Dog's Sweaters and Coats

While your dog goes out walking he might need protection against winter cold. The universal rule is: when you put on a topcoat yourself, set a sweater or coat on your dog if he is used to living in a heated house. Naturally, when he is let out for a couple of minutes to scamper around the yard or when he goes for a walk on a mild day, he does not need to be bundled up. But if he is out for any duration of time, or walked in cold or wind, he must wear a covering.

 

Should each dog wear a sweater or coat? The bigger, long-haired breeds don't need clothing of any type, particularly when fully grown. By that time their thick undercoat, covered with a coarser outer coat, protects the body from the cold. The flimsy puppy coat, however, isn't weather-resistant. Hence, if your pet is still bearing his puppy coat on his first winter, keep him moving outdoors and dry him well when his hair gets wet. For the fine-haired, thin-skinned, small breeds kept as house pets, these would require sweaters or coats on cold days.

 

Pet shops typically stock several different types of sweaters and coats for dogs. When selecting one, be sure that it covers the dog's chest, since this is the part that calls for the most protection. Fancy forms that are made of flimsy materials might be pretty to look at but are not much protection against the cold. Raincoats serve another purpose, naturally, and protect the neck and back including the chest. These save the owner loads of work, too, since a dog that's walked uncovered in the rain should be dried well when he comes in.

 

Have your puppy get used to clothing of some sort while he is still young, for you never know when it might be useful. When sick, a housebroken dog often insists on going outdoors to relieve himself and, at these times, will require extra protection. Be cautious when putting on a sweater for the first few times. Don't scare the dog by pulling it over his head and ears. Rather, hold the sweater in one hand then place your other hand through the neck opening and spread it sufficiently to slip over the head softly.

By Tip Writer

Tips on Caring For Your Dog's Coat

Brushing a dog's hair each day, or every two or three days, based on the length and texture of his coat, is among the most important phases of grooming. It's the best way to help prevent snags from forming and to maintain the skin clean and healthy and free from irritation.

 

Ideally, a specified pattern of hair care is best established when a dog is young, particularly if he will sooner or later have long hair. Learning the right brushing methods while the hair is still short is a fine way for an owner to gain confidence. And it's very easy and pleasant to train a young pup to accept brushing by making a game of the first few sessions. You could put the puppy in your lap or stand him on a solid surface and place your hand under his stomach (to give both support and confidence) as you quickly brush through the coat.

As your dog matures, gradually step-up the length of the sessions. By this time his puppy coat has been substituted by a stronger, tougher kind of hair which, based on breed, may be short, medium, or long. Nearly all coats are two-ply. The long-haired and the medium-haired kinds, particularly, have an outer coat varying in coarseness, and a soft undercoat that's thick and dense.

The short, smooth-haired dogs have a double coat as well. However, it is less detectable because the undercoat is neither downy nor flat-lying. Thus, it's almost impossible to tell the top coat from the undercoat. When the undercoat sheds in warm weather, the major change observed is the thinner covering of the whole.

The coat is considered the dog's complexion. A deep, full, glossy coat usually entails that all is well within; whereas a dry, lifeless coat with hair perpetually shedding implies that something is wrong. Generally, the coat sheds twice each year, spring and fall, although some shedding occurs all the time. Heavy shedding between seasons might be caused by a lack of strength, following an illness, for example, whereas dryness may ensue from too many baths using harsh shampoos, or an overheated apartment. A temporary faded look could merely mean that the old coat is on the wane, since the hair tends to lose its vigor and color just prior to its casting.

By Tip Writer