I hate to have to do this, but I need to get Lily a coat and booties. She has no undercoat, and is hating the cold. When we go outside, she does her business and turns around and heads back in after just two minutes, and if we stay longer she just stops in place lifting her legs and looking at me confused because her tootsies hurt.
Any suggestions?
And yes, I’m now about to become someone who dresses his damned dog. Just shoot me. Here comes Chad with his beautiful big white lab, here comes Anne with her Mastiff, here is Devon with her beautiful terriers, and who is that? Oh, why it is John with his dainty little Lily in a sweater and booties. I already feel my testosterone levels dropping.
satby
Get her a Steelers coat, no one will even notice the booties.
Cat Lady
What a dilemma. If you go with something pink, then yeah, you may as well wear a matching tutu, but if you go butch, then you may as well spell out YMCA on your walk.
How about some plaid?
Ash Can
Wouldn’t it be cute if you got yourself a new jacket and boots to match Lily’s?
jayackroyd
Gracie hated the salt, and also got little ice balls in her toes. But she also would not tolerate booties. Ended up using the mushers ointment for snow days.
She loved the snow though. Digging her snout in, tossing it up.
SiubhanDuinne
They make Snuggies for dogs, don’t they? Maybe you could get matching his-‘n’-hers. I guarantee if you did that, you could *both* wear booties and no one would notice!
(Serious) query: do Ginny and Guesley have the same issues? What do your folks do for them?
Little Dreamer
John, is life really about your testosterone level, or the joy you get out of having Lily in your life? Think about it.
I agree with Satby, get her a Steeler’s coat and move on!
BSR
Don’t bother with the cheaper brands of booties, they just don’t stay on. My dog had a foot injury last spring that would not heal because she kept ripping it open, so I ended up trying a lot of different dog booties until I found a set that work well and stay on. They are more expensive than the other brands at 50$ for a set of four, but I could not get any of the other brands to stay on her little tootsies.
muttluks dog booties
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753820&lmdn=Clothing+Type
Picture of Oma Shaking her booty.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gKkFQ35fLKQ/SiLa9QZ0rZI/AAAAAAAAAHI/QxL_1sOg9q8/s1600-h/booty1.JPG
Johio
Just don’t make them pink. How about a biker chick theme?
Punchy
John, please. Dogs DONT NEED BOOTIES. A coat, sure. My Greys have little fur and zero body fat; they love their coat. But even they have no use for paw coverings, and that’s after walking them in below zero weather.
You’re too humanizing this critter. The pads on her paws will work just fine.
In other news, who could have ever predicted?
arguingwithsignposts
@Ash Can:
“Cute” is not the word I’d use.
dr. bloor
@satby:
And if it’s got Roethlisberger’s number on it, no one will be able to tell her apart from the real item.
Suck it up and get the coat, Cole. This is about her comfort and safety, not your farkin’ ego.
Mike Kay
hahahahahahhahahahahhahahahahah
ahahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahahha
ahahahhahahhahahahahahhahahahhahah
My Huskie can’t stop chortling.
John Cole
@Punchy: Dude- I’m telling you, she needs the damned booties. She walks in the snow for a little bit, then just stops in the street looking at me confused while lifting up her back leg, then puts it down, lifts up her other one, and I pick her up, take her into the house, towel off the snow, and then sit with her on my lap in her blankie.
Keith G
Go to Petsmart for their winter gear sales. And then commission an aunt or community artisan to knit a custom sweater for Lily with her name embroidered smartly on it.
My sister’s two Dobies look very cute in their sweaters and love wearing them in the Ohio winters.
TruthOfAngels
I have a tiny little black cat called Mischief and I just read him this post. He larfed and larfed.
This is not my opinion on the matter, mind you, But I have a fractured shoulder and he takes advantage of a wounded daddy.
He bites me. HELP!
