To coat, or not to coat....

It's cold! You're cold. I'm cold...... is Fido cold? I mean.... he *is* wearing a fur coat, so he's OK... right? Not necessarily, but maybe. A lot of dogs are going to be OK in winter weather, and some are even made for it! Does your double coated husky love the snow? Awesome- let him play! What about your pibble, boxer, or other short haired friend? He may need a coat! Our senior dogs, puppies, short haired dogs, and dogs with medical conditions may need a coat to help them stay warm. Coats are great for these pups and there are a lot of options in the market.

Coco has no problem wearing her coat. She actually has a few. Booties- she refuses, but coats are fine. Lucky for her, her mama dislikes the cold about as much as she does, so we don't go outside for long, but if it's going to be more than about 10 minutes, she's bundled up to help her stay warm.

Now her sister, Jelly, who is also a short haired pibble mix does not have a coat. Is Jelly somehow immune to the cold? Does she have dog super powers? No. She just hates being touched in certain ways. Jelly has body sensitivities and she becomes over stimulated (and ticked off) when certain things touch her. We keep our outside breaks short so she isn't in danger of getting too cold!

At the end of the day, you can do your own research, but the answer isn't a straight yes or no. Does your pibble need a coat? If they're going to be outside for long then they probably do. Am I going to force Jelly into a coat for her own good? Absolutely not. I'm going to modify our outside time so she stays safe *and* happy.

What do you think? Does your pup have a coat?