For dog owners, walks during the winter months can be just as much fun as the sun drenched walks we all enjoy. Three Great Places to Walk Your Dog around Mirfield is one of our most popular blog posts, and there’s no reason why you should stop walking your dog in winter just because of the cold weather. After all, how many of us have had a smile put on our face when our dog is
playfully rolling about in the snow? they just love it.
Who can forget the fantastic summer of 2018 where we saw glorious weather for days on end; our dogs loved that so much, but even then we had to take precautions to keep them safe. However, ice, snow and low temperatures can also cause a few problems, but here are one or two tips that can help keep your winter dog walks problem free:
Be Aware of Your Dog’s Body Language
Sometimes we think our dogs are immune to the cold, but just like us they can feel uncomfortable quite quickly, so watch out for tell-tale signs such as excessive shivering or uncharacteristic whining. Many dogs will give you that forlorn look to show you they are not happy. If this happens, take them home or get them inside soon: for example, in front of a roaring fire at the Flowerpot or the Hare & Hounds. Another sign of discomfort is if your dog is continuously picking up or licking their paws – which leads us nicely to…
Wipe their Paws after Walking
Actually this is good practice after walking at any time of the year, but in frosty conditions this is highly recommended; the ground may be covered in toxic substances such as road salt or anti-freeze. Not only will the dog feel much better, but it will prevent the harmful ingestion of chemicals which may irritate your dog’s stomach causing sickness. Wiping their paws after or even during cold winter walks should ideally be followed by…
Moisturising Their Paws
In our summer blog we talked about the sensitivity of dogs’ paws and how they can become scorched on hot pavements; similarly, just think how freezing temperatures must feel to them. It is a good idea to moisturise their paws after wiping and then soothe them with a safe non-toxic substance such as coconut oil. This will help prevent developing cracked or split pads and will ensure they can enjoy many more spills and frolics all the way through into spring.
Put a Coat On…
Err, your dog obviously, hopefully you are already wrapped up nice and snug but consider your dog too. A long or dense haired dog will probably be fine, whereas a short haired dog such as a Pug will soon begin to struggle. Even long haired dogs, that are likely to have very little hair underneath, can get very cold quite quickly.
A great solution is to buy a coat for your dog and they are many and varied; from strictly practical to downright comical. The main point is that they act as added insulation as well as giving protection from a chilling wind. Be careful if the coat gets wet as this could be worse than no coat at all. To avoid the problems associated with the frozen paws mentioned earlier, invest in some dog socks or dog boots. But above all…
Keep on Walking…
We really hope you enjoy your walks, whatever the weather, and we hope to see you soon at Beauty Petz so you can tell us all about your dog walking adventures.
One final tip
this is a great time of year to bring your dog for a pampering bath & dry to make them all dry, cosy and clean. Why not give Joanne a call, we’d love to see you…