How Do You Know If Your Puppy Is Cold?

[andrewang]

Hi guys,

BRACE YOURSELVES!! WINTER IS COMING!!

This is my first winter with a puppy and also the Caesar's first winter. He is a cocker spaniel with thick curly coat now. I was thinking if I should let his coat grow so a thicker coat can keep him warm.

And how do you tell if the puppy is cold or not?

Edited April 19, 2013 by andrewang

[tdierikx]

Mine will shiver if/when they are cold... or hog the heater... *grin*

T.

[Daisys Mum]

Or dive under your blankets :laugh:

[DeltaCharlie]

Refuse to get out of bed in the morning as they know it means going outside to toilet. Lie on their backs and become a dead weight so you can't pick them up easily to take them outside. Upon returning from the toilet trip takes themselves back down the other end of the house and back to bed, where they stay for the rest of the day.

On a more serious note, ours usually curl in a tight ball or hide their face under their tail. You can always put a rug or coat on them if you are worried they are too cold. Dogs tend to adapt pretty well though, remember Australia is nowhere near as cold as many other parts of the world and their dogs cope just fine. They will grow a thicker coat if they are cold, then drop it when it warms up again.

[espinay2]

Ditto all the above. Be careful of 'letting him grow coat for winter' though. Every spring when I was a groomer I would see a procession of dogs whose owners would say the same thing. Usually the coat would need to be shaved off to the skin (often coming off in one felted piece) as the owners failed to keep up the even more regular grooming that was required. You are better off keeping the coat short and manageable and having him wear a dog coat if he is really cold than letting it grow long and not keeping it well brushed all the way to the skin.

[W Sibs]

I own a Samoyed and Japanese Spitz and the colder it is, the more hyper they are. They love the cold. Now that we are in our new house, on the colder days, the kid will go sleep outside on the deck. My Japanese Spitz will coat does get thicker and longer in winter.

When my boy, Charlie, was around.. he will steal the electric blanket and rug, in fact, he will steal all blankets, pillows, cusion etc. He will sleep on the bed more or curl himself tightly in a ball. He usually had a coat or jumper on throughout winter.

[HazyWal]

When they spoon me in bed, one each side we look like three peas in a pod :laugh:

[Salukifan]

The most obvious sign is when they shiver.

Their body temp is about the same as ours. If you're feeling the need to rug up or seek shelter, they probably will too unless they are exercising (hate seeing dogs rugged to the nines out walking).

Unless they're really well insulated with an appropriate coat, or fat that is.

I'd prefer to keep a Cocker well groomed and provide a coat or shelter than let it become a mess. The problem with grown out coats is getting them dry if they get wet - that can be a real nightmare.

Edited April 19, 2013 by Haredown Whippets

[_PL_]

If you put the coat on and they get out of bed, flop their tummies on the floor like they are too hot, you've overdone it. :) That's how I normally get the hint anyway.

[Mudlark]

I feel my dog's ears. If they are cold, I assume he is cold everywhere else. Curling in a ball is another clear sign, as has been mentioned.

Bring on Spring, I say :) Too cold here in Canberra already. My boy got a new fleece coat yesterday in preparation for frosty nights to come (he sleeps on our bed, mind you).

[Esky the husky]

i wouldnt know i have a husky :p

[PuddleDuck]

My dogs (toller and kelpie x GSD) never seem cold....the first time we took them to the snow I bought tons of dog rugs, wraps, etc. they bounced out of the car nekkid and went feral, popped the coats on and they cracked the sads, so we didn't rug them after that. Based on that experience I now figure they're fine no matter what the temp in Sydney is, provided they can get out of the wind :)

[andrewang]

Appointment with a groomer it is.

Since so many of you suggested coats or jackets, can you guys tell me what I should be looking for in a jacket for a puppy? Should I get something slightly bigger so he can grow into it throughout winter as he is only 3 months old?

[Florise]

If you dog is inside at night he wont need a coat. If you provide a comfortable bed in a draught free area, he will be fine. Don't use a coat when you cant be there to keep an eye on him. He may get snagged on something, or may get too hot.

Edited April 19, 2013 by Florise

[Bundyburger]

To be honest I wouldn't get a coat unless you know he is cold and a pup will kill the coat. I have one dog who wears two at once in winter (he cries and shakes and gets cold ears and feet) and another who has only just started feeling the cold this year. He doesn't even have his own coat! Depends on the dog.

Edited April 19, 2013 by Bundyburger

[Odin-Genie]

i wouldnt know i have a husky :p

I have an Elkhound who grows a thick coat in winter and loves the cold during the day. But at night he finds the warmest spot, usually sneaks up on the bed with the electric blanket on. We tell him that he has an identity crisis. Can't be a northern breed :laugh:

[Rosetta]

I feel my dog's ears. If they are cold, I assume he is cold everywhere else. Curling in a ball is another clear sign, as has been mentioned.

Bring on Spring, I say :) Too cold here in Canberra already. My boy got a new fleece coat yesterday in preparation for frosty nights to come (he sleeps on our bed, mind you).

Do some dogs just like to do that though? Mine does it all the time and he definitely is not cold.

[Bjelkier]

Um, the Samoyeds get more hyperactive :laugh:

The old Lab shivers and is less inclined to get out of bed in the morning. He wears jackets all winter.

Not sure how my Havanese will go. He wasn't too thrilled with the cool today and spent a lot of time sleeping on my fluffy ugg boot. :laugh:

[Podengo]

Elsie will run and play in the snow for ages without acting cold, but her paws and ears get chilly very quick and when she gets home after playing it can take her a long time to warm up again. She wears a coat when we go out in bad weather, and I always make sure she is nice and dry before putting her to bed or anything. She won't act cold when she is out and active, but once she sits still she gets cold very quickly... So I try to prevent her getting too cold when we're out!

Oh and she is practically bald underneath, so there isn't much hair keeping her warm :)

Edited April 19, 2013 by DiscoDobe

[persephone]

leave your puppy with his fluffy coat in Winter .. it will grow out ! :) he's only a baby ....

If he sleeps indoors , has a suitable BED ..(not a flat mattress with no sides ) or a well covered crate (well covered means at ground level, so there are no drafts ) he should not need a coat .:)

beds should be snuggly , with sides higher than the dog ..and placed well away from doorways etc where cold air can slide in , straight onto the dog.