Do Dogs Really Need Coats in Winter?

Some people may say that the dog's fur could keep out the cold, wearing coats is simply superfluous!  For sure, This view is one-sided. Compared to the cold protection only rely on clothes for humans, it is indeed better. But in the world of dogs, different breeds of dogs have different resistance to the cold. Dogs like Alaskan, whose own furs are resistant enough to the cold, generally do not need to add coats. Honestly, the ability of domesticated dogs to withstand the cold is really getting worse.

TOP 10 Dog Breeds That Hate Cold Weather

1.Pug

Pug dog coats

Pugs are happy in the city or countryside with children or the elderly and are their only pets or in packs. They love to eat and must be kept trimmed with care. They do best in moderate climates (not too hot or too cold), but with proper care, pugs can be their lovable selves anywhere.

The pug is a very short respiratory tract of the dog, it is not strong, resistance is weak, and the fur is very short, so it is easy to feel uncomfortable in winter.

Breed Height Weight  Life Expectancy
Pug 10-13 inches 14-18 pounds 13-15 years


2.French Bulldog

French Bulldog
The fur of the French Bulldog is even shorter than that of the Pug, and it is super afraid of the cold. Because of its body structure and genetics, the bulldog is weak and prone to illness, and because of its short furs and lack of cold tolerance, it is more likely to feel cold due to sudden changes in temperature or constant low temperatures. If your dog wants to go out in winter, pls wear a dog coat, or the poodle will easily get sick from the cold. Therefore, when the temperature changes, you should pay attention to the body of your doodle and do a good job of keeping it warm.

Breed Height Weight  Life Expectancy
French Bulldog 11-13 inches under 28 pounds 10-12 years


3.Chinese Crested

Chinese Crested
The Chinese Crested dog is one of the few "furless dogs" in the world. Its biggest characteristic is that it has only some sparse hair on the top of its head, so it is called a Crested dog, and since its body fur is sparse and its skin is directly exposed to the outside world, it will freeze and shiver when the temperature gets low. When the weather gradually becomes cold, they really need warm coats or jackets.

Breed Height Weight  Life Expectancy
Chinese Crested 11-13 inches 8-12 pounds 13-18 years


4.Bull Terrier

Bull Terrier
Bull Terrier looks very unique, if you see it for the first time, it is likely to think that it is not a dog, but belongs to some other species, but also become a kind of famous dog on the Internet, do not look at their muscles are very strong, in fact, the fur is very short, but also very afraid of cold dogs, in the cold winter, if you do not pay attention to keep warm, it is likely to appear frostbite situation.

Breed Height Weight  Life Expectancy
Bull Terrier 21-22 inches  50-70 pounds 12-13 years


5.Chihuahua

Chihuahua
Chihuahua's fur is also very short, it has a round head, large and thin ears, large and round eyes, some people think this kind of dog is very cute, they are too small to store much heat, even if it is a long-fur Chihuahua, it can not change its fear of cold physique.
Once the cold days, it like staying in a warm house.

Breed Height Weight  Life Expectancy
Chihuahua 5-8 inches not exceeding 6 pounds 14-16 years


6.Greyhound

Greyhound
The Italian Greyhound also called the Sighthound, is native to the Middle East and is one of the fastest running dogs in the world. Although it is muscular, it has very little fat, and its coat is short and smooth, so it is poorly protected from the cold and is more afraid of the cold than the average dog! It is relatively athletic, even in winter, it needs at least an hour of exercise every day, so when taking it outside, pls take a dog coat.

Breed Height Weight  Life Expectancy
Greyhound(male) 28-30 inches 65-70 pounds 10-13 years
Greyhound(female) 27-28 inches  60-65 pounds 10-13 years


7.Doberman Pinscher

Doberman Pinscher
The Doberman Pinscher looks very powerful and strong, it is also a big muscular dog, but the muscle is not very useful to resist the cold, and its fur is very short. Their ancestors all lived in Germany, a country with warm winters and cool summers, and did not evolve the proper gear to resist the cold.
The Doberman Pinscher can be trained to be a very good watchdog, and training with snack rewards, such as gluttonous unctuous goat cheese, will make the dog perform even better.

Breed Height Weight  Life Expectancy
Doberman Pinscher(male) 26-28 inches 75-100 pounds 10-12 years
Doberman Pinscher(female) 24-26 inches 60-90 pounds  10-12 years


8.Poodle(Standard)

Poodle
The Poodle has a curved fur and was originally not very cold-shy, but breeders have shrunk them smaller and smaller, causing this breed to become increasingly cold-shy as well.

Breed Height Weight  Life Expectancy
Poodle(male) Over 15 inches 60-70 pounds 10-18 years
Poodle(female) Over 15 inches 40-50 pounds 10-18 years


9.Whippet

Whippet
The Whippet is the equivalent of the smaller Greyhound, and their furs are even shorter than the Greyhound, so they feel cold in the winter.

Breed Height Weight  Life Expectancy
Whippet(male) 19-22 inches 25-40 pounds 12-15 years
Whippet(female) 18-21 inches 25-40 pounds 12-15 years


10.Yorkshire

Yorkshire
Yorkshire's fur looks long, but only a thin layer, can not save heat, cold tolerance is also very poor.

Breed Height Weight  Life Expectancy
Yorkshire 7-8 inches 7 pounds 11-15 years

Help! Why My Dog Feels Cold!

 If you don't know how to determine whether your dog is cold or not, see if it meets the following points.

  • Short fur
  • small size
  • old
  • young
  • sick

Make Puppy Warm in Winter

Finally to talk about how to take care of these dogs afraid of cold in winter.
1. First of all, is definitely wearing clothes.
Try to choose dog coats or jackets that can cover the whole body of the dog, which can reduce the probability of frostbite. But don't wear too tight, or will strangle the dog uncomfortable. 
2. Do a good job of indoor insulation, if the dog doesn't want to go out, no force doggies.
Many dogs will also be frozen indoors, there are conditions, try to prepare the dog air conditioning or heating.
In addition, when taking the dog out, if the dog is very resistant, indicating that they can't adapt to the outdoor low temperature, then don't go out.
3. Prepare warm dog beds.
The day is cold, don't always let the dog lying on the cold floor, or no disease will freeze out of disease.
You can move the bed to a sunny place so that the dog more sunshine. Ultraviolet radiation can not only kill toxins and eliminate bacteria but also can enhance the dog's resistance.
4. The snowy areas try to wear shoes.
The ground has ice and snow in winter, itself easy to frostbite the dog's feet.
And many areas of snow removal will be sprinkled with salt, the dog's bare feet on the saltwater, easy to lead to dry and cracked meat pads, accidentally eat snow, but also vomiting and diarrhea.
5. Reasonable arrangements for dog walking time
The temperature difference between day and night in winter is large, and the temperature in the morning and evening is particularly low, so you can walk your dog later in the morning, or pick a good time to walk in the cold weather.
All in all, dogs are particularly vulnerable in winter, and all owners should take good care of their own dogs!

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