Do you love your dog? What a silly question! Of course you do!
If you live in the northern states and Canada, you have already started to feel the cold that will be gripping us for the next few months. Some of us love it and some of us don’t! Well, that is true for our pets too! One thing is certain, whether we love the cold or not, our pets need to go outdoors on a regular basis.
Every good fur parent knows that it doesn’t matter what the weather is doing outdoors! We will take our pets for their daily exercise. They need to sniff out their favorite trees and bushes to do their “business”. And we, (good fur baby parents that we are), will pick up after them!
Look at that face!
Look at that face, it’s happy out there in the snow and it looks like it’s taking a whole bunch of it home with him. Many dogs have fur coats that keep them warm enough to be outdoors for shorter periods of time. Some breeds have really short hair and being in the cold frigid winds and snow is not to their liking! Still, they need to go out to the bathroom and get their exercise. If you have a short haired dog, make sure you have a fashionably funky coat to give some warmth. You don’t like being cold and neither does your dog. A nice light, but waterproof and insulated coat will encourage your dog to enjoy the change in the weather. Some dog coats even have glow in the dark markings so that evening walks can be done safely.
Winter Boots for Your Pooch, they are a necessity!
Fur parents need to be aware of many possible problems with taking their fur babies out during these cold months. Being prepared makes the problems disappear. In the city, the sidewalks are well salted, making our walks easier. But, our doggies may begin to feel the burn of the salt on their tender foot pads. They need not suffer from this problem. If you train your dog from the time they are little, doggie shoes will keep their paws in perfectly good health! They are also great when it’s raining too. Salt need not be a “sore” spot for them or for you. It’s not just the salt, but also the gravel that is mixed with the salt. Sometimes these pebbles can be very sharp and cause injury too! Don’t let your special friend find out the hard way that there are dangers out there.
I don’t know of a single dog that doesn’t love a good romp outdoors! Whether it’s in the snow, or leaves during fall and winter. Even my little granddog
Isabelle (a mini schnauzer) loves to get out there. She will bury her face and other parts in snow mounds. She does not like the salt on the sidewalks though. She will try whatever method works to keep herself off the sidewalk and in the snow. Even with the booties on, she would rather walk in the snow. That’s okay, because her feet stay dry and she doesn’t get those snowballs between her toes! She loves to wear a jacket when it’s blustery outside too. Winter winds can be very, very cold. Jaunts outdoors are just much better when you are prepared.
When we have come in from our walk, she knows she will be treated to some brushing and a nice warm blanket to wrap herself up in. She is so cute with her little eyes and nose sticking out! The rest of her is tucked into the blanket. After an hour or more playing in the cold, this is what she loves to do!
Our fur babies are part of our families and we do love to spoil them just a little. Winter gear for our fur babies is a must have, especially when the north winds blow…….
Grammie Knows:
Safety for animals is one of my priorities. We have a responsibility to them as their “parents” to keep them safe!
If you enjoyed this post, please let me know in the comments!
If you would like to read more about keeping our Fur Babies safe, check out these other blog posts:
We recently visiting with members of our family who have dachshunds. Each one has his or her own sweater and they certainly wear them. They were absolutely adorable! “Dressing” our pups for the winter is definitely necessary for some breeds.
I agree with you so much. I just saw the most adorable little pug with his favorite “hockey” team sweater on. Was he ever cute! Too bad I didn’t have my camera with me. It would have gone viral….with those eyes and curly tail. His human knows how to keep him warm in these cold months, that’s for sure. Thank you for your comment!
HI, I love the way you look after Isabelle after her walks. I agree it is important to keep our dogs warm in very cold weather. Especially if they have a short coat like a Greyhound or just feel the cold when they are very young or very old. Dogs need to be exercised for their health but also protected. Thank you for the great advice and lovely photos!
Thank you Jasmine. I love all fur babies and I always like to see them treated well. We don’t let our children out in the snow without proper clothing and dogs just like kids can feel the cold even if they sometimes are wearing a fur coat. I appreciate your comments.