15 Inexpensive Ways To Keep Your Dog Warm In Winters (Inside/Outside)

Our favorite Winter season is here!

The fantastic thing that makes the winter season unique is snowy ice roads and chilling air. We all love to play in winters, and so do our dogs. So to keep our dog’s excitement high even in the chilly climate, we should take some protective measures to keep our furry friends safe from winter illness.

From walking down in winters to having a bath, a dog can easily catch cold and cough if not adequately cared for. So, what can you do to safeguard your pet’s health and body in the colder weather?

We’ve listed down 15 ways that can help you to keep your dog warm and celebrate winter this year safely. Let’s deep dive straight into it!

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• 11 Incredible Tips To Walking Dogs In Winters

Signs That Your Dog Is Feeling Too Cold

Before we head over to the ways to keep our dogs warm in winter, it’s also essential to understand our dogs’ signs when they feel cold. All dog breeds are different with varying body temperatures. Outside and indoor weathers are going to feel distinct for every puppy. 

A good approach is to watch for clues that your pup is too suffering to tolerate the chilliness, even if they are a breed that can address the colder temperature. Below are some common signs that will help you observe that your dog is feeling the chilling cold:

• The Unreasonable Whining
• Blisters and Skin Ulcers
• Discoloration Of The Skin
• Trembling and Hunched back
•  Looking for Warm Areas to Dwell

If you see any of these indications, these could be the first clues of hypothermia, and you should keep your furry friend warmer inside.

15 Simple Ways To Keep Your Dog Warm In Winters

Most dog owners rely on making their dogs wear warm clothes to safeguard them during winters. However, research has shown that clothes are not enough to keep a dog’s body hotter. So, here are the simple 15 ways to keep your dog warm in winters:

1. Understand Your Dog’s Body Temperature

To learn adequate strategies for keeping a dog warm in the winter, you should know about their heat tolerance and resistance levels. Many dog breeds like Alaskan Malamutes and Siberian Huskies can tolerate the extreme chillness in winters. However, species such as Chihuahuas, Greyhounds, etc. may not be competent to withstand the colder climates. So, it’s critical to understand your dog’s body temperature.

If your doggie can’t withstand colder environments, it’s advisable to keep them packed in your house. Avoid any kind of walks or playing sessions as long as the weather is cold outside.

2. Make Them Wear Sweaters and Jackets

Even though many of us know that warm clothes are necessary for dogs in winters, I still wanted to highlight this point to our readers.

More miniature puppies and dogs with lesser hair require a little aid in the colder weather. So, when they are outdoors and can’t tolerate the chilliness, a warm sweater or jacket works well to make your little companion friendly. And, if you’re feeling colder outside, the chances are that your canine will feel the same about the weather.

Related: How to stop hair shedding in dogs?

3. Avoid Excessive Hair Grooming

Many people start grooming their pets when the season changes, leading to more harm than benefits. Washing your pups in winters often results in scorched and tickling skin in them, which further gets terrible in frigid climates. So, the thing you have to do is to let their hair grow in winters.

Long hairs will provide them with more heat and protect them from the chilly colder climates, so, it’s better to avoid hair cuts in winter. However, you can still cut the fur between their toes because snowballs and de-icing chemicals can clutch to it and your canine may feel discomfort due to this.

4. Winter Dog Bedding

Winter dog beds are one of the great ways to keep your dog warm and comfortable at night. These dog beds should be cozy with lots of warm blankets and lifted above the floor to prevent drought. You can also put some winter clothes beneath their bed, to keep it more warmer from the downside.

If your pup rests outdoors and allowing them interior isn’t an option, give them a proper place with warmer bedding. Many people burn woods at night to keep themselves and their pets warmer at night, so this is another option you can try.

5. Use Dog Boots

Dog boots are another good choice to help protecting the paws of your furry friends when they are out in the winter season. Amazingly, boots work well for your furry friends, and most canines will find them quite comfortable. Thus, dog boots are an excellent choice if you need to protect their paws from de-icers and injuries.

6. Keep Your Dogs On Leash

Often, you’ll feel bored at home and want to do activities like hiking or jogging in colder seasons with your dog. So, whenever you’re going out with your companion in winters, make sure to keep them on a leash.

