Why should your DOG wear clothes?
Do you want to know whether or not your dog should wear clothes??
YES??
Then you are in the right place…
Off late, almost on every social media platform, dog lovers are having heated conversations about SHOULD DOGS WEAR CLOTHES?
While some people say that the dog’s own fur coat is enough to provide protection from all the harsh elements of nature, the others are of the opinion that dogs need protection too and it is alright to make them wear clothes.
This is how Delta prefers to stay indoors..!!
In winters, it is very common to see pups parading around in coats and sweaters. Some may even have dog booties on. Though they look super cute and fashionable all dressed up, it is necessary? Or are we doing it to satisfy our psychological need to protect our baby?
So, what to BELIEVE in? Should my dog wear clothes or NOT? The answer to this question depends on multiple factors. Keep reading to find out.
How warm your dog can keep himself depends on several factors:
Breed and fur coat type: Protection from the elements of nature depends on your skin type. If you have a thin skin, you will get sunburnt quicker than someone who has a thicker skin. Some people are more prone to getting tanned compared to others. Similarly, for dogs, protection from cold depends on the fur coat they have.
Thus, to understand your dog needs to wear clothes, you need to know what kind of coat your dog has been blessed with.
Let’s have a look at the types of fur coat in a dog’s body:
Undercoat: This coat lies closest to the skin of the dog and grows from a single follicle. The undercoat is responsible for protection from the cold.
Guard hair: Guard hair is harder in texture and acts as the primary fur coat. They protect the skin from injuries and provide an additional layer of insulation.
If with a thick undercoat and an outer primary coat, then your dog has a double coat e.g. Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute, Saint Bernard etc. He/she can enjoy the cold weather without a jacket. If you make such dogs wear clothes, they might feel uncomfortable and hot. They with fur designed to protect them low temperatures.
However, if your dog has only one fur coat with no undercoat or a very thin undercoat like in case of terriers, pinschers, chihuahuas etc., then your pooch is likely to feel cold in winters and will need a sweater or jacket to keep warm. They have not been genetically designed to survive in very cold weather conditions. Such dogs are said to have a silky coat.
Breeds like poodles with thick hair, but short to avoid matting. Such breeds need a sweater to keep them warm in winters.
Size: Small breed dogs have to feel colder than the large breed ones.
Age and disease: If you have:
- An elderly dog
- Your dog has a weak immune system
- Your dog is suffering from diseases that cause impairment in hair growth (e.g. hypothyroidism or Cushing’s
They will need a sweater to keep them warm, probably even indoors.
How to identify if my dog needs a sweater?
Dogs cannot communicate the way humans can. Thus, we need to keep a watchful eye on their behavior so we can understand when they need what.
If your baby is happy to stay out in the cold or snowy weather, you worry about him/her feeling cold. However, if your fur baby shows reluctance in going out for walks, play or just to relieve themselves, put a sweater on them. With the sweater, if they are ready to go out and then you have your answer.
Also, some short fur coat breeds may even feel cold while indoors if the heating is low or absent. If you find your pooch curled up in a corner and reluctant to move around in the house, put a warm blanket on him/her. If in some time, you see your baby lying in a more relaxed position, then you know that your baby needs a light sweater even in the house.
My boys, Alpha and Delta are both rescue pups you can read their story here. They were both born in winter and were severely susceptible to the cold. I would have the heater switched on in the room 24/7. They would lounge in front of it on their blankets, wearing sweaters and curled up. Can you the cold they felt?
If the heater was off, Alpha would shiver, bury himself under blankets while Delta would have water dripping from his nose.
Well, Delta is a year old now. However, in winter, he still needs to wear two sweaters before going out for his walks. Indoors, he prefers to wear a thick t-shirt and still would sleep on top and under the blankets whenever possible. In summers, if the air conditioner is on, Delta needs a light t-shirt to keep him comfortable. Thus, he needs to wear clothes like us, humans..!!
At the end, it depends on how comfortable your fur baby feels with or without clothes and no one can judge that better than you. So I wish you good luck 😊 and would like to congratulate you on doing an amazing job with bringing up your kid 😊.
Let me know in the comment section:
- Which breed you have and whether or not they wear clothes. Are they comfortable or they just want to rip it off?
- Also, do you want me to do a clothes review based on the different dog breeds across the world? Which breed needs clothes and which does not?
I will be pinning my next blog post on ‘ HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT SWEATER FOR YOUR ADORABLE POOCH?’. If you are interested to know about it or just want to get more information and tips about doggo care, then put your email address in the follow button so you can get notified, the moment the next post is published.
Cheers
Originally published at https://www.thehappypuppers.com on December 9, 2019.