Arctic survival, dog type...

[Lakester]

Originally Posted by 1stimestar

Doggie coats and booties up here are NOT for fashion. They are to keep the dog from freezing to death. There's a difference.

Also great when it's raining, snowing or sleeting - no wipe down, no smell.

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by 1stimestar

Doggie coats and booties up here are NOT for fashion. They are to keep the dog from freezing to death. There's a difference.

LOL, I don't know, my daughter's boxer looks pretty dang handsome in his winter wear!

Warmer too!

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by 1stimestar

Doggie coats and booties up here are NOT for fashion.

They are not for the protection of the dog either. Those doggie "coats" are more like doggie "vests." They do not include leggings or a means of keeping your dog's legs warm, and most stop at the base of the neck.

Dogs in extreme cold will also lose much of their sense of smell and as a result can get lost easier in the winter (particularly due to the lack of light). Either keep your dog(s) on a leash at all times, or keep a good eye out for them during the winter.

In sub-freezing temperatures it will be the dog's ear tips, paws/pads, and flanks that freeze first. A doggie coat does not cover these areas. Even though their nose is wet, and one might think it would be the first thing to freeze on a dog, they are continually breathing through their nose and that helps keep their nose warmer than other parts of their body.

[LittleJazzyP]

Aren't the booties more to protect the pads from cuts and abrasions, and on sidewalks, from ice melt, than from the cold itself?

[Dusty Rhodes]

Our German Shepherds really come alive during that week we get each year of single digit temps, we also don't see them inside much when snow is on the ground, they will come in when we call to them but you can tell they really don't want to.

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by LittleJazzyP

Aren't the booties more to protect the pads from cuts and abrasions, and on sidewalks, from ice melt, than from the cold itself?

Both, the mushers use them to Protect the Pads on long dog sled races so the ice doesn't hurt the paws and build up ice there as well. The ones on my daughter's dog's feet are insulated to keep his feet warm!

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by LittleJazzyP

Aren't the booties more to protect the pads from cuts and abrasions, and on sidewalks, from ice melt, than from the cold itself?

Paws, and in particular their pads, are one of the first things to freeze on a dog. Booties do help any dog withstand the cold better. However, you will usually need more than four per dog, as they have a tendency to throw off their booties as they run. If you have a dog that has a lot of hair between their toes, trimming that down when you trim their nails will help keep snowballs from building up between their toes.

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by Dusty Rhodes

Our German Shepherds really come alive during that week we get each year of single digit temps, we also don't see them inside much when snow is on the ground, they will come in when we call to them but you can tell they really don't want to.

I have a female Alaskan Husky like that, named Blizzard. She will find an exposed chunk of ice and lay on it for hours in sub-zero temperatures. I think she does it for the solitude, knowing my short-haired South African Mastiff would not dare venture out in such temperatures unless he really had no other choice.

[1stimestar]

Originally Posted by Glitch

They are not for the protection of the dog either. Those doggie "coats" are more like doggie "vests." They do not include leggings or a means of keeping your dog's legs warm, and most stop at the base of the neck.

Hahaha yea as a musher, I happen to know what they look like. They do protect the dog as it helps keep their core temperature up. Also, when the dog is resting and curled up, they tuck their legs and noses in. Yea, there are lots of dogs with frost bit ear tips but really, making them wear a hat would be hard lol.