Keeping Your Dog Safe This Winter: A Mini Guide
It is important to ensure that you are making the necessary adjustments to your dog’s care during the cold weather. Colder weather can have a detrimental effect on your dog’s health and even their mood too. Luckily you can safeguard your pet’s health this winter with relative ease; it simply requires a bit of thought. Take a read to learn more.
Make Sure That They Are Warm Enough
It is easy to ensure that your dog is kept warm and cosy inside, but out on walks, it is a little more difficult. If the temperature dips low enough, then your dog’s fur coat might not be enough; you might want to consider getting them a dog coat. This just helps to give them a little extra protection from the elements. However, if you do opt to get them a dog coat, then you need to bear in mind whether or not their harness or collar is compatible with a coat. Blackshaw’s have a range of collars and leads to choose from, and you can even find matching accessories for yourself too!
Always Check Their Feet
After your walks, or really any time your dog has been outside, you need to check their feet. You could keep a small towel by the door to help you to clean and dry their feet after they’ve been out. Dogs, especially long-haired dogs, can end up with snow compacted between their toes; it often turns into small balls of ice which can be incredibly painful for your puppy. Cleaning their feet helps to remove the snow before this can happen, or you can trim the fur around their toes too. During the winter, pavements and roads are often gritted with a salt spread to provide more traction for both people and vehicles. However, if the grit ends up getting stuck to your dog’s paws for too long, it can cause problems.
Keep Them Busy in the House
Some dogs do not like the cold, and so they become reluctant to leave the house as much during the winter months. Obviously, walks are still important, and you should be encouraging them where possible, but it is also okay to forgo them sometimes. On days where to weather is truly terrible, it is okay to stay in. However, if you are going to let your dog stay in, you need to do your best to keep them stimulated and entertained inside the home. This could be by playing with them, teaching them new tricks or training sessions.
Always Plan Your Route in Advance
A lot of dog owners tend to stick with the same rotation of walks year-round. However, sometimes, the walks that you enjoy in the summer are not feasible in the winter. They might not be as accessible, or they may even verge on perilous. Think about this when planning your walks. Avoid walks that could be dangerous in the winter, for example, frozen bodies of water, paths that become icy – things of that nature.