[nagdu] keeping dogs warm

[Jenine Stanley]

Hi Cheryl, 

Booties are a good idea if you can find them. They do take some work for the
dog to get used to wearing them and they do change the dog's gait if that's
something important for you. 

I've only had one dog who could keep them on and didn't seem to mind it.
They change Swap's gait so much that I can't work him with them on. Luckily
we don't have the bus stop walk right now but if we did, I'd work on it more
with him and see if we could get him not to prance like a show horse. <grin>


As for coats, some dogs get colder quicker than others. One of my dogs, a
little black Lab who was always full of energy, got cold if it went below 45
degrees. Her teeth would chatter which is a very weird sound. <grin> 

At that time the school sold a bright yellow rain coat which served 2
purposes. It kept the top parts of the dog dry and was bright with
reflective material on it. It also was just enough to keep Jerry Lee warm. 

With my big Golden, Toby, who had very long fur and who was quite proud of
said fur, I bought a custom-made snow suit. I'm not sure the company even
exists any longer but it was called Cachet Creations and was out of western
Canada. I still have the suit and it's big enough for Swap should I need it.


The suit is gortex so it's warm and water proof but not too warm. 

I'd think for every day use, one of the fleece lined jackets like Liz
mentioned would be good. That way you can take it off easily once inside so
Maxx doesn't get overheated. 

As I write, it's 2 degrees with a wind chill of about 6 below. That's
nothing compared to what some of you out there have been dealing with on a
regular basis this winter.