My dog is wirehaired so snow sticks. If the snow is deep it covers her whole body and turns her into an ice ball so she wears a light wax jacket. By deep I mean over 18".
She hates pouring rain so if it's a lead walk she also wears a coat in winter if it's pishing down. If it's an off lead walk she doesn't give a toss so doesn't wear one.

The way i see it you would know whats best for your dog without having people telling you what to do, if he goes for long walks or gets let off the lead he won't really need one as he will warm up himself
My dog has fur about the same length as a lab and she has a thick coat as she is a wuss and i would prefer she was a bit hot than freezing. She is also 10 so i'm overprotective of her joints
the only dog i think should always where a coat in this sort of weather are the greyhound breeds. Unfortuantly i've seen a few walking through snow in this weather.

If its cold or really wet I put Tobys coat on for on lead walks. If he's off lead I only put it on when he finishes running around, just so he doesn't get cold on the way home.

He wore one alot more when he was a puppy than he does now. I got him a cheap one to start with just to see if we liked it/used it.

Well I have coats for my 2 lurchers and my greyhound. In fact they had a fleece under their coats too in the really cold snowy weather. They feel the cold a lot so they're essential. My collie and collie x however have thick coats so don't need a coat...tough as old boots they are!!!

Well, this is Orkney, prime farm country, where Border Collies live in barns, so my Thorgeir is already a spoiled git!
Put a coat on him and he'll lose what minimal street cred he has left! When I first got Kali, all those years ago, one farmer said to me "a pet collie is an abomination" - and that was with no coat!


Snorri

Some dogs would definitely overheat if given a coat, but others could become dangerously cold without one in temperatures such as we have been experiencing this winter.

Jimmi has virtually no fur at all on his tummy, and I was in despair because he flatly refused to move in any coat that we tried on him. I could not have risked taking an elderly terrier out in minus 7 and below without some protection.

I finally found the answer in a snug fitting fleece affair, which he loves!! He is warm, and I am happy to take him out in the most extreme weather.

I usually walk quickly to the park with Lana and she runs around there but last week when the roads were icy and I was walking slowly I put a coat on her as I noticed her shivering the day before. It's not a thick one, actually very thin with a waterproof outer which I got for her last year but didn't really use. I would have bought her a thicker one but with the post being so slow I didn't see the point but will look for one now as the next couple of months are supposed to be even colder.

I wouldn't let her wear it when she's running about but sometimes put it on her when she's finished running if I have to go slowly or if I decide to get the bus home after visiting someone and we're having to wait a while for the bus.

Lana's black and her coat is red and she looks so damned cute

Rogue, my Jack Russell has a couple of fleece jumpers and also a snug fitting ruffwear coat. Small dogs are vulnerable to low temperatures, as are elderly dogs, pups and dog with low body fat. I couldn't give a monkeys what other people think about her wearing a coat or jumper so long as she is comfortable. I have no heating at work so she wears a knitted jumper there too. I've had loads of comments about how dogs don't need coats, just as I've had comments about Dan's halter. people should mind their own beeswax!

In my opinion it shouldn't come down to 'toughness' but whether your dog actually needs one. If he is very young, has a thin coat, is shivering/cold and not dashing about a lot then putting a coat on him is nothing to be ashamed of, just a sensible decision on your part!

Molly has a waterproof coat that she wears if it is raining, snowing or very cold. At the minute she is wearing it on every walk because otherwise she refuses to get out the house We do get some nasty comments ('it's a dog, not a fashion accessory') but I tend to ignore those people.

IMO dogs that have coats of their own dont need any others! Personally I think they serve little purpose anyway.