According to experts, that depends on a variety of factors, including their size, breed and how cold it gets where you live.<\/p>\n
How to tell if a dog needs a jacket<\/p>\n
One of the main determining factors for whether your dog needs a jacket is how small they are<\/strong>, according to Susan Hazel, an associate professor from the University of Adelaide who specialises in research into animal welfare, behaviour and ethics.<\/p>\n Dr Hazel says dogs that are less than 10 kilograms<\/strong><\/a> “and ones that are less than 5kg, even more so<\/strong>” are likely to benefit from wearing a jacket when it is cold, particularly if they are venturing outdoors.<\/strong><\/p>\n Owners of dogs that weigh less than 5kg should consider putting jackets on them if they are venturing outdoors in cold weather. (Adobe Stock)<\/p>\n “Smaller dogs<\/strong>, because their body surface area to body mass has a different ratio, they will get cold<\/strong>,” Dr Hazel says.<\/p>\n Breeds including Italian greyhounds, French bulldogs, chihuahuas, toy poodles, pugs, Maltese and Yorkshire terriers<\/strong> are among those that can benefit from wearing a coat in colder weather.<\/p>\n Shaun Naylor and his husband Benny Cole live on the Gold Coast, on the traditional lands of the Yugambeh people, and have recently welcomed Louis, a four-month-old Italian greyhound, into their family.<\/p>\n Shaun said it quickly became clear that Louis “definitely needs a jacket” when it’s cold.<\/strong><\/p>\n Louis on a morning constitutional in one of his knitted jumpers. (Supplied: Shaun Naylor)<\/p>\n “He gets really, really cold as soon as the temperature drops,” he says. “He might be sitting with us on a couch with a blanket and you might move the blanket and there’s a breeze and he just starts to shiver.<\/p>\n “We’ll get up in the morning and take him out to the garden so he can go to the toilet, and as soon as you pick him up and move him away from the heater or anything, his whole body shakes.<\/p>\n “We have had him less than two weeks and he currently has three knitted jumpers, one hoodie, a reflective woolly coat for when he goes walking and some pyjamas.”<\/p>\n Do larger dogs need to wear coats in winter?<\/p>\n Larger dog breeds \u2014 particularly those with double coats<\/strong> such as golden retrievers, labradors, huskies, German shepherds, border collies and Newfoundlands \u2014 are more easily able to regulate their body heat<\/strong>, even if they are out walking in cold or wet weather.<\/p>\n “They really are wearing a heavy fur coat and even when it rains, the rain doesn’t tend to get through that double layer,” Dr Hazel says.<\/p>\n However, some larger breeds with single coats or shorter hair, such as greyhounds, have low body fat, which means they don’t have much insulation from the cold.<\/p>\n “If your dog gets cold, it will shiver in the same way that we do<\/strong> if we get really cold, so people will know if their greyhounds are a bit cold,” Dr Hazel says.<\/p>\n Should you leave your dog’s coat on overnight?<\/p>\n If your dog is sleeping inside, there’s generally no need to dress them in jackets or pyjamas overnight<\/strong>, provided they have warm bedding.<\/p>\n More Lifestyle stories:<\/p>\n Dr Hazel says there are more important considerations than a jacket if your dog sleeps outdoors at night<\/strong>, including a kennel that is protected from wind and rain<\/strong>.<\/p>\n She says it’s important they have “somewhere they can keep warm and [have] some bedding” and “not just a bit of concrete”.<\/p>\n “The smaller the dog, the more important that would be, and the colder the area, the more important that would be.”<\/p>\n Is it OK to make your dog wear clothing?<\/p>\n Shaun also owns a Maltese\u2013chihuahua cross named Dylan, and says he has “lots of fur, so I guess it’s a little bit more for the people than for him when you put him in clothes”.<\/p>\n “But he does like to have a jacket when it’s cold \u2026 he’ll come to you and let you know he wants his jacket.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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