How many times have we seen dogs dressed in jackets or shoes down the street while their owners walk them? Dressing up dogs has become a booming fad in recent years, more and more owners seek to protect their furry from the cold by putting clothes on them, or more and more owners are also dressing their furry as a hobby or fashion, but is this practice really recommended?
There are many opinions on this, however, many experts recommend the use of vests on certain occasions. In this article we give you a series of clues so that you know if you really should dress the dogs or not.
When should we dress the dogs?
To begin with, it goes without saying that dressing the dog it should never be a whimsical or aesthetic decision. It is likely that, if you are guided by these factors, you end up disturbing your dog's comfort and ridiculing him to the extreme. What's the point of dressing dogs with accessories and clothing if they don't really need it? None.
Nature is wise, and by sheer logic, we can say that dogs' fur is all they need to protect themselves from the cold. Let's not forget that the dog's ancestors were wild, and they fully adapted to their natural habitat without the need to use anything.
However, over the years, the human being has been varying the races and domesticating them. Domestic dogs tend to grow in heated environments that keep them warm during the colder months, which is why, when leaving the house, the sudden change in temperature can be very aggressive for the animal, especially for smaller dogs , which due to their body surface, lose heat more quickly than the large ones.
Experts suggest that dressing dogs is only necessary in very specific cases:
- Dogs with short hair and not very abundant. Many dogs have such short coats that a too cold outside temperature can affect their health. See if the low temperatures affect it negatively.
- Elderly dogs. Older dogs may be more vulnerable to low temperatures than younger ones, they are likely to suffer from osteoarthritis, their muscles are somewhat weaker, and their defense system is no longer as efficient as in the past.
- Dogs that shiver when outside. You should pay attention to whether your dog trembles excessively when it is outside, whether they have long or short hair. There are dogs that are very cold simply because, like humans, they tolerate low temperatures less. In the event that the situation improves if he is wearing a coat, you will already have the answer: your dog prefers a heater to a walk in the snow.
How to dress the dogs in case of need?
For the coat to do its job, must cover the dog's back from withers to tailOtherwise, the lumbar area would be uncovered, which is the area of the spine that suffers the most from the cold.
If your dog suffers from cervical problems, we recommend that you look for a coat that covers the neck.
It is also important that you look for garments that are made with comfortable materials, without seams or elements that can irritate or damage the animal's skin. Also, notice that the coat don't limit your movements whether you decide to walk or run. The offer of clothes for dogs today is already very wide.
We recommend that you base yourself on the dog's needs and its comfort. It is always much better to choose a practical garment than one that is too ostentatious, full of details, such as tutus or items that stand out.
Thanks for writing this article, I really enjoyed reading it.
It is true that clothing for dogs, especially for small breeds, is increasingly important among pet owners.
As you indicate, there are coats and jerseys for dogs that help keep our friends warm, but also to do it with style.
Other uses of clothing for dogs are also important, such as t-shirts to cover wounds and prevent scratching, so you do not have to use Elizabethan collars, which are sometimes quite annoying and somewhat traumatic for dogs.