Does my dog need a coat?
Gimmick or necessity? As always with dogs, it depends …
The choice for doggie accessories has never been bigger, and “clothing” is no exception: from traditional quilted country coats to hoodie raincoats to onesies, any dog owner could be forgiven for being bewildered by the choice while also wondering if these garments are a must-have.
The obvious answer to the question is that your dog already has one anyway, right? Being cheeky aside though, this is the first question you need to think about, because obviously dogs have very different natural coats, some single, some double, some none at all. We can knock off a few breeds straight away: if you have a Chinese Crested, you will already have a coat anyway, and if you have a St Bernard, no you don’t need a coat. But for the majority of us, who may not even know if their dog has a natural double coat, there is a grey area where the answer is not as obvious as you might think.
Let’s look at each of the four most popular reasons you might want a coat for your dog:
1. To keep them dry
2. To keep them less muddy
3. To keep them warm
4. To look killer
1. Keeping your dog dry
So having done your quick search engine research on your breed or cross (or best guess for some rescues), you can make the first assumption about just how waterproof your dog naturally is. The answer should normally vary from quite a bit to a lot. Then what about the conditions you are happy to walk your dog in: do you still go for it in the pouring rain? Or no more than a little drizzle?
I have been caught out once in a deluge with my own dog when on a long walk – who is a hardy breed with a double coat – I was shocked to see him shivering a little later. So, if the coat gets wet enough for long enough, and don’t forget the effect of wind, your dog can indeed feel (and suffer) the cold just as a wet and cold “you” would. Therefore, a doggie raincoat, even for a hardier breed, is not always a bad idea.
Personally, I would not consider it for just going on a walk, and if it’s heaving it down, we will wait it out anyway. But if we’re off to go somewhere where I know we might have to queue or not move around so much outside, and it’s a constant drizzle, then why not?
But here’s the thing, and it’s a big thing – raincoat or none – getting your dog dry after your walk is important, because your dog’s welfare is of course the first priority. Because:
- You don’t want a wet dog sitting and lying around on your furniture (if you let them anyway of course)
- You wouldn’t like to walk around the house in a heavy, soaking wet towel-for-your-skin either, you are going to be miserable
- Prolonged wet coats can encourage parasites and infections
- Most importantly… recent research has been consistently linking early arthritis in dogs to having wet limbs for too much of their younger lives. It is now thought moisture is just important as cold in effecting joint health in the long term.
So, save yourself from storing up a big problem: when you dry your dog, leave them for a few minutes and then go at them again with another towel. They will thank you for it! (And those towelling robes or gloves work well too.)
2. Keeping your dog cleaner
I sympathize with this, but my bugbear here is when outdoor conditions are fairly benign. Sometimes making your dog wear a coat simply to save you a little extra cleaning off is more about your needs rather than the dog’s, when you think about it. We met a hound in the park once who was wearing an outdoor onesie when it was, ooh, a humid and balmy and unseasonal 15C after a little rain. The owner exclaiming how proud they were of the coat which “saves so much cleaning off!” Puurleasse!
We need to remember dogs overheat a lot quicker than we do: they can only sweat through their mouths and paw pads, and this particular dog breed naturally wears a thick, wire-y sheepskin coat, basically. It would have felt rather hot in that fetching red onesie. And only a small step to being dangerous: heatstroke is a serious condition for dogs whose onset can be rapid.
Having airflow over the dog, especially if they run about (which they may feel less likely to do wearing a tracksuit), is good for their skin and keeps mites and other parasites at bay. Ooh, it airs things out a little too! I’ll take a dog smelling of fresh air over a dog unwrapped from polyester any day! There’s also a reason they roll around, which is actually to do with cleaning and feeling good. (Okay, I admit rolling around in something smelly can be for a whole lot of reasons – not one for today!) My answer to this one is let your dog be a dog, and is taking an extra 90 seconds afterwards to towel them over really so bad? But if we’re talking about the odd occasion where it’s cold, rainy, very muddy, and you two gotta go out, well okay then, I hear ya!
3. Keeping your dog warm
Some of the same things apply here, but it could be you do need to consider keeping your dog warm, especially these days if they are coming back to a house that might be a little cooler than it used to be, as most of us are being careful with the central heating these days. Short-haired dogs, obviously, will naturally feel the cold more than their shaggier cousins, so when it is properly cold outside, I would say a warming coat is a must. Consider quilted varieties where warmth is more important than outright waterproof qualities.
If you’re not sure about your particular dog, watch their behaviour when they are out and about and when you get back home. Extremes apart (shivering, looking miserable), you know your dog better than anyone – does their body language and behaviour suggest they are feeling the cold? It touches on a really important point – that your dog is an individual. Sure, they may be a certain breed with a typical coat, but just like humans, some of us feel the effects of cold or dampness more than others and may be more predisposed to medical issues that arise from this.
So how cold is cold?
Because your dog is an individual and of certain breed characteristics, it is impossible to generalise, but a good rule of thumb is below 10C is when some dogs can feel the cold. Freezing (don’t forget “feels like” temperature – a must for any dog walker’s app) or windy or wet conditions such as snowy ground even on a less freezing day would make a coat a no-brainer for many dogs. It is also thought smaller dogs generally feel the cold more than larger varieties, although those with longer hair less so.
And this brings us to our second point – consider the age of your dog. Puppies and especially dogs who are getting advanced in years will almost certainly need a helping hand with the elements. More so the skinnier varieties. Older dogs are not generating their own heat as efficiently, and nor are they running around so much to help that along.
4. Looking Good
Having a dog should be fun and if it makes you happy to see them happy enough in designer gear, then that’s fine. There’s a lot of fun on Facebook to be had too! But please just keep in mind everything already touched on – your dog’s welfare is the priority. They can feel the physical effects of their environment, just like you. And give some thought to how other dogs behave around your dog when wearing a coat – body language is far more important to dogs than to us. Coats can mask important signals between dogs (such as hackles) which can lead to problematic interactions. Even certain colours might be a trigger for another dog who may not be so happy to see you bounding over.
And does your dog run about and seem as happy-go-lucky as when they are not wearing a coat? Do they like to swim a little and would otherwise feel hampered doing so? If we are still okay on this, I would always recommend giving them some naked freedom some of the time anyway, let them be dogs!
In conclusion
Hands up a who owns a hunting hound or a genuine husky? And there are other hardy breeds too for whom a coat is probably never needed. And sure, your grandparents may have always kept their dogs outside at all times, and many farming dogs still are. Thankfully though, we now know so much more about dog physiology, medical needs and emotional welfare. So keep in mind, just because a dog is “tough”, think about what that actually means to the two of you? Does that mean your dog enjoys being cold and wet? Nope! And does that mean you should without question part with your hard-earned cash and invest in a doggie Barbour? Not necessarily so.
Like I said at the very beginning, with all things dogs… it depends.
To conclude, gen up on your dog’s breed(s), consider their individual needs and traits, certainly their age. Even then, if you think you need a coat, consider what it is actually for. My mission is accomplished here if I have at least given you some pointers as only you can answer the question for yourself. It really will depend on your particular dog. After all that, if you’re still unsure, it probably means you should get one!
