Cold Weather And Your Dog

Yes it's finally time to admit that summer is over and winter is coming. With it will come additional responsibilities to make sure your dog is properly taken care of. If your pet lives outside, their dog house needs to have proper bedding and should be the right size. When it comes to dog houses bigger is not better, just make sure your pup has enough room to stand up, turn around, and lie down comfortably. A small house will trap heat better and be much warmer than a large one. The best bedding for your dog is straw or hay. They retain warmth, allow moisture to evaporate and are biodegradable. They are also inexpensive at only a few dollars a bale. You can find straw or hay anywhere- farm supply and feed stores, local farmers and stables are a few places you can buy them.

Place the dog house on either the east or south side of your house to take advantage of the sun. Keep it out of drafty places, a good way to keep drafts out of your dog house is putting a heavy flap over the opening. If you can, put it on a low platform to keep it off the frozen ground. Fresh water is very important and you need some way to keep their water from icing over. A bird bath de-icer or a heated water bowl work great, but beware of a chewing dog.

If you take your chin out for a daily walk in the winter your puppy may get cracked pads from the salt on the roads. Rubbing baby oil on and between the pads will keep them soft and eliminate dry and cracked pads. Also you should thoroughly wash and dry the pads after walks to get the salt off. Balls of ice between the toes can also be a serious problem and is very easily taken care off by keeping the hair on their feet trimmed and also the toe nails.

Most dogs adapt to the weather easily, except for most small breed dogs, they should be kept inside. If your pet lives outside, follow the few guidelines I mentioned above and you and your dog should have a very enjoyable winter.

Cold Weather
Dog Houses
Pets