A leash will prevent your dog from running off and also save them from getting missed in dark lights. Plus, a leash will also make your dog feel comfortable when they feel discomfort due to colder weather.

7. Keep Them Nourished and Hydrated

With changing weathers, dogs often get lazy with their diets and meals which is more true in winters. Sometimes they don’t drink enough water and do not eat much food, resulting in upset stomachs. So, you have to take some suitable measures for your dog’s proper diet.

Ensure your dog has access to clean and defrosted water, especially if they stay outside your house. Try serving them hot food in heated bowls to keep them warm from inside. If you’re about to change your dog’s diet according to climate changes, always consult your vet first.

8. Keep Their Paws Clean

During the outdoor hikes, especially in winters, all that snowballs, de-icers, and salt can accumulate in your canine’s feet. And many pups whips them, which results in the consumption of toxic poisons. So, every time you come in from the chilliness, be sure to clean your canine’s paws and check for any ice buildup. It’s always good to keep your dog’s nails short and trimmed in the winter season.

Related: How to clean a dog’s ears?

9. Protection From Hypothermia

Like us, animals also suffer from hypothermia when they cannot withstand the colder climate. Dogs can catch hypothermia if they spend a lot of time outside in chilly cold weather, as their body temperature falls below their normal levels.

And do you know, even mild hypothermia can make your dog weak and inactive? If the situation worsens, their heart rate gets slow, which may even lead to their death. It’s advisable to keep your dogs warm by adequate measures and hot food to ensure they’ll not catch hypothermia in winters.

So far, we have discussed how to keep your dog warm outside in winter weather. Now, let us check out some more ways to keep your furry friends warm inside the homes.

10. Create Warming Space Inside

As soon as the winter hits your home, adjust your home with every caution to prevent the flow of colder airs. Add a sheet/layer to the floor and prepare a warmer bed for your dog. Your dog should have a tandem of areas in the rooms to stay warm.

However, be conscious of room heaters that might create troubles for your dog’s skin or hot mats that can burn your pet’s paws. Also, avoid any water or slippery floors that might cause cold and cough to your dog.

11. Keeping Them Entertained At Indoors

When your dog stays inside for an extended period, they might feel bored and lethargic and may express their desires to go outside. So, instead of taking them on long walks, try to have short walking and exercise sessions with them.

You can try the best possible ways to keep them entertained and excited inside your home. You can involve them with cooking, training sessions, fun sessions, etc.

12. Wipe Them Immediately After Outdoor Activities

When you get back home after walking outside or playing in the snow with your pup, make sure to wipe down all their body parts such as feet, legs, belly, etc. The chemical products or pesticides outdoors may be harmful to your dogs. So, if you are using de-icers to melt the snow, make sure to use some pet-friendly de-icers.

13. Bathe Your Dog Inside

Like humans, bathing is essential for dogs, no matter whether the environment is hotter or colder. So, if you’re also bathing your dog during winters, try to bath them indoors. Also, try to keep their bathing time small and short, and not more than twice a week, especially in winters.

If a dog has a wet or moist body during winters, they’ll soon catch cold and cough. After the bathing session, ensure to properly dry your canine’s fur before carrying them back outdoors. 

14. Use Heatable Dog Products

This might sound new to you, but there are many dog products available in the market that are heatable. These products usually contain reheatable pads or tubes, making the product warm. By using them, dogs can feel warmer and comfortable during freezing temperatures. Some of the heatable dog products are:

• Heatable toys
• Heatable beds/pads
• Heatable bowls
• Heatable harness

The best thing about these products is that they are temperature adjustable, so your dog won’t burn themselves.

15. Call Your Vet, If Necessary

While you can easily enjoy winters with your dog most of the time by taking proper measures, sometimes, things go out of control. Your pet might not feel that comfortable during winters and may show signs of lethargy and illness. If this continues for long, you should always consult with your vet. The vet will suggest the proper diet and measures for your dog’s breed.

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Final Thoughts!

Many pups love strolling through the ice, and winter is their favorite season of the year. But before diving into the ice with them, take all the protective measures to ensure their safety. On the bottom line, don’t let the moisture and colder climate inhibit you and your canine from playing outside during the year’s wintertime.

Keep these positive tips in your mind to maintain your puppies comfortable and active through the colder season. We hope the above tips will help you to keep your dog warm in winters. Happy winters from Improve Dogs!