With a colder than average winter upon us, it’s important to keep our furbabies warm. That’s why Sydney Pet Minder Odette McCarthy has highlighted four ways to keep your dog warm in colder months.
We humans are always rugging up during the chill of the colder months. It’s a far cry from the heat of the Aussie summer! Throwing on one of the fluffy, puffy coats I recently gifted myself with, I couldn’t help but worry about all the dogs who don’t have a covering of fur.
Whether you’re a Dog Sitter or a Dog Owner, you must ensure that the hound of the household is heated adequately during this nipper period.
4 ways you can keep your dog warm during Winter
Invest in a coat for your canine
It’s not only humans that need layers of wool or fur or fluff and puff in colder months. That’s why you should make sure your pup has their own set of jackets and – why not? Their own sensational style! Once you’re both insulated, you’ll be more game for a Dog Walk. And with your pooch’s new wardrobe on display, it will be the paw-fect…catwalk if you will. Let them strut their fashionable stuff!
If you’re not sure where to begin, take a squiz at the Aussie online boutique Mister Woof. Or browse the collection from Dogue, where you’re sure to find unique outfits and accessories to warm your bow-wow. Jackets that cover your bestie’s belly are on the button as they trap in body heat, much like the human head. Aren’t you more toasty with your bonce in a beanie? Same as Doggo with a buried belly.
Where’s your bed at?
A nice plush bed will make a paw-some thaw-some endorsement this winter for your pup. The range of pet beds from online boutique, SASH Beds offer something for every kind of canine (or kitty cat, for that matter).
And, have you pondered the location of their bed? Consider how cold your Cavoodle might be if dog-napping on concrete or tiles. Such surfaces may be paw-fect for summer, but are freezing during winter. If here is where your hound hits the sack, consider raising the bed off its base using bricks or a small trampoline. Make sure the bed is away from any doors or windows that may be drafty. Perhaps your pad could do with some extra insulation, such as draft-blockers. Microwaveable doggy discs and snooze-time snuggle pads are also available for purchase to warm any Weimaraner, Whippet, or Westiepoo.
SASH Beds also sell blankets to provide the ultimate snuggle spot during winter. Their weighted blankets help reduce anxiety and create a cocoon that provides security. And, their luxurious faux-fur throws are perfect for pets who love some snuggle time on the couch. They double as a protective layer for your furniture too!
Indoor Inu
Just the other day I realised that, in the past few years, no doggos that I have met or minded have lived outside of the house. People truly treat pets as a part of the family, and that means allowing them indoors. So, if you are a Sitter, be aware that you will most likely be sharing half the heat with the hound. I have noticed most dogs enjoy a curl-up in front of the heater. If a heater is not available, they love to share body heat. This may answer the common question, ‘Why does my dog sleep so close to me?‘. So be the bestest buddy and let them snuggle up close to you, cosy on the couch or snug in your sack. It’s a win-win, warm-warm situation as you get your own living little heat pack too!
Time in the sunshine
I always used to love sitting on the school lawn at lunchtime during the winter months. Why? I had been sitting still and chill inside cold classrooms. On the grass, with the winter sun beating down on my back warmed me right through to my skeleton. The same goes for dogs in winter. How many times have you caught a pupper lounging outside on a sunny day? Make sure your pup gets adequate time to chillax outdoors and warm themselves from snoot to paws.
So if you think you’re cold this winter, spare a thought for all the puppers out there. Particularly the pooch sitting next to you. Make sure your pal is snug as a bug in a rug with a jacket, properly placed bedding, combined bosom-buddy body heat and adequate time in the sunny one shine.
