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Winter Coats/Jackets


RFB

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Miley has a smooth coat and I am not sure if she should have a coat for the winter. Cold doesn't seem to bother her when we are on our walks, but she doesn't like to stay out for too long and with the 25 degree weather we've had lately... Just thought I'd ask for some opinions.

 

Thanks for the help.

 

Rob

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My smooth coats generally don't wear coats, but I have one who does (not counting any geriatric dog who may have trouble regulating temperature) because she clearly gets cold (shivers) in very cold weather. So I really think it depends on whether you think she is truly cold. I was at a sheepdog trial in November, and at one point, even with a coat on Lark was shivering in her crate in the van. To me that's a good indicator that a coat is needed.

 

J.

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Julie,

 

Thanks for the help. My previous Border had a rough coat and would live outside in the winter if I let her. She would stay out in the snow until she was covered. I'd call her in and clean off all the snow balls that just loved her coat. She'd get a drink and start whining by the back door to go out again. She did not feel the cold. Miley enjoys being outside, but knows when she had enough. Haven't seen her shivering, but her shorter coat just made me wonder. Wanted to make sure she was safe.

 

Thanks again,

 

Rob

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Torque has a medium coat (between smooth and fluffy), and he has no trouble staying outside for 30 minutes (my limit) when the temps are in the teens and the winds are blowing. If Miley doesn't mind a coat, why not experiment with seeing if her 'cold tolerance' will increase with the use of a coat.

 

Jovi

 

Miley has a smooth coat and I am not sure if she should have a coat for the winter. Cold doesn't seem to bother her when we are on our walks, but she doesn't like to stay out for too long and with the 25 degree weather we've had lately... Just thought I'd ask for some opinions.

 

Rob

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I put a coat on rough coated Kenzi because she's skinny as a rail with very little extra body fat. She loves to be outside and the cold doesn't seem to make much of a difference to her but I want her to have some extra insulation. My smooth coated dog does just fine in the cold. No shivering, seems pretty impervious when he's out in the cold.

 

I her coat online from www.jefferspet.com

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I bought my guys ZenTek coats. They are a bit expensive but serve a dual purpose. They keep warm in the winter and pull heat away in the summer. Grady has no body fat and doesn't have the thick coat most BC's have. He LOVES the snow but shivers a lot. Lucia could live in a snow bank if I let her so the coat is used mostly in the summer for her. I think coats on dogs are purely case by case.

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I bought my guys ZenTek coats. They are a bit expensive but serve a dual purpose. They keep warm in the winter and pull heat away in the summer. Grady has no body fat and doesn't have the thick coat most BC's have. He LOVES the snow but shivers a lot. Lucia could live in a snow bank if I let her so the coat is used mostly in the summer for her. I think coats on dogs are purely case by case.

 

Have you used the coats in summer? Our almost 40 yr old mobile home gets to be very, very warm in the summer. I'd be interested in buying one, at least for Shoshone, if they really do keep dogs cooler.

 

Thanks!

 

Ruth

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Jack has a Squall coat from Land's End. I got it because I was tired of having to dry him off or dust off the snow when DH walks him in foul weather. It is hard to get him dry when his coat is full and we keep our house cold at night. The coat does a good job. I bought it in the spring when they put all of the winter stuff on sale and there was a free shipping offer.

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LOL! I thought this was going to be a thread recommending winter coats for humans who have to go with dogs into blizzards, and I was about to highly recommend the Land's End Stadium Squall coat.

 

I guess their dog version is just as good.

 

(And if you're looking for a human coat: it's long, zips up from the bottom so you can bend, big enough to wear many or few sweaters underneath, and has a big floppy hood that keeps snow and rain out of your face.)

 

Mary

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Wisconsin gets flipping cold, so all three of my dogs have blankies. They don't wear them until it gets below 10 degrees or so. They all also have booties (that match the blankies, of course!).

 

Before I was a "dog person," I was a "horse person." I always loved the horse blankets sold by Schneiders Saddlery ( www.sstack.com ) and when I found out they had a dog blanket that looked exactly like my horse blankets, I had to get it. The original is now five or six years old (Luke's) and now Kaiser & Secret have them as well.

 

post-11040-097088700 1293731766_thumb.jpg

 

The direct link to the blankets is http://www.sstack.com/dog-blankets/waterproof-breathable-dog-blankets/

 

FYI, the booties are from www.dogbooties.com I swear by them.

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Being in MN I have never used any dog blankets/jackets. My guys have done just fine. With the rough coats I have always been told that they are better off without a jackets as it flattens down the hair and therefore they lose any insulating factor of their own coat.

 

Kathy

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Have you used the coats in summer? Our almost 40 yr old mobile home gets to be very, very warm in the summer. I'd be interested in buying one, at least for Shoshone, if they really do keep dogs cooler.

 

Thanks!

 

Ruth

 

They seem to help, but I also keep them wet/damp to help with the cooling. Dogs really only cool off through their panting and on their bellies. I think the coats keep them more confortable though. ZenTek did a bunch of studies with sport dogs and they state their coats keep the dogs, on average, 2 deg cooler than without. If your RV is really warm (I have one too) my suggestion would be a cooling mat to lay on. My guys LOVE them. ZenTek sells those too. I won one at a trial not long ago, but haven't used it yet. The one I bought awhile back is from Clean Run and it works really well. Both dogs seem to gravitate to it on warm days.

 

I hope this helps :)

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