Do dogs need coats?

[sunglassesonthetable]

I have a year old dog, so going into his first full winter.

He's a Bedlington with a short woolyish coat and a bit like a whippet underneath, build wise.

I see lots of dogs in the park with little padded coat/ waistcoat type things now that it's colder.
It has crossed my mind that a raincoat / oilskin type thing would be handy if it was tipping down as he wouldn't be bounding soaking wet back into the house. So Probably more for my benefit.

But how do you know if they actually need a coat for the warmth?

I am completely non judgmental either way just wondering if he could need one or not.

Look it up for the breed.

My whippets hound needs hers! She’s a shivering wreck without

Your dog will “tell” you if he’s cold! He’ll be dejected, shivering and cowering under a tree

Well, mine is anyway

Our mongrels (mainly lab/collie/spaniel/rottie crosses) never needed coats. I do sometimes think that dogs in the last 5 years (whippets etc aside) have become to be as mollycoddled as kids are. We've had dogs for over 20 years and never saw coats then.

Ok so it’s a no for a Labrador!

He will stick to his swish bandanas/flashing collar for dark

We don’t bath him often as I heard not to ... just paws/undercarriage as and when

I have a skinny parsons Jack Russell and I put a coat on him to just keep the windchill off and to stop him getting too soaked if it's raining. He does shiver and get a bit miserable without one if it's properly cold and wet. He spends a lot of time on beaches as well and it's draughty!

Our Bedlington wears a coat in cold and wet weather, and has done since she was young. She shivers if not. Their coat isn't as waterproof/thick as some breeds even though it looks woolly. She also wears jumpers in the house in very cold weather, especially overnight and more so now she is elderly but again has been doing so for years.

My Weimaraner gets very cold in the house but shreds any coat I put on her. So she sleeps under her own duvet.

Neighbours have 2 dogs same breed. One wears a coat, the other one doesn't. I suppose it depends on the dog as well

@ZolaGrey please would you post or PM me a phot of your dog, we are told by some our DDog is Parson but that she isn't by others... not found a wide selection of photos on line to compare...

My current dog is the first one I've had who really does feel the cold, I got her some Equafleece jumpers as recommended by a friend and they're absolutely brilliant. They dont slip or twist, the dog stays bone dry however wet the weather, and they can also be used to dry a wet dog after swimming or a bath. She has short legs and the sleeveless tankie fits best.

The ataffie doesnt like them and doesnt mind thr cold. My spanish dog is not keen on the british winter, so i have some jumpers and coats otherwise she shivers

My shorthaired dachshund wouldn't walk with his equafleece on, he kept warm enough while walking. I used to carry it in my pack to pop on him when we stopped for our picnic on long walks.This was despite him having seasonal alopecia , sparse hair on his tum. He think we were mad if we suggested a walk in the rain though, whatever the temperature. (He's nearly 15 now so he's not a hill climber any more)

I never did with my previous dog (rough collie) but now I have a cavalier King Charles spaniel and keep her coat clipped very short, so I have a couple of coats for her as I figure if you're taking enough of their coat away they're going to get cold.

We have a Bedlington Whippet and he shivers in the cold, especially if he gets wet. Even with all the running!

He has an array of excellent coats.

@YourWinter

My current dog is the first one I've had who really does feel the cold, I got her some Equafleece jumpers as recommended by a friend and they're absolutely brilliant. They dont slip or twist, the dog stays bone dry however wet the weather, and they can also be used to dry a wet dog after swimming or a bath. She has short legs and the sleeveless tankie fits best.

Mine loves her Equafleece, too

Depends on breed. Newfoundland or Husky, no. But for some (like my shivering chihuahua cross), a coat can really help them out. Mine has a waterproof with a fleecy layer. Top tip though, I bought him a fancy pants coat with a synthetic top layer to keep out the rain, but the scrunching sounds it makes as he walks along really freaks him out so that was a waste of money. Wax jackets or jumpers do the job.

@RandomMess

Apparently I only take photos of him in absurd sleeping positions now so this is from when he was about 2ish. He's slightly taller and a smidge longer now, and his face has refined a bit.

I think the main difference is the PJRTs are less barrel shaped than JRTs, with a smaller backend. Longer legs - mine is a solid head and shoulders taller than all the JRTs I know. Their faces seem to be a bit tighter and sharper too.

Before he was done he had one litter of puppies with a JRT (we had to stand her on a couple of books so she was high enough...) and the puppies were predominantly parsons, but a bit smaller overall, same classic parsons shape though.

@RandomMess

He also out runs all the JRTs we know, he can properly shift if he wants to!

Oh he's so gorgeous

Thank you all for your comments.

Outside my dog dashes around regardless of the weather, happy to be out. I've never seen him shiver tbh.

I'll keep an eye . Thank you for your advice.

Short haired JRT Cross here has just started wearing a coat for every walk, after being spotted shivering a couple of days ago, despite fairly fine weather.

I try to hold off as long as possible each winter - if I put a coat on him when it's a little bit cold, by the time it's really cold, that coat is no longer sufficient! Mind you, snow is still a two coat job!

I imagine it depends on the breed- you could ask your vet for advice. We have the opposite issue with our Pomeranian-he has a thick double coat designed for Eastern European winters so he’s comfortable in the cold and loves snow.

We have it trimmed short for the summer, though, or he really struggles and in the heat. He loves air conditioning.😄

Our dog is bald so he has jumpers and coats in winter.
It is going to depend on the dog.

@CaledonianSleeper

Mine wears a fleece coat for my benefit mostly, it keeps the mud off so he just needs a quick paws and tummy rinse after a walk rather than a full bath.

This is exactly why my dog has a coat! Having said that, it also keeps her a bit drier when it rains.

Breeder told us if the ears are cold the dogs cold, its very rare she is cold as she has a double coat I think as above really its breed specific

Most of the dogs round here who are wearing coats are poo-crosses and other fluffies, and it's an anti-mud measure