What Not To Wear!

Want to know what not to wear in this weather?  Nothing. 

I was recently confronted by someone who indicated she could not understand why people felt the desire to dress their dogs and treat them like children. I think she meant ME!  Personally, I feel each person should do what they need to do to care for their dog.   People should also understand that some dogs, just like humans, get cold. 

For instance, dogs like me who are Chihuahuas or Dachshunds (who walk close to the ground in the snow), thin limbed Italian Greyhounds and Whippets, senior dogs - we all get cold. Just let us out, you will see a lot of us come in shivering. In fact, we may even shiver in the house if you do not put a coat or sweater or a blanket over us. Some of us even go outside and after a few seconds our paws get freezing cold and we freeze in place unable to move them (this has happened to me and Daisy).

Weasel, Monkey, Daisy and Me stalking the back door... someone took off their boots!

Daisy and Weasel coming in through the dog run inside our home.  Weasel loves the snow!

Can  you see me waaaay back there? I am walking through our dog run to get in the house.  

A lot of us will burrow in blankets - just like you humans do - and we don't do this to be cute. We do this because it is cozy and warm. 

Pawrents take care of us and worry about our basic needs, food and water and medical care - but care also includes protection from the elements. Keeping us cool and away from hot cars when it is hot, and keeping us warm when it is cold. Pets can get frostbite and freeze to death. Not to mention checking paws/washing them after being outdoors to wash away salt or any traces of very deadly anti freeze. 
For those complaining about dogs wearing clothes being afraid of what people might think or because you think a dog wearing clothes is cruel -- believe me -- when I am indoors and I do not want to wear something, I just pull it with my tiny teeth and off it goes! I am Houdini! 

Teensy and I brave the snow walking back into the house...

I will repeat:   lots of dogs get cold - even the big ones.  My big brother Weasel loves to roll around in the snow but he has a built in permanent coat to protect him from the elements.  However, my pawrents would never, ever just leave him outdoors  for longer than necessary.  Just recently, a larger dog in my area (Pit Bull) was left outdoors in the frigid weather. A neighbor called in that a dog was left outdoors tied to the dog house. Police found the poor baby frozen stiff -- the dog was cold and died from hypothermia.  We are learning of several sad cases like this recently that should never have happened.  Around here we don't worry about vanity, we worry about keeping safe from the elements and staying warm.    This keeps us healthy.

We made it!

If you notice, I walk around naked most of the time in my pictures with a bow tie. But when it's cold, I wear a coat.  
Enough said.