Protecting Dogs in Winter

About Protecting Dogs in Winter

Winter Woes

Winter is here, and although I may live in California, I know many of you are in the deep freeze in other parts of the country. I have a regular routine I do daily, which includes calling my wonderful assistant Ruthie at 7:30 AM every morning to start our day. Now Ruthie lives in Minnesota, and I live here in what many refer to as "Sunny California". It does get very cold here, but we do not get the deep freeze that so many of you are in right now and for the next three months. Ruthie and I were talking about the cold and our dogs when it hit me to write my tip this week about how we can help our dogs through the winter months. Believe me they feel the cold just as I know they feel extreme heat.

It was last January 1, 2007, when a new law was passed in California. It is now illegal to ever keep any pet in a car or truck by themselves. This will lead to a very heavy fine and, in some cases, jail time. I applauded this law, because as I have said before, to leave a dog in a hot car can kill them within twenty minutes. Well, believe it or not the same goes for leaving a dog in a car in very cold weather, except you have hypothermia to contend with instead of heat prostration. So I for one, am very happy about this new law.

What about our older dogs how does the cold weather affect them? What about a new born puppy? What about a small dog with little fat or fur to help protect them. I know my Little Man has his own cashmere sweater that he wears almost every morning on our walk, as he gets so cold at just 50 degrees. I can't see him in below 30 degree temperatures; he would never go outside. And how about our dogs that have arthritis? They need extra care come the winter months.

Thanks to some wonderful ideas and products, we can now help our dogs stay warm, and still enjoy the winter months. I know many people take their dogs out hunting with them, and how about our working dogs that are out there everyday, no matter what the weather outside is like. Here are some great tips to help keep our four-legged loved ones warm and happy.

Winter Dog Care Tips

During the winter months, you can use a number of products to protect your pets.

These include:

• Dog coats: Yes, you really can find parkas for dogs. It's important to ensure a good fit so your dog will stay warm, but won't accidentally soil himself. Make sure your dog is standing, and measure him from his neck to the base of his tail, then around his chest at the widest point. You'll need this info to choose the correct size.
• Doggie boots: We've talked about boots in a previous article, and they can be life savers for your dog's feet. Ruthie recommends Doggie-Sox™ because they are so easy to put on.
• Heated dog houses: These may sound like a luxury item, but they're really essential for dogs that spend most of their time outdoors.
• Heated dog bowels: A heated bowl will keep your pet's water from freezing when the mercury takes a big dip.
• Heated dog beds: What a nice way for Fido to warm up when he comes in from outside!
• Pet-friendly ice melt: Try this salt alternative to save your dog's feet from drying, cracking and burning. If you can't find it at your local stores, try substituting sand for the salt. It won't truly melt the ice, but it will give you and your dog some much needed traction.

I hope these tips help those of you who live in colder areas of the nation. Here in California, we suffer from other extremes, but having Ruthie in rural Minnesota gives me a different perspective on the world than I had before.