What!! Dogs LOVE snow, and I've never known a dog who disliked the wind to the point where they did not want to go walkies!! I know my big boys are hairy wolves, so therefore don't count, but I am talking about my daughter's smooth coated chihuahua. he goes for 5 miles a day - without a coat - even in all this freezing weather and snow we have had. IMO and my experience dogs will face ANY weather to have a walk. It is US who want to stay curled up in the warm. As my husband says, only a dog owner like himself would be seen walking out in filthy weather wearing an Australian drovers hat and a long riding mac and yet not be arrested as a potential flasher!!

You have obviously not met a basenji, they do need coats when it's cold, they do not come from cold climates and don't have natural coats to cope with it.

They hate the rain and mine are not happy with snow, they don't even like walking on wet grass! You have to absolutely insist they go out for a wee when it's wet outside or they will just as likely come in and do it on the floor.

Well Chihuahuas come from Mexico, but Gucci loves the snow and wet!! Mind you, he didn't when he first came to live with us - he's my daughter's dog - but OH refused to pick him up when he snivelled, or put his Gucci (yes, honestly, it's a real Gucci hand-knitted coat from Gucci ) coat on him. I am not saying your dogs would toughen up, because I have no experience of your breed, other than they look gorgeous, but certainly Gucci responded very well and very quickly to his more robust handling!!

Nope, dogs warm up when walking not cool down.

I wouldn't dream of walking an elderly dog in the cold, especially one that would "slow down." why on earth would I do that?

Same applies, I wouldn't put the dog in that position, that would be cruel IMO.


See above.

btw, no, I have never met a Basenji, but would love to. They look absolutely gorgeous in their photos!

Of course they dont, but tell me why they "need" a coat? Thats a human thing not a dog thing. What you must realise is most of these dogs were bred to work OUTDOORS in all weathers. Look at Whippets etc... yet people dress them up in all sorts they can withstand very low temperatures perfectly well, its their owners that have the issue not the dogs.

I strip my Borders out when they need it, Breeze is stripped out now, she hasnt got to "wear" anything other than her own coat, she doesnt lose condition, she works in whatever weather it is when required and will be in a kennel (with heat lamp) along with Orey or Livvy when she is at work with me, or in the paddock. None of them lose weight.

Dogs do far better when owners dont faff with their natural resistence. Making them wear coats makes them less tolerant of the weather.

it depends on the individual dog imo.

my lurcher would always go swimming in his so i gave up.

when flea was in the run at work in the winter he had a coat (but now doesnt cos i eased him in with the coat )

we have messed around with dogs so much,i can see why alot of breeds would need a coat.

eta, a coat wouldnt help allergies unless it was like a doggie gimp suit lol

I have to say I agree with you. A lovely tiny skinny little lurcher comes into our local, and his owner would DIE rather than put him in a coat. I have never seen this dog shiver, and he is the thinnest, tiniest lurcher I have ever seen, a cracking little dog he is too. You couldn't get much smaller than my daughter's chi, and yet he too never wears a coat. In the woods at the weekend, when it was about minus 1, he even went for a swim in a deep puddle of melted snow and ice!! He shivered for a bit after that, but after a good run with the big boys, he soon warmed up.

Diesel wears a wax jacket if it's mega cold. Otherwise he just wears his raincoat

Yes, I agree with Dawn too that if a dog is working, it wouldnt need a coat but out of the millions of dogs owned in this country, how many actually do any work of any description? Plus, if a dog was working, a coat wouldnt be practical, it would only hinder the dog anyway.

I'm not a dog coat fan, I like my dogs to be hardy so i'm not advocating them in any major way. I am simply pointing out that some breeds who have a thin coat or little fat coverage may get cold when their owners are standing about yacking about the price of eggs.

It all depends on what the dog does when it's out in wet, cold weather. If it's running around then no, a coat is a daft idea but if the dog wont have the opportunity to stoke it's own fire then it perhaps needs an extra layer. And, I would never buy a fashion coat.

My ex has a rough coated border collie and wanted to know of any full body suits that would fit it as it shivered alot and he didnt like it's belly getting wet. Somebody told him the dog should "man the f**k up" and I very much agree!