Walking the dog in winter – here’s what you should remember

Dogs can get cold too

Walking in winter: Here’s what dog owners need to remember

When the temperature drops in winter, we collect a lot of materials. But dogs can also freeze. Tips on when and how you should protect your animals from the cold.

Some dogs are well prepared for winter: Bernese Mountain Dogs, for example, have a long, dense undercoat that keeps them warm and protects them from moisture.

This is different for dogs with short, thin coats, such as podencos or greyhounds. Such dogs have no undercoat and only a little fur on their bellies – so moisture quickly penetrates their skin.

Old and sick animals can also freeze quickly: Old, slow-moving animals can cool more quickly.

Many owners leave their fur a little longer to protect them from the cold. This is true in many cases. However, its fur should be brushed regularly. Otherwise, the fur will get tangled and you will have to shave the fur down. Possible consequences: the dog starts to freeze.

For example, this occurs in dog breeds without an undercoat. These include, for example, poodles. Therefore, shaving should be done regularly, ideally every two to three months. To prevent the dog from getting cold, its fur should not be too short.

Something similar happens to the Havanese dog, for example, which has no undercoat but has long fur. You should also cut the tips in winter. Otherwise, some hair will grow to the ground. But the same thing applies here: just don’t shorten the feathers too much. Finally, guard hairs also have a protective effect, for example against rain.

However, for dogs with longer coats and undercoats, such as retrievers and Bernese dairy breeders, a good brushing is sufficient. Especially regularly when changing feathers. You should also use scissors only on the claws. If there is snow, chunks of ice can get stuck in its paws if its fur is too long. And it hurts the dog. That’s why you should also cut the tufts of fur between the pads.

You don’t even need to go to the dog groomer for this. However, you must be careful not to injure the skin between your toes. If you are afraid of this, you can have the correct technique shown to you at the vet’s practice.

In some cases, it may make sense to put a dog coat on your four-legged friend. You should make sure that the coat fits well and is not too wide or too tight and that it does not cause chafing.

There are many dogs who feel more comfortable wearing a coat in the winter. Dog owners can choose between quilted coats and sweaters. However, the latter is not suitable for every dog: in small dogs, the sweater can get wet when they walk in the snow – then they freeze faster.