When to start putting on the jackets/coats/sweaters?

[CruzControl]

Hey all...Cruz is just over a year and a half. He gets picked up in the middle of the day while I am at work and is taken to the off leash park for an hour. I live just out side of Toronto in Canada so it can get very cold here in the winter.

I am just wondering when I should ask that they put his winter coat on when taking him to the park. Today it is 0c.... I don't want him to get too cold at the park.. but, I also know he is non-stop playing/running chasing etc. at the park so I don't want him to be to warm either.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

[BrentonC]

Ive been wondering the same thing in Calgary. I want Opie to be comfortable, but not if all of the other boxers will laugh and call him names.

[CruzControl]

Lol.. same here. I wish there were instructions for things like this!
I am a semi new Boxer mom..my first short coated dog so I am unsure. I am also thinking about his paws/pads in the snow for a full hour once the winter weather hits. Can I really send him to the off leash in booties?? lol... Poor Cruz...forever a mama's boy!

[jessmke]

Aspen has different coats of varying thicknesses depending on the weater. If it's-5 or colder she wears a sweatshirt material jacket, colder than that she has a softshell jacket from Ruffwear that is more weather resistant, and when it's really cold she has wool sweaters. Sometimes when it's super duper cold she wears several sweaters. She only needs boots when it's -15 or colder and we're just going for a leashed walk, and needs them when its -20 and we're going for an off leash walk.

Make sure you don't send the dogs to the dog park in nice or expensive jackets as they are very likely to get ruined as other dogs often like to pull and tug on them. I go to the bargain or discount bin at the pet store and just buy her whatever fits no matter how ugly because they're only going to last a few weeks.

Any decent dog walker would notice if the dog is too hot with a jacket on and take it off them when at tha park. It's better to send him with one just in case he needs it, since it can always be taken off if he doesn't need it.

[Bosley'sMom]

-5C I put his fleece coat on.

Anything lower than that he gets his proper winter coat.... He also wears rubber booties so that the salt doesn't burn his feet and winter boots for when we are in the deep snow.

lol.. I'm sure he gets laughed at but he's nice a toasty warm so we don't care

[tguinter]

we live in NJ and there have been days mine have worn their coats. they are warm on the underside and waterproof on the outside. mine refuse to wear boots but when it snows i feel bad but they wont wear them. mine will wear their coats if we are giong for long walks outside or will be out for a while and even to the park. just not nice coats bc they get ruined very quickly.

[CruzControl]

Cool... so sounds like -5 is the average to pull out the winter wear. I'll have to look for some cheap stuff for the park...All he's got now are things I'd hate to see ruined lol.

Thanks for the help guys!

[mama2er]

I love Chilly Dog sweaters, so does my girl! She has a pink one with a monkey face on it.

[BrentonC]

So its -19C here in Calgary, and it's the first time I've been able to take OP out for a walk since it got cold -- cast just came off my broken ankle on Thursday.

So, there I am, half way around the block, OP's not complaining -- and another dog owner with some kinda oversized fur ball with ridiculous looking winter booties calls out to me that OP really needs winter wear.

Dohhhh. Shamed! Negligent idiot dog owner I am.

She told me of a place to go for the goods. Hopefully they're still gonna be open tomorrow.

[jessmke]

Aspen and I just got in from a run (-19 here in Canmore too!), she had on her softshell jacket and boots. She had snotcicles but was otherwise toasty warm!

P.S. Unleashed on 14th St SW just south of downtown is good for winter boots and jackets that are functional and not ridiculous looking.