What Temp Do You Rug Your Dog Up?

[LisaCC]

Hi LisaCC

It most certainly can't hurt to get Nova used to a coat while the temperature is still warm (ish).

When it gets cold here it is sudden and viscious! Kira is immune to the cold, and in winter likes to lie outside in the frost, but Jingo is already complaining of the cold, but that is a bonus for me, as he becomes an even better hot water bottle!

Yes I've been told the winters are similar to my home town but Nova had only been there in the milder months or visiting in winter. Not living there over winter. I was hoping he would grow some more coat for the colder climate :/ maybe it just hasn't been enough time yet.

I'm enjoying it though!

Edited April 19, 2016 by LisaCC

[Papillon Kisses]

Ah ok. It's kind of obvious now having flicked over to full version where signatures/profiles pics show up, but I was checking whether Nova was an elderly dog. They feel the cold more keenly. Clearly the opposite though!

[persephone]

Nova will not have grown a Winter fur coat yet :) I always like to provide dogs with some sort of "den" Winter bed - to store/reflect back body heat . That can be with their bed in a large box /under a table ..in a soft crate , or placed inside a large roll of foam ( the ones you buy to place on your mattress ) Rolled up & secured - they make a fantastic 'sleeping bag type winter bed :)

there is always this idea ;) MAXIE SWAG

[LisaCC]

Nova will not have grown a Winter fur coat yet :) I always like to provide dogs with some sort of "den" Winter bed - to store/reflect back body heat . That can be with their bed in a large box /under a table ..in a soft crate , or placed inside a large roll of foam ( the ones you buy to place on your mattress ) Rolled up & secured - they make a fantastic 'sleeping bag type winter bed :)

there is always this idea ;) MAXIE SWAG

They are fantastic!

Keeping him warm his brand new! Spent the last few years keeping him cool! :laugh:

One of his not so comfortable dog balls

[Scottsmum]

Might just take a bit of acclimation - the day we left Sydney it was 40 degrees - then we got to NZ and I don't think it cracked 15 for a month - it was quite nice - but a rude shock to the system.

Hopefully you can find a nice warm solution :) No body enjoys being curled up super tight.

[ness]

I have coats for my BCs. My girl with ortho issues has both the light mesh back on track and the winter weight version. My youngster just has the light weight mesh version. Good for sitting around in the car at trials and overnight to keep joints warm. We don't have central heating in the house and it still gets cold overnight.

[LisaCC]

I have coats for my BCs. My girl with ortho issues has both the light mesh back on track and the winter weight version. My youngster just has the light weight mesh version. Good for sitting around in the car at trials and overnight to keep joints warm. We don't have central heating in the house and it still gets cold overnight.

If I was going to get him one I was looking at these. As we do plan on trialling eventually (finally entered in some rally :D) . We play at agility and run and hike most days now, so he's an active dog.

[BlaznHotAussies]

If your dog has a double coat then yes, no point rugging it up. But use common sense - if the dog is curled up & shivering, it's cold. If it's panting a lot, it's hot.

I'd be pretty stupid if I put a jacket on my dogs (floofy Aussie Shepherds) - even in the dead of winter they will swim in the dam if they're given half a chance! My SIL's Chinese Crested would much rather be curled up on the couch in a blanket. And yes he's got bedazzled jammies he looks fabulous in it.

And the stupid bit about dogs knowing when they're being laughed at. I doubt it. If I laugh at mine they get even more goofy

I'm actually getting the the point of seriously considering whether I need to lightly rug Nova. He has been curling up into blankets and pillows so tightly at night it's uncomfortable to look at (I measured it last night at under 40cm dog ball lol).

He is cold to touch. And he refuses to move. He can't be comfortable! He doesn't have a lot of coat for an Aussie and never really has. But maybe he just needs to grow more undercoat and that would prevent it??

Oh wow poor Nova! I will admit though, our temperatures probably don't quite get as cold as over east in the southern states!! I think Tundra runs fairly hot though, I tried to have him on the bed one night when Dwayne was seeding (late May) and he was panting and kept moving around to find a cooler spot!! Weird creature.

Might be worth getting him a little jumper :)

[ness]

Lisa a friend with Aussies bought the mesh model for both her guys. They are definitely useful for active dogs.The winter weight is probably an overkill although we have had -1 degree mornings when we are out at tracking trials.

Edited April 20, 2016 by ness

[trifecta]

Just wanted to make mention of the fact it is length of daylight hours that influences coat. If your dog spends quite a lot of time inside under artificial light (ie early mornings and particularly evenings/ nights) then it is not going to grow as much of a winter coat as a dog that lives outside and spends longer hours in darkness.

[Rebanne]

One of his not so comfortable dog balls

Phoebe greyhound is currently curled into a dog ball and it is not cold here at the moment, far from it. I usually feel their ears.

[LisaCC]

Thanks guys, I'll give him some more blankets to snuggle into and see how he goes growing undercoat. There's not much there at the moment. He did do his second seasonal drop not too long ago.

Hopefully his coat gets thicker this winter than it has previously.

Unfortunately one new neighbour is dodgy (I've found stuff thrown over the fence) so I don't let him outside without supervision, that will probably impact coat growth too. But we are outside often and won't have the heater going too early.

