Refusing To Wear His Coat!

[Hubcitypam]

I'd put on boots before a coat. One year in Chicago the dogs were having a hard time with feet on pavement when it got to 16 below F.

Edited November 28, 2013 by Hubcitypam

[cleptogrey]

this is starting to sound a lot like the place i work at. the kids are allowed to go on deck and wear what they want. kids- not adolescent kids- lower school elementary age kids. i'm a stickler for cover up- i explain what frost bite is, explain that athletics need to warm up before they undress... and i stick to my guns. i also don't let the kids out in snow w/o boots of some sort. they come in w/ pretty slip-ons and expect to run and play in the snow???

the parents never complain when i inform them that their child balked at wearing winter attire when they go out to play. my supervisor...she reprimands me all the time for sticking to my guns and having the kids dress. i'm not talking about 40 degree temps...i'm talking wind chill from the hudson river and damp cold weather below 28-30 degrees f. trust me, i am not one for excessive layers.

 

think about your dog as i think about the safety of the kids in my after school program. they have all learned that they need to do what they need to do! your pup will not thank you for dressing him for the weather but your pocket book will in the long run!

 

btw, my all time "hot child" who never wants to wear anything grabs his coat and zipper and ask," how many laps around the deck before i'm warmed up?" your dog won't do that- but if you are going to run w/ him in the cold remember he needs to take layers off as well!it's all conditioning, if i can get my young student to conform you can manage this w/ your dog and some positive reinforcement(that's what i did w/ my student!)

[mychip1]

I think it varies hound to hound. Our oldest boy EZ spent years in upstate New York with his daddy. He wore a coat for walks in extreme cold....and sometimes in "moderate" cold..i.e. 25 degrees...but it was clear it didn't bother him. He never was willing to wear boots....Gerritt tried a few times when there was ice and sleet on the ground....and he was fine. My Dustin, on the other hand, has trouble with the cold. We go in the yard for quick pee an poo without a coat, but not for longer walks once it is cold.

[scullysmum]

Could be the static electricity if the coat is fleece. For that reason if mine need a coat they wear a flannel one from http://houndtime.com/

If it's really cold the regular coat could go over a flannel one.

Ditto that..some dogs are just more "static" than others and unlike us they don't understand it. I can sympathise as I am always getting bolts of static off just about everything!

 

If it's the sound of the velcro that bothers him then you could do something like making a treat bag with a velcro opening so that he will come to associate the noise with good things, I know wearing your warm coat when it's freezing out should be seen as a good thing but dogs don't always see it the same way we do.

[Guest DogNewbie]

I don't know if this would help you but I made to blankets for Wiley that slip over his head- there is only one Velcro strap under the belly. The one strap helps because when you do it up the blanket is already on him. I don't know if it would work for you but it might be worth a try. I don't know if you can see it in the picture but it is sewn together in the front chest. The Velcro I have is really quiet; it only makes noise coming off.

 

 

 

[cleptogrey]

no velcro on either coats

[WalterWallerson]

I think when it comes down to it, I'd be more concerned about cold, frost bitten paws/ears than anything else. Hands/feet in people are the first to get frost bitten same thing with paws on dogs. Their bodies might get chilly but they won't freeze.

[sobesmom]

I haven't put a coat on a grey in many years. But - I also don't go for very long walks in the winter with dogs. Mostly it's just outs in the yard in the winter.

 

If I was going to - I'd probably use a coat. But I've had greys that loved them - greys that hated them - and many in-between. Adapt the clothing (or lack of) to the dog and its individual comfort.

If the Velcro is the only issue - use something else. Duct tape is funny - but it's a very reasonable idea! Or - sew buttons or snaps on.