Preparing Your Dog for Winter

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About a month or so before winter rolls around, you’ll find most people preparing themselves for the brutally cold months that await them. People need to make sure they have working heat in their homes and cars; they need to dig out all of their heavy coats, and they need to find or buy all of their winter gloves and boots. Just like people need to prepare for the icy winter months, dogs need to be prepared too.

If this is your pup’s first winter, then he or she doesn’t even realize that winters exists and has no idea what winter will be like. By preparing your dog for the winter, you’ll help keep your pooch as safe and happy as possible. If your dog is normally an outside dog, you may want to consider keeping him or her indoors a majority of the time during the worst parts of winter. Dogs can develop hypothermia if they’re exposed to the cold for too long. If your dog is small and the snow is deep, shovel a path for your dog outside. The path doesn’t have to be enormous, just big enough that your dog can safely do his or her business.

When your dog is inside, make sure he or she sleeps somewhere that’s warm. Don’t put your dog’s bed near windows due to possible drafts. Your dog may want extra blankets during these freezing months as well. Most people neglect to walk their dogs during the winter months due to snow, black ice, and freezing cold temperatures. If you aren’t walking your dog as much, make sure you’re still spending quality time with him or her; you don’t want your dog to feel neglected.

You’ll find that your dog either loves or hates the winter; there isn’t much of an in-between. If your dog loves the winter, that’s great. If your dog hates the winter, that’s okay because it only lasts a few months anyway. The better you prepare your dog for these chilly months, the better chance your dog has of enjoying the winter.