Does my spaniel need a fleece/jacket

[Aria20]

As per the title, does a spaniel need a fleece or jacket/coat now it's getting colder? It was -1 here today and every other dog, except a lab, we saw on our walks today had either a fleece or a coat on and it made me feel like a neglectful owner!! Pup is nearly 10 months old if that makes a difference?

I can see the attraction of one with sleeves and the underbelly covered to keep them a bit dryer and cleaner if the grass is wet and muddy or even snowy. I kind of thought it was just greyhounds or chihuahuas and small terriers that wore jackets and fleeces but breeds of all shapes and sizes were wearing them today.

So if your dog has a fleece or jacket do you recommend it and is it needed for warmth or to keep the clean up easier?!

On another note, am I the only one who wishes dogs could have wellies lol how much easier would that be than washing and drying muddy paws constantly?!

I have a spaniel and she doesn't have a coat/ fleece. She doesn't seem to need one- probably because of all the running around she does!
Round here only the small dogs have coats.

For cuteness value, I vote yes.

No it doesn’t need a coat for walks. Only if it will be sitting for a long time somewhere cold
Please be careful washing mud off paws. It’s fine on some dogs but mud and then water can make for sore skin. Sometimes you have to let them dry then brush it off. It does depend on the dog.

Depends what sort of spaniel. If it’s a working springer, then definitely not. If it’s a show cocker or cavvie, then maybe.

Two working springers here and definitely not.

Has he/she asked for one 😂?

Dogs have hair for a reason - one of which is to keep them warm (spaniels have long hair!)! That being said DDog (a 9 year old Irish Terrie) is not keen on heavy rain so we use an Equafleece in monsoon conditions ( but not for cold/frosty/snowy)

A big fat NO! A spaniel does not need a fleece.In fact(apart from greyhounds) no dog needs a fleece.It is a stupid human invention purely for commercial interest,but certainly not in the dogs interest.

Our short haired terrier mix will not move if you put a coat on her. She stands completely still and can't even be tempted to move with food. Once you take it off, she'll bound out of the house and leap into icy ponds without a care in the world.

I once put my WCS in one when he was a young puppy and he refused to walk. Would not budge AT ALL.

Never tried again and he runs around so much I doubt he even feels the cold and I haven't seen him shiver on walks.

My spaniel X Bedlington (so a thinner coat than a Spaniel) will still take himself off to lie down in a stream or puddle to cool down after a hard work out even at this time of year. So, no a normal youngish, healthy dog does not need a coat.

@BiteyShark

I once put my WCS in one when he was a young puppy and he refused to walk. Would not budge AT ALL.

Never tried again and he runs around so much I doubt he even feels the cold and I haven't seen him shiver on walks.

I did the same with my dog when he was younger. He had a lovely ruffwear raincoat. I ended up giving it to a local dog rescue where they will have malnourished, elderly or unwell dogs who actually need it.

Spuddog didn’t have one for walking until he got very old. Then I made him his own fleece-lined wax jacket because I couldn’t find one I liked! He looked very dapper in it.

However, when he was a young roughy toughy spaniel, he just had a fleece jumper for after wet walks - stopped him shivering in the car and dried him out a bit more quickly. As long as your pup is healthy and not shivering or anything, they almost certainly don’t need a coat. But a drying jumper for afterwards can be very handy.

Ok thanks all as I thought really their fur should do the job. She does have a drying gown for if she gets soaked or goes swimming. I don't think she'd mind wearing something as she wears a high vis sometimes at night lol

I have a flat, short haired WCS she doesn't wear one on walks.

She does get cold at home though so has some jumpers for the house. Bit outside when she is on the move, no she doesn't.

The people with spaniels (cavs excluded) who do put coats or equifleeces on their dogs, do so to reduce how much mud is stuck to them after a walk. And they are careful about ensuring their dogs don't over heat.

Never known anyone to use them to keep their spaniels warm.

It depends entirely on the dog.

My beagle really feels the cold and will shake and shiver like mad if he doesn't have a coat on once the temperature hits freezing, but I know other, smaller dogs who are fine with no coat because they constantly zoom about, for example.

I don't like coats for fashion but some dogs do get cold and coats can also be really helpful when it comes to keeping them clean and dry.

@Darkpheonix yes that's what I'm thinking make it easier to keep them clean

Delighted you asked this OP. I have a 2 year old springer and was wondering about coats too. If there's a river he will definitely get into it so i figured a coat would be redundant but i wondered about being out in the cold if it's chucking down rain. So it seems that no matter the weather, no coat needed. I bring a towel to dry him so he's not freezing in the car on the way home

I wouldn’t put my Springer in a coat or fleece, but he loves his hooded towel after a wet walk! So do my floors

I've got a working cocker and a sprocker. They'd be a danger to themselves in any form of coat when on a walk!! But we do have fleeces and drying coats that they have on when they've had the inevitable bath after a walk. We haven't got heating in our kitchen so I worry about them cooling down too quickly.

My DDog cocker spaniel didn't need a coat until he became elderly (16y). Spaniels are very lively dogs with thick hair, they definitely do not need a coat.

We have a drying coat too but no jumper for when he's out. Once he's off lead he's permanently running so I think he would overheat!

I know that springer spaniels are double coated so really don’t need a coat to keep them warm, plus DDog wouldn’t keep it on running through all the undergrowth anyway. Not sure about other spaniels but a quick google would tell you. My old dog (terrier) did need a coat if it was cold because he would shiver.

I have my spaniel clipped quite short so sometimes I put him in one if its very cold. Also if it’s very muddy to help keep the belly clean.

We do use one for our spaniel if it’s freezing temperatures and we are standing around eg a football match. But not for walks as he’s non stop!