Rebanne, I can't see greyhounds long beautiful legs curling up as tight! :laugh:

Does phoebe have a onesie? My friends greyhound loves his onsie and gets so excited to get it put on!

[Salukifan]

I think anyone who DOESN'T rug a smooth coated sighthound in our winter temperatures should be shot.

1. The dogs have fine coats, skinny tails and minimal body fat. We bred them that way. We have to care for them accordingly.

2. They turn into toast racks if not rugged. The rule for horses is a rug is worth a feed a day. I defy anyone to shovel enough food into a Whippet to stop them losing body condition in sub-zero temperatures.

Of course if you want to write off rugging all dogs as some kind of demeaning anthropomorphism inflicted on fur children, go right ahead. It allows me to write you off as having no idea whatsoever about dogs beyond whats in your back yard. *shrugs*

[Rebanne]

Thanks guys, I'll give him some more blankets to snuggle into and see how he goes growing undercoat. There's not much there at the moment. He did do his second seasonal drop not too long ago.

Hopefully his coat gets thicker this winter than it has previously.

Unfortunately one new neighbour is dodgy (I've found stuff thrown over the fence) so I don't let him outside without supervision, that will probably impact coat growth too. But we are outside often and won't have the heater going too early.

Rebanne, I can't see greyhounds long beautiful legs curling up as tight! :laugh:

Does phoebe have a onesie? My friends greyhound loves his onsie and gets so excited to get it put on!

I'll have to look for a photo or take one :laugh: But yes they can curl up very tight! Does Phoebe have a onesie, um not quite, but between 3 greys I think my last count was 20 odd coats of various sizes and weights Phoebe at nearly 2 still likes to pull her coats off so she mainly wears a Wolfs Den coat that zips up the back, she can't get that off.

[LisaCC]

Photo needed for sure! 20 coats, they would have to have their own wardrobe! At least you could match their outfits to yours.

[Rebanne]

Here you go LisaCC Fern and Phoebe on a small 2 seater couch. Still room for the cat at the end if she wanted :laugh:

[LisaCC]

Aww! When they do that completely wrapped I always think they must have such cold noses.

[Little Gifts]

We finally had a cold night up here in constantly sunny Queensland! I had Stussy under the covers right next to my torso and Tempeh burrowed into my armpit. I put a blanket over her and she didn't move all night. The days are still hot so I don't think we are ready for the dog coats just yet! Where are you autumn?

[Kirislin]

I think anyone who DOESN'T rug a smooth coated sighthound in our winter temperatures should be shot.

1. The dogs have fine coats, skinny tails and minimal body fat. We bred them that way. We have to care for them accordingly.

2. They turn into toast racks if not rugged. The rule for horses is a rug is worth a feed a day. I defy anyone to shovel enough food into a Whippet to stop them losing body condition in sub-zero temperatures.

Of course if you want to write off rugging all dogs as some kind of demeaning anthropomorphism inflicted on fur children, go right ahead. It allows me to write you off as having no idea whatsoever about dogs beyond whats in your back yard. *shrugs*

Please dont shoot me! The only one of my whippets I regularly rug is (almost) 14 year old Feather, and she even wears one in the house. The others dont need it. If I take them to the park they run around and keep warm. We rarely go there when it is raining. If it was to take them somewhere where they might be standing around outside on leash and unable to warm them selves then yes I would coat them. The rest of the time at home they're usually curled up asleep under a blanket.

When I used to race my whippets, during the winter I would coat them when we went to the races to keep their muscles warm before a race. I would also walk them briskly before hand and rub their muscles but most of the time I didn't coat them.

If they were shivering I would coat them, but apart from Feather I dont see it. The boys dont shiver very much at all.

Edited April 20, 2016 by Kirislin

[Salukifan]

I think anyone who DOESN'T rug a smooth coated sighthound in our winter temperatures should be shot.

1. The dogs have fine coats, skinny tails and minimal body fat. We bred them that way. We have to care for them accordingly.

2. They turn into toast racks if not rugged. The rule for horses is a rug is worth a feed a day. I defy anyone to shovel enough food into a Whippet to stop them losing body condition in sub-zero temperatures.

Of course if you want to write off rugging all dogs as some kind of demeaning anthropomorphism inflicted on fur children, go right ahead. It allows me to write you off as having no idea whatsoever about dogs beyond whats in your back yard. *shrugs*

Please dont shoot me! The only one of my whippets I regularly rug is (almost) 14 year old Feather, and she even wears one in the house. The others dont need it. If I take them to the park they run around and keep warm. We rarely go there when it is raining. If it was to take them somewhere where they might be standing around outside on leash and unable to warm them selves then yes I would coat them. The rest of the time at home they're usually curled up asleep under a blanket.

When I used to race my whippets, during the winter I would coat them when we went to the races to keep their muscles warm before a race. I would also walk them briskly before hand and rub their muscles but most of the time I didn't coat them.

If they were shivering I would coat them, but apart from Feather I dont see it. The boys dont shiver very much at all.

*Unloads the shottie*

I don't think you see a lot of sub-zero temperatures down your way.