I'M hardly the one to ask about how to settle an argument with a spouse.
My motto is . . . "I win." So when a reader asked me to settle an argument between her husband and herself regarding whether they should cloak their dog for a walk during inclement weather, my answer was, well, read on.
The majority of our dogs are considered indoor dogs. This means they spend most of their time indoors except for their daily walks that last about and hour or so. As a result our dogs have been acclimatized the same way we have. It is warm, comfortable and dry inside and well, wet, snowy and freezing outside.
No argument there right?
There are some breeds of dogs that are perfectly fine with these varying weather situations outside. These dogs, like my German shepherd, have a very thick coat. In fact, they have two layers of coat. The top layer of fur, called guard hairs, literally guards against the weather conditions by allowing water and snow to slick off. When we had snow a few weeks back Zumi would be covered in falling snow within a few moments but with one quick shake she tossed the snow off her back and remained completely dry.
The second layer of coat is thick, soft, downy fine fur that lays close to the skin and acts as insulation to keep these dual-layered coat dogs warm.
Piper, my German shorthaired pointer, is a different story. He has no undercoat and his guard hairs are short and fine. The water slicks off his back in the light rain but as soon as it turns torrential he is soaked to the skin. The snow sticks to his short fur and the warmth emanating from his body immediately melts the snow, so in no time he is wet and cold. When we get home he shivers for a good hour if he gets soaked. So when we walk in bad weather Piper wears a rain jacket. On days when the thermometer drops below zero, he gets a fleece sweater. This is my personal choice on how I care for my dogs.
If you are trying to decide what is best for your dog, here are a few tips.
If you have a dog like a whippet, pointer, ridgeback or any breed of dog with short hair and no undercoat, exposing them to cold wet weather will be like you going for a jog in a t-shirt and shorts in the same weather. Most of these dogs were originally designed for hunting. Their short coat repelled burrs, mud, etc. and didn't weigh them down when wet. They could get through water and tall grasses quickly to find their prey. They were not designed for lengthy exposures to cold climates.
Dogs that are groomed have had their guard hairs and their natural insulating undercoat shaved off or at least shaved very close to the skin. As a result they are less able to keep themselves dry and warm naturally. My advice would be to either allow the dog to have its natural coat in the winter or give it back the insulation removed in grooming, which means a jacket or sweater.
If you are unsure if your dog has an undercoat, a wet down test will tell you. Try to wet your dog down to the skin. If it is next to impossible to soak your dog to the skin due to its thick hair, it has a second coat and adding a rain jacket or slicker is not necessary. If your dog gets wet to the skin easily in the bath it will appreciate the warmth a jacket will provide.
So there you have it: I win!
