Introduction
Is this your first winter with your dog? Or do you and your dog struggle a little during the winter? Dog care in winter brings challenges of limited daylight for walking which can limit their exercise as well as provide extra challenges for anxious dogs. The cooler weather may impact on dogs not just on walks but in the house too and wet walks mean wet dogs when you come back in! My biggest tip is to lean into it and make sure you are all warm, happy, dry and well exercised đ Here are some tips to help get you into this winter …
1. Walking in the dark
If youâve had a summer pup you may not have walked them much in the dark. Try walking at dusk first before going out in the pitch black. As there are less hours of daylight walks may be shorter, on lead and on footpaths rather than in the countryside or on a playing field. High viz jackets and light up collars allow other pedestrians, dog owners and vehicle drivers to see where you are. This is especially important if you are walking an anxious or reactive dog as you really want to avoid your dog being startled by the sudden appearance of a person or dog up really close. It may be that if your dog is super anxious of the dark you’ll have to ensure they get their walks during daylight hours.
2. Finding their poop in the dark!
A headtorch is a great addition for walking in the dark and is almost essential for finding and safely picking up their poop which otherwise can appear to have âdisappearedâ! Also, clearly useful if you are dog walking in the dark where there is limited street lighting too đ
3. Extra enrichment
Give your dog extra enrichment activities when walks are all very short. Free work, food based enrichment and extra interactive training sessions with you are all ideal. Remember, rest days with no walks are allowed too!
4. Save time, energy and conflict about paw wiping
A microfibre door mat or even a bath mat by the back door really helps dry their feet off each time they come in when its wet out.
5. Are they warm enough at home?
Make sure they are warm enough in the house, especially as energy prices soar and we are all trying to set the thermostat a little lower. Dogs who are laying on their back snoozing are unlikely to be cold, but watch for dogs who curl in a tiny ball and try to bury themselves in their bedding as they may be struggling to keep to a comfortable temperature. Again, thinner coated, very young, very old or small dogs may need extra support such as a fleece to wear in the house during the day. If they used to sleep through the night and start waking again it could be that they are cold so add blankets on top of the crate to help keep heat in and give them extra blankets to snuggle inside.
6. Do they need a coat for walkies?
Dog coats? When we were children, dogs didnât wear coats, so do they really need one?
For sure some dogs donât mind being out in the cold and the wet, these tend to be the dogs with the thick double coat and the larger breeds or those with a good layer of natural insulation. Typically, smaller breeds with thinner coats feel the cold the worst e.g. chihuahua, greyhound, pug, bulldogs and boxers, and the beagle but also the Great Dane whoâs coat is very short. Very young and very old dogs may also struggle to regulate their temperature and joint pain may be worse in the cold too. For these dogs a coat may be essential for cooler and wetter walks.
Whatâs important is to watch and listen to your dog. Brandon used to be very happy laying down in a puddle in the sleet. Lawrence the Labrador on the other hand doesnât have such a dense double coat, he hates getting cold and wet, his eyes get blinky if the rain is horizontal, heâll still try and tiptoe round puddles. For a dog like Lawrence, if you really stop and think about it, a coat is unlikely to make a difference as heâll still be blinky and tiptoe around puddles so instead we try to have fun in the water! What coats do for me though is mean that I have less wet and mud to sort out when we get home.
Iâd particularly recommend Equafleece for smaller dogs as they keep them warm, clean and dry so you can be outside for longer. And youâll need to introduce them gently, ideally as a puppy to the idea of wearing a coat. Go for a minimally invasive style first before going for one with four legs and a tight head hole.
7. Do you steam up?
If you wear glasses then I canât recommend a base ball cap enough, it keeps your glasses from getting wet when it rains. This is why I wear a ‘sealskinz’ brand waterproof cap đ
8. Fiddly fingers
Good quality warm waterproof gloves with a bit of grip for poo bags, treats and other fiddly tasks. I love the âseal skinzâ brand and wouldnât be without them over the winter.
9. Keeping yourself comfortable and dry
Really comfortable waterproofs and walking boots make winter wet weather walks enjoyable. I have two types boating and fishing gear as they are waterproof for longer. I don’t tend to recommend umbrellas as it’s another thing to hold when there are leads to content with. I also have mountaineering boots as I find wellies too uncomfortable and not warm enough.
10. Doggy Drying Coats
I discovered these fairly recently and they are brilliant for helping get wet dogs completely dry. I towel mine off at the back door and then pop them in a doggy drying coat for ten minutes in the house. It stops any shake offs decorating your walls!
If you have any great winter dog care tips please leave us a comment đ