 Dog Sweater and Booties necessary?
#211496 - 10/04/2008 08:55 AM |
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I live in Wisconsin, and it gets below freezing during winter. My GSD puppy is 4 months old now and I was curious if it was necessary to get/make her some booties and sweater for the Winter? I will walk her probably two miles in the morning and two at night in the Winter and want to make sure she doesnt get too cold, and her joints dont just freeze right up. I know dogs can handle the cold weather, but HOW cold? HOW old should she be to tough it out? and she will be walking on ice and snow often. What do you suggest?
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Re: Dog Sweater and Booties necessary?
[Re: Laura Burmeister ]
#211497 - 10/04/2008 08:59 AM |
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Hi Laura,
Good Luck in getting a GSD to wear booties and a sweater. What will the neighbor dogs think? LOL!
Lisa
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Re: Dog Sweater and Booties necessary?
[Re: lisa harrison ]
#211498 - 10/04/2008 09:06 AM |
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I saw a lab in the neighborhood last year with booties on and little dogs with sweaters. Haha - is it necessary? Will it be too cold if I don't? Or doesn't it really matter?
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Re: Dog Sweater and Booties necessary?
[Re: Laura Burmeister ]
#211521 - 10/04/2008 12:28 PM |
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I live in MN, and live in ND for awhile, and I've had GSD's since I was born. We never did any of that to them, and they were outside dogs about 95% of the time.
The only time I've seen people use booties on larger dogs is when my friend would use them for his sled dogs to keep ice out from between their toes. If the GSD isn't pulling anything for miles like a sled dog, he'll lay down and chew the ice out from his paws on his own.
ND is colder and windier than WI. It's not necessary.
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Re: Dog Sweater and Booties necessary?
[Re: Laura Burmeister ]
#211544 - 10/04/2008 09:38 PM |
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Shabbado will lay outside for 2 hours at -30 chewing a bone if we let here. I get cold on a walk before she does. Sweater, forget it. Booties, sure if she'll wear them. We have some paw wax we use for time to time. Protects the paws from the cold and the salt on the roads, although she doesn't seem sensitive to it.
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Re: Dog Sweater and Booties necessary?
[Re: Ron Eunson ]
#211553 - 10/04/2008 10:23 PM |
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Hi Laura,
Sorry to drift away from your topic, but walking four miles a day with a young pup sounds like a lot.
If I am not mistaken, somewhere on Leerburg, there is an article that talks about over-exercising a puppy may increase the risk of hip dysplasia?
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Re: Dog Sweater and Booties necessary?
[Re: Melissa Hau ]
#211559 - 10/04/2008 10:53 PM |
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The guy that owns the feed store I get Danke's supplements/toys/etc at used to put a fleece-type parka on his Husky, to keep it from getting wet and smelly in the rain.
I don't think it's necessary to put anything on the dog for warmth though. Exercise and fur will keep the dog warm enough.
Paws will slowly toughen on their own if you let the dog work into long walks gradually.
I agree with Melissa though; anything under a year to a year and a half is way to young to be walking a GSD those distances.
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Re: Dog Sweater and Booties necessary?
[Re: Aaron Myracle ]
#211570 - 10/05/2008 09:11 AM |
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Actually the vet that I go to is recommended by Leerburg and he approved her to walk 2-4 miles in any given day. He warned about over excercise and to watch if she is getting tired. I would never overwalk her, on a walk around the block once to get her leash trained when she was younger I ended up carrying her home because I sensed she was starting to get a little tired. I'm very VERY cautious about that. Right now I do two miles (one morning and one night) and once she is bigger she will have another vet visit (about 2 months from now) to check and he will determine what is best for her. I trust him a lot because he is trusted by Leerburg.
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Re: Dog Sweater and Booties necessary?
[Re: Laura Burmeister ]
#211576 - 10/05/2008 11:10 AM |
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I think Ron's suggestion about the paw wax to protect against salt, etc., would be a good thing for the more tender pads of a pup. As far as the distance, it's just a walk, you aren't walking really long distances in one fell swoop, so your pup should be fine as frogs hair. As long as you aren't doing a bunch of running, jumping, type exercize or ball chasing or frisbee type stuff, and not seeing any signs of exhaustion or distress, I think what you are doing is great. Have fun!
I HATE doggie clothes. I realize that in colder climates some dogs have to wear them, but usually those are dogs without a double coat. If she doesn't act uncomfortable she should be fine.
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Re: Dog Sweater and Booties necessary?
[Re: susan tuck ]
#211586 - 10/05/2008 01:20 PM |
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^^^ What she said! And I realize that the fact that Susan lives in CA/WA might make you tempted to negate her opinion, but let me assure you that as someone from Ontario, Canada, I've had dogs for close to two decades now that didn't once have clothing.
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