With Met Eireann’s warnings of temp drops and snowy conditions on the way for Christmas 2023, I’ve put together a winter care guide for you and your dog.
When out on winter walks, be sure to keep your dog wrapped up warm as well as yourself. The finer coated breeds such as dachshunds, sighthounds and bull breeds need a weatherproof coat to keep the chill out while walking. Remember, the winter rule for dog coats is “if you need a coat, they need a coat”. Older dogs and puppies will need an extra layer too and may need less time outside then you might think. Allow for a short walk to ramble and sniff and then head back inside for warmth. Increase mental stimulation with enrichment and use the time to build up some training skills indoors than loads of time walking outside.
If you do a lot of public paths or road walking, be aware of salt and grit on your dogs’ paws. Grit keeps us safe from icey conditions but is poisonous to dogs who tend to lick their paws post walk or can irritate their pads and toes if left on after walking.
It may be a good habit to get into to wash down their paws with lukewarm water after walking to help keep them safe. Leave a bowl of warm water next to the door to dip your dog’s paws in post walk. Also, when walking in the snow, always check for snow between your dogs’ toes or paw pads. This can turn to ice balls especially in longer coated dogs and become very painful so be sure to dry your dog off after each walk during colder snaps.
It should go without saying, that no dog should be left outdoors in harsh weather conditions at any time of the year. They need to be wrapped up warm indoors in freezing temperatures.
Remember, dog beds and baskets can become wet at this time of the year, particularly if you own a long haired dog. Be sure to dry off muddy and wet dogs post-walk and make sure they have a warm, dry bed to retire to.
Keep in mind, us dog owners will be walking in the darker mornings and evenings for a bit longer in winter. If you don’t already, maybe look into a hi-viz coat, bandana, flashing collar or tags, or some other hi visibility safety product for your dog. There are lots of different bits and pieces on the market. Be sure they have excellent recall too, as you can easily lose sight of them if you let them off in dark or poorly lit field or dog park. A light up collar will help you to keep track of them and, as always, be sure they have tags with your phone number on their collar or harness and that their microchip is upto date and registered.
Be sure to adjust their food accordingly, especially if your dog is a senior dog or has a thinner coat like a greyhound or whippet, they may need their portions increased as their body is burning more calories to keep them warm.
Try keep them and you active indoors! Take a look at some of our other blog posts on mental stimulation for indoors and past times to do with dogs for the longer winter evenings. Keep in mind, particularly at this time of year, be sure to allocate lots of cuddle time over the next few weeks, light the fire, cosy up on the couch with your favourite four legged family member and a movie and let’s see the colder months through!
