We spend a lot of time with dogs, and outside in all types of weather, so we thought it would be fun to compile and share some of our favourite tips when it comes to cold Canadian weather.
We love to learn new things and share our experiences, but do not claim to be THE experts when it comes to anything, and always welcome feedback and further suggestions in addition to our ideas! If you have any specific questions or concerns regarding your dog, you should always seek a professional opinion (talk to your vet).
The cold season always seems to sneak up on us before we are ready to embrace it, and can be a shock to our systems, and our dogs. When it comes to cold weather, there are a number of factors to consider when deciding how to prepare for your dog.
This is a great chart by PetPlan that outlines how risky different temperatures are for different dogs.
Other factors to consider include coat type, coat colour, size, weight, age, health; and other weather and environmental components including but not limited to level of activity, wind chill, cloud cover- the list goes on (you can read more at petmd.com).
There is a LOT to consider, so again if you have any specific concerns about your dog, it’s always a good idea to talk to your vet.
Below are some things that we find helpful in addition considering the above factors for each dog.
Time to Play Dress Up!
COATS & LAYERS
Sweaters and dog coats are available in many places, and Amazon has a great variety for reasonable prices, as it’s nice to have extra. (long underwear for dogs, anyone?) Snow suits made for dogs have also grown in popularity in the past few years. Canada Pooch is known for their great quality, and offers a slush suit in 9 different sizes.
BOOTS
Most of us are talking about city dogs, and as much as they may initially hate them; boots are a great idea to protect paws from salt and ice.
Muttluks brand are a little pricier than some you may see, but come highly recommended. You can find them here.
If you know of any natural ice melter that actually works and doesn’t hurt dogs’ paws, please share your secrets with us! There are ice melters with pet safe ingredients, but they are not always 100% effective, and once you are out on the city sidewalks, your dogs’ paws are subjected to whatever the city, or other residents are using.
A lot of our dogs wear boots, we try to avoid super salty areas; and use sand, kitty litter, and other various solutions around our homes to lessen salt usage. But we are always looking for better solutions to share!
– Have you tried the rubbing alcohol + Dawn dish soap + water mixture? We are going to do some experimenting and report back on this one.
It’s a good idea to moisturize snouts and paws in the winter because just like us, dogs’ extremities can get easily dried out in cold weather. If they do accumulate salty slush while they’re out, you can wash with a warm cloth for the most part, and then follow up with coconut oil, or paw balm to help keep their paw pads smooth.
(+ watch out for excessive licking of their paws, as this is what can lead to them getting sick; and why it is important to wash, or cover paws in salty conditions.)
Our friends over at Parker & Co make Snout and Paw balms that are super easy to apply. They are another local company, so that is an added bonus if anyone is looking for gift ideas for the dog lovers in their lives. (They also have a snout SCREEN for sensitive snouts!)
Grooming
Protect those paws!
If your dog wears boots in the winter, regularly trimming their nails and paw fur will help them feel more comfortable, and make it easier for you to dress and clean them up. It will also reduce the risk of injury, especially on icy days!
Monica at Pedi4Pawz is amazing and can help you with this locally!
It might seem like a good idea to keep a little extra fluff for warmth in the winter months, but your dog should still be groomed regularly.
Brushing fur often is helpful for their bodies to regulate their temperatures in all seasons.
Too much fluff can actually lead to matting in their fur, increased snow and ice gathering, and your dog feeling very uncomfortable despite your best intentions.
Limit time outside
Even if your dog loves the cold and snow, some days are just too cold to spend long periods outside like they may be used to. This can be a great bonding opportunity- you can brush up on basic obedience commands, or practice training new tricks!
Pinterest has endless ideas for DIY toys and activities you can easily do at home to keep your dog occupied. You can find some of our favourite pins here.
We’ll save the details of all our favourite #HonourthySnout activities for another post, but we love to use puzzle toys and lickimats to provide extra stimulation for our dogs during meals.
The Bob-A-Lot is one of our favourites because you can adjust the difficulty level, and it’s pretty heavy duty for dogs that get a little rough with it. You can find it here.
Click here if you want to view the full Snow Snouts list on Amazon.
What are some of your favourite winter tips or “hacks” to make cold weather with your pup more enjoyable? Leave us a comment, or share with us on instagram @snoutshonour!
Sniffs & Kisses,
Caitlin & Krista
This article came right on time, I haven’t heard of Parker & Co and I’m surprised considering they’re Canadian made and I love that !! I’ll definitely support that and thank you for the detailed overview, it gets sooo cold downtown Toronto, based on that first chart, we’re sitting in the blue!
LikeLiked by 1 person