minutes in the snow last year.

sensibleken

I have a greyhound so he definetely needs it when its cold. other wise he wont go out, or if its windy, or if he's too tired, or if he's being lieing down for too long. :rolleyes:

LucyBliss

It was mainly because of the rain that we got our three coats. Jack has a very thin coat and skin so he feels the rain and cold more than the other two and he was just miserable out walking in the wet. Not that he likes it any more now with a coat, but at least his body isn't getting drenched.

I think I might have to find an all over coat for him this winter if the weather gets as cold as it was last year. Everytime I took them for a walk, the other two were bounding along quite merrily but Jack was walking as though he was being brought to an execution! Okay, so he kept to heel the entire time which I'll admit was really nice considering how bonkers he can get sometimes. But he was cold because when we'd come in, it would take two blankets wrapped around him to stop him shivering and we'd be walking at a good pace to keep everyone going.

I know a few people who think that coats are a waste of money but I think it depends on the dog. Some don't feel the coat or mind the rain as much as others. Whatever makes for a comfortable walk for all concerned is the way I look at it.

ABajaninCork

I have a couple for my Shih Tzu. He's no fan of the cold, so he'll wear the coat!

We have problems keeping him reasonably clean in the wet weather. He has his paws and belly washed off when he returns from a walk. Last winter, we got him an Ancol Timberwolf jacket which is fab! Easy to wash and I have a wax proof dressing I use to reproof the coat. Only thing - no chest protector to keep him clean...

I've also invested in a raincoat with chest protector to keep his tums clean. I daresay you can get one similar if you want to keep your doggy's chest warm. Ebay do some very nice ones which don't cost a fortune in postage! I can post up links if you like...

Hope this helps!

tk123

I'm going to get it!! I'll post pics of him modelling it when it comes lol!! Just thinking last year when he was on crate rest I'd sit outside with him for a while on his loo breaks just to let him get some air so i'd use it then too.

borderlinemeath

I wouldn't mind getting one for Benson, our rescue. He lost most of his fur earlier this year due to mange and his belly is still a bit baldy:(. Most of the ones I've seen give most protection across the back, very few cover the belly area where I would be worried about him getting cold.

Tranceypoo

I've had one for the older dog for a couple of years now, I first got it just to keep him dry in the rain but last winter with the terrible cold it doubled up keeping him warm as well as he's a bit older now (obviously!) and he has a heart murmur and a dodgy leg which means arthritis is practically guaranteed so he needs be warm in the ice and snow. It's very plain grey, not stylish at all but goes through the washing machine great and is still as good as new. He also has a separate hi vis vest which has amused the neighbours endlessly

Just got a new coat for the younger dog, she is collie x and has a thicker coat so I just got a pink hi vis coat with a light fleece lining so it's also waterproof. We also got her name embroidered on it for an extra 25p a letter, I'm sure we'll be the talk of the village when the two of them are out with the hi vis on!!

Latatian

I've known small dogs who would just sit down and refuse to move if it was too cold out. Normally very enthusiastic about the walks, but in the big freeze last year it was too much.

The labrador would look at you like you were nuts if you suggested not walking when it's frosty/-12 outside, raining, you have to swim to the front door to get out etc. She doesn't appear to notice thunderstorms or hail. Would that I had a coat like that!

TooManyDogs

tk123 wrote: »

They have a few on zooplus.co.uk lol - I saw them the other day : http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/dogs/dog_clothing/dog_coats

Just saw them..... thinking seriously about it for the 2 long haired dogs, but would I be morto walking them???

ABajaninCork

TooManyDogs wrote: »

Just saw them..... thinking seriously about it for the 2 long haired dogs, but would I be morto walking them???

Dunno about you being morto. Look at the poor doggy's face!!! He's almost pleading not to show him up wearing it.:P

tk123

TooManyDogs wrote: »

tk123 wrote: »

They have a few on zooplus.co.uk lol - I saw them the other day : http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/dogs/dog_clothing/dog_coats

Just saw them..... thinking seriously about it for the 2 long haired dogs, but would I be morto walking them???

Well the poor dog in the pic is morto lol :pac: meh let people stare. I usually hear 'that dog looks stupid' when i put my dog's trover coat on after he's been swimming at the beach and he's standing in the back of the car gawking at them - but dog people always ask me about it.. bloody hell the same with everything - you'll always get somebody with something to say:rolleyes:
His harness is on wrong - it's a front attach harness
You're mental for taking him to daycare - then when they see how well socialised he is they change their mind
You're crazy for having a backpack for him - it's for carrying his long line for training
Your dog is so good at coming back - that's because we practiced with the lead in the backpack you made fun of earlier

planetX

i hadn't considered this - I have a greyhound cross without an scrap of fat on him, should I be looking for a winter coat? He'll probably eat it tho...
I'm a bit worried that he's cold at night. Things are bad so no heating in house at moment, he has a foam cushion bed with sides. I wish there was a way to keep a blanket over him.

sh1tstirrer

How did dogs survive the winter before these coats were invented?

boxerly

TooManyDogs wrote: »

Just saw them..... thinking seriously about it for the 2 long haired dogs, but would I be morto walking them???

