Winter Weather Safety for Dogs

As winter approaches, it’s time to prepare for the cold weather. If you have a dog that lives outside it’s essential that you take the right steps to keep them safe and warm during the cold winter months. These are some of the things you should and shouldn’t do to keep your dog safe and warm in the winter.

Proper shelter

The first thing you need to insure is that your dog has proper shelter. This should be a place where he/she can get out of the cold, damp air of winter. It needs to be a covered shelter that stays dry. A doghouse is the ideal solution, and if at all possible you want should install a doggy door so that all forms of weather stay out. Some people think that a covered porch is adequate shelter, and while it does cover your dog, it doesn’t keep the cold winter winds from getting to them.

Blankets and hay

Blankets and hay are both great materials to use to keep you dog warm. However, both of these materials also get wet quickly, and there isn’t anything warm about a cold icy blanket or an ice block of hay. If you choose to provide a blanket and/or hay for your dog, you need to check them daily to ensure they are dry and fit to use.

Heaters

It may seem like a great idea to equipped your dog’s shelter with a heater, but it’s not. Heaters are dangerous even if they are closely monitored by an adult. Leaving your dog alone with a heater could cause a number of issues. Your dog could burn itself on the heater or the heater could start a fire which could injure or even kill you dog.

Bring him/her inside the house

Bringing your dog in the house may not seem like the best idea, but on the coldest of days, it’s the only real solution. If you’re uncomfortable letting your dog run around your home, consider closing it off in a room with a tiled floor like a laundry room or bathroom. Remember the most important thing is to keep you dog safe during winter weather.


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