Do Dogs Need Sweaters When It's Cold?

dogmom said:
ah, Pat - u have a Basenji! Haven't seen recently outside of competition but at a training place I used to assist at, one of the clients had one. I can see where your dog would need a cover. My guys don't. We are in the same climate.
you do any coursing with her/him?
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Yeah, Basenji's don't have an undercoat, and his coat is very short. I believe the type is called a "hard" coat. Each individual hair is very straight and shiny.

No, we don't do any coursing. He could probably make good use of it though! He has a lot of energy! And he's a bit on the pudgy side! :shock:
 
Here's a pic of Nakai in his sweater. He's actually a Basenji-terrier mix, but if you know what a Basenji looks like, you can't miss it! :giggle:
 

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some years ago, when we had our original pair of dogs of which our elderly Lab is now the remaining half, we tried LC with them. Moose the Lab in particular was pretty funny because when he realized he hadn't actually killed anything, he quit. So we put him back in the van with his seat belt on with the vehicle all open <it was a hot Summer day> and returned across the parking lot to the field where the course was, to watch the others. Suddenly someone calls out - "Loose dog on the field!" and we see a medium black dog dragging something zooming past us to the flying lure - OUR dog. He somehow oozed out of the harness and car belt without breaking or chewing either, ran across the parking lot to race! During an event like this there's some commotion of dogs barking who are waiting their turn, and the lure itself makes a noise as it zips along the line, the bag flaps....so I'm sure he was excited to hear everything but realized that he was suddenly not part of it. So hubby ran over and picked up our wayward Lab like a sack of potatoes and hauled back to the car:lol:
 
I have little dogs, both chihuahuas. They definitely need sweaters. Usually at this time of year, they run out, do their thing, and run right back in...but if I am taking them outside for any longer amount of time than it takes them to pee, the coats go on. I have several, and the best are the ones that are easy to get on them, because believe me, they see me coming with the coats and you would think by their reaction that I am going to chop their legs off. They HATE putting their coats on.

As for bigger dogs, I have a friend out near Pittsburgh who has many mastiffs...she does rescue, but has over 10 that live with her permanently. And she puts coats on them. I guess it mostly depends on the breed, the dog's health and weight too...but it can be preference as well, or just wanting a dog who stays outside for a long time to be comfy.

Here is one of my dogs, Oobi, modeling one of the best coats out there...called a "Fido Fleece" They cover everything, entire belly too, have a little turtleneck and go half way down the front legs. A little of a pain to get on, they velcro up the back, but definitely the dog wearing it stays toasty warm!
 

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jenniifer said:
Here is one of my dogs, Oobi, modeling one of the best coats out there...called a "Fido Fleece" They cover everything, entire belly too, have a little turtleneck and go half way down the front legs. A little of a pain to get on, they velcro up the back, but definitely the dog wearing it stays toasty warm!
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The Fido Fleece sweaters are great! That's what Nakai has (see post above). They do cover most everything. I like that they cover the hips better than some other sweaters, especially in larger dogs who are prone to hip dysplasia.

Nakai has learned to raise each paw as we put the sweater on him. He doesn't mind having it on while he's outside, but when he comes in, if you don't catch him right away, he starts rubbing on the couch like a cat to get it off! :giggle:

We have also used it on him while camping, if he begins to shiver in the night. At that point he actually loves having it on, and it moves with him so you don't have to worry about replacing it when he changes position like a blanket.
 
PatsCats said:
The Fido Fleece sweaters are great! That's what Nakai has (see post above). They do cover most everything. I like that they cover the hips better than some other sweaters, especially in larger dogs who are prone to hip dysplasia.

Nakai has learned to raise each paw as we put the sweater on him. He doesn't mind having it on while he's outside, but when he comes in, if you don't catch him right away, he starts rubbing on the couch like a cat to get it off! :giggle:

We have also used it on him while camping, if he begins to shiver in the night. At that point he actually loves having it on, and it moves with him so you don't have to worry about replacing it when he changes position like a blanket.
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Lucky you that he doesn't mind having it put on! Both of my dogs were adopted well after puppyhood, so I don't think they were used to wearing coats. Those Fido Fleeces sure are warm, but they are expensive, I paid over 20$ for the extra small Oobi is wearing. And that was way back when I first got him, he was emaciated, very underweight. Now it is too small on him, so little 6lb Pep wears the Fido Fleece, and Oobi wears a cute little parka type coat that I got at Walmart. I need to get him another Fido Fleece. You can't beat them for quality, and as you say, how well they cover.