Have to say id fell like a twat walking 2 boxers in one of them hehehehe,I have a coat which Bruno used to wear going for walks in the winter because boxers have short thinish coats

Wibbs

sh1tstirrer wrote: »

How did dogs survive the winter before these coats were invented?

True, though it would depend a lot on the breed S. Small lightly muscled dogs with a thin coat like a Jack Russel are going to generate and retain a lot less heat than say a Husky or bigger working dog with an insulating undercoat. Also some dogs build a substantial winter coat like their wild ancestors and some don't. My last fella sadly missed was one of those. You could have filled a duvet with the undercoat shedding he'd leave in the spring. Some breeds were bred for warmer climates and some for colder and this is very much reflected in their physiology. There are a lot of variables, so while I used to see jumpers on small dogs and think "ah here Ted" I see the reasoning behind it a lot more now.

TooManyDogs

sh1tstirrer wrote: »

How did dogs survive the winter before these coats were invented?

Like Wibbs said there's many reasons. Fact of the matter is if we had left dogs in the wild they wouldn't need coats but we've manipulated them so much genetically and moved them geographically. Expecting a chihuahua to be warm in Sweden's winters is like expecting a husky to be completely comfortable in in Mexico, we can't take them out of the environment they were bred for without making up for it.

Having said that there's a lot of useless dog clothes out there too so fashion can be a cruel bitch!

aisher

TooManyDogs wrote: »

Just saw them..... thinking seriously about it for the 2 long haired dogs, but would I be morto walking them???

I am tempted to get one but can I bare the looks we will get from the public My dog is small and hairy so has to have her legs and belly washed after a walk if its wet - this would really save on the washing - maybe I just need to go out in the dark!

TooManyDogs

I know, I'm the same! I'm thinking that I can continue to rub the other 4 short haired dogs down with a damp towel but it's the hairy ones that cause me problems...... Maybe they come with a paper bag to put over your head???

The dog in the photo does look really piss@d off!

LucyBliss

Latatian wrote: »

I've known small dogs who would just sit down and refuse to move if it was too cold out. Normally very enthusiastic about the walks, but in the big freeze last year it was too much.

The labrador would look at you like you were nuts if you suggested not walking when it's frosty/-12 outside, raining, you have to swim to the front door to get out etc. She doesn't appear to notice thunderstorms or hail. Would that I had a coat like that!

Yeah, Jack is usually quite happy to go walking but during the really cold weather, he developed a limp every time we went out. Even when I let him out into the garden to do his business (and it wasn't like I was keeping them out there for hours, I was more than happy to have them pee and be back in in less than five minutes), he would limp. But there wasn't a thing wrong with him because I checked and cleaned their paws everytime they came in from walks. Also, he was miraculously cured of this limp as soon he got back into the warm house so...there's that.
If it's that cold again this year, I expect him to suddenly develop paralysis if I take him off the street.

theghost

I have a coat for the older Jack. She has very thin hair and while she doesn't mind the cold but if it's very wet she starts shivering while on a walk. The younger one has thicker hair and doesn't seem to need a coat

hpsheba

I have hi vis vests that I use on the dark nights and if its really bad weather I have a couple of his vis rain coats that keep the 3 headcases dry. I found them great last year especially when we had all the snow. Saves a lot of heartache trying to try them off after each walk

I do think though that dogs like Staffies, Greyhounds and any with a light coat do fee the cold and if you can stick a jumper or coat on them they seem happier when out walking, so yes I think especially for these breeds they are needed in cold weather.

star-pants

For certain situations or certain breeds I think 'sensible' clothing may be needed.
I don't mind putting an outfit on the dog for 2 minutes to get a photo & a laugh but I wouldn't dress my dogs up.

I know my older dog Lily had to be shaved quite tight after getting treatment for fox mange and she literally was bald in spots and it was early January so I had to find the least offensive dog t-shirt I could (€9!) and it stopped her shivering and meant she wouldn't get sick from being cold.

I also have two dog coats, old skool as they say - tartan design and fleece underlay that straps under their chins and wide part round their bellies - again for when it's very cold (like the snow) and if their fur isn't long enough.

tk123

It came it came!! Fits him pefect It covers his chest well and the straps (for the chest part) have elastic in them so it seems really secure without needing leg straps. I like that it has the snap buckles compared to his other coat that fastens with a velcro band - so you adjust it once and that's it.