As you can imagine my 2-year-old Beagle, Fletcher, loves the great outdoors and we regularly go on 3-hour hikes across the beautiful Chiltern Hills. However, now with the temperature dropping over the last few weeks, I have noticed Fletcher shivering on occasion whilst we are out. As I wrap up well against the winter weather, I wondered if Fletcher should be wearing a coat or any other products to protect him against the elements? Do dogs feel the cold like we humans do?
Rebecca Morris, by email
I would say YES! However chose something comfortable with freedom of movement for long walks. My favourites are the fleeces - particularly Equifleece. So many coats don't cover the vulnerable chest area and slip around. The fleeces fit snuggly and repel water really well.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, dogs can feel cold just like us. If they are shivering indoors I would pop them into a cosy jumper. These ones come in some great vintage patterns are they are so cosy, comfortable and stylish too http://www.dfordog.co.uk/dog-jumpers.html
ReplyDeleteFor walkies, a shivering dog will likely be feeling chilly from the wind and/or rain so for that I would recommend a good quality waterproof jacket. This will stop the wind getting through and the rain from penetrating their coat. I love the Element Jacket by EzyDog. The 600 denier Ripstop nylon is brilliant protection and it is fleece lined too, for warmth. I like the fact that the jacket also incorporates light reflective piping to help with visibilty in low light conditions and it has zipped access for attaching a lead to the dog's harness. Lots more to say but have a read here to see what you think http://www.dfordog.co.uk/ezydog-element-dog-jackets.html