Nakai sure is cute!
 
huh? Dogs need sweaters?! I grew up with dogs, sweaters for them are not part of my dictionary! They got what is called "fur" or "hair".
 
LinuxGold said:
huh? Dogs need sweaters?! I grew up with dogs, sweaters for them are not part of my dictionary! They got what is called "fur" or "hair".
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For the most part this is true. Dogs are genetically set up to build a nice winter coat as the temperatures drop. But one of the breeds in my dog's background is the Basenji, which comes from Africa, where it is very warm and dry. Because of this, my dog avoids water, and does not develop a "winter coat," as it is not in his genetic make up. His coat is very short and thin. There are places on him where he has almost no hair at all. Again, due to his genetic makeup. The current temperatures here are just below freezing, and this week, evening temps are predicted to get below zero. He just wears the sweater when he goes outside. Some Basenji owners keep a sweater on their dog all through the winter.
 
Wirelessly posted

Never had a dog that needed sweaters. No point in owning a dog that isn't adept to the local climate. We're not that much of a materialistic person to seek one that doesn't fit in our environment.

Although because of how often it rains here, I should had gotten one with waterproof fur like a lab or a golden retriever.
 
souggy said:
Wirelessly posted

Never had a dog that needed sweaters. No point in owning a dog that isn't adept to the local climate. We're not that much of a materialistic person to seek one that doesn't fit in our environment.

Although because of how often it rains here, I should had gotten one with waterproof fur like a lab or a golden retriever.
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how do you connect this with materialism? Maybe inconvenient, say if you live in the north pole and get a greyhound instead of a husky...but that is the person's choice...though sometimes during the really cold days here, it can be a pain in the butt to have to put coats on the dogs every time they need to go out and pee!!
 
jenniifer said:
how do you connect this with materialism? Maybe inconvenient, say if you live in the north pole and get a greyhound instead of a husky...but that is the person's choice...though sometimes during the really cold days here, it can be a pain in the butt to have to put coats on the dogs every time they need to go out and pee!!
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Because obviously owning the specific breed is more important than their welfare or their health. I have seen way too many people get golden retrievers in the South, and usually clip them twice a year because their coat is not well-suited for the heat.

It's the same thing up north too. Some people have sickly dogs because they're not well-adapted to the cold, damp winters we get in B.C. Got nothing to do with irresponsible pet ownership, the dog or anything: just a lack of awareness of the weather.
 
I didn't choose the Basenji mix. A friend found him and took him in, but the dogs she already had in her home wouldn't accept him into the pack. I was looking for a dog, took him home to try him out with my cats and he worked just fine, so he became part of my pack.

It's probably a good thing that he ended up in my home. He has been very stubborn and difficult to train. In another home he may have been turned back out onto the streets, or taken to the local shelter, only to be returned again and again, and maybe eventually euthanized for being "troublesome," or "unadoptable." We have shown a great deal of patience and he is a much different dog than he was when we first got him. :)

He was taken off the streets, and he is still off the streets. He lives comfortably (sometimes too comfortably!) in my home, and wears a sweater when he goes outside and the temperature is below 20 degrees. And when it's below zero, I put a fleece coat over the sweater! :giggle:
 
PatsCats said:
I didn't choose the Basenji mix. A friend found him and took him in, but the dogs she already had in her home wouldn't accept him into the pack. I was looking for a dog, took him home to try him out with my cats and he worked just fine, so he became part of my pack.

It's probably a good thing that he ended up in my home. He has been very stubborn and difficult to train. In another home he may have been turned back out onto the streets, or taken to the local shelter, only to be returned again and again, and maybe eventually euthanized for being "troublesome," or "unadoptable." We have shown a great deal of patience and he is a much different dog than he was when we first got him. :)

He was taken off the streets, and he is still off the streets. He lives comfortably (sometimes too comfortably!) in my home, and wears a sweater when he goes outside and the temperature is below 20 degrees. And when it's below zero, I put a fleece coat over the sweater! :giggle:
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That was very kind of you to take the dog , it most likely would had been killed or send to some lab and treated like a lab rat! Labs buy shelter dogs to do horrible tests on them! :(
 
Tonight's temps are dipping down into the single digits, with wind chills below zero. Chicago TV stations are telling folks to bring outdoor pets inside, and don't let indoor pets stay out very long. Sweaters help them stay out till they actually finish what they need to do!
 
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