Punchy
@John Cole: All dogs do this! Just keep walking, and when she finally picks up a scent she likes, she’ll ignore the cold.
Booties are, by and large, for dogs with ripped pads or other foot injuries. You need your dog to walk without them to toughen those pads and help erode down her fingernails.
By the way, did you just Dude me?
dmsilev
@John Cole: That sounds like she got some ice balls in her paws. While you’re outside, you can take a look at the paws, and if there are any balls in between the pads, just carefully pick them out and she should be fine.
-dms
Demo Woman
I found a sweat shirt for Moxie at Pets Mart. It was fairly inexpensive. I have not purchased booties but came close because of the low temps in the south this year. A friend laughed at me but then called after she saw a vet on TV saying how important they can be for dogs because of the frozen bits of dirt, ice or other particles getting in the dog’s paws.
EFroh
D’aw! This sounds so cute. Photo documentation is, of course, mandatory.
SiubhanDuinne
John, what does your own vet advise re booties?
donovong
Just a suggestion, but it sounds to me as if Lily could use a vacation. Somewhere warm. Why, that would mean that you have to take her, right?
Holy hell, man, you just found your excuse to actually, you know, take a break!
Kirk Spencer
Once upon a time, someone told me “macho” is spanish for “A$$hole.” If testerone matters more than caring about the one who trusts you, tu muy macho.
Yeah, I know you’re not, but that was still my first reaction. Feel free to vent it on someone who makes comments about your manliness.
Look, just find jackets (or sweaters, or whatever) that aren’t frilly. As Satby said, get a Steelers jacket or sweater and suddenly you’re not playing dressup, you’re being an uberfan. It’s all about perception.
As an aside, I have one dog of the three I own wearing a jacket when she goes out. Sometimes I walk her alone – without the two younger pups. I don’t get comments, and I don’t notice stares. They may happen, but I just don’t notice them.
Annie
@Ash Can:
LOL. Great way to start the day. Thanks….
mistermix
Unfortunately, most of the “dog clothes” sold in pet stores are junk.
For smaller dogs (our dog is 14 lbs), a lot of the boots are either too flimsy or too stiff. After wasting a bunch of money, we finally got some Muttluks. They’re great. Cinch them up tight or they fall off. This page has sizing info:
http://www.sitstay.com/dog/supplies/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&productId=56108
Coats are also mostly junk. After wasting money on crap coats, my wife found a Hurrta coat that we use all the time:
http://www.hurttacollection.com/products?a=catalog.product.view&product_id=75
She can’t remember where she bought it online, unfortunately. It may be overkill for your weather — they also make coats that don’t cover the legs. Our dog is a bit head-shy. If yours is, too, steer clear of anything with a hood.
WyldPiratd
screw the booties and sweaters. move to a more reasonable climate. your testosterone level and dignity wont suffer.
Brick Oven Bill
Don’t do it John.
mistermix
@Punchy: I don’t know where you live, but where we live there’s snow on the ground for months, and huge amounts of salt are used to melt it. The salt + snow slush is really irritating to our dog’s paws. Before booties, she’d be constantly licking her feet and they were getting red and sore.
Twisted Martini
http://thepawsmahal.com/, give them a try. We have gotten some good stuff from them
arguingwithsignposts
Since this is a pet thread, one more smudge action photo before I head off to work. She’ll never wear pet clothes. She’d probably kill me in my sleep if I tried that (a la the tunch).
jeffreyw
Ahem…
Punchy
@mistermix: Our dogs, when left outside (in backyard), will stand on 3 feet (demonstrating being cold) while waiting to be let it. But when walking, they just go. We dont have a lot of salt on our roads, however.
My fear would be that booties may keep their pads too softened up, so that in the spring, when they go to run without them, they’ll rip pads. And God help the owner of a dog with multiple ripped pads.
Glocksman
My boxer does the same thing and she’s tall enough that her stomach doesn’t even come close to the snow when she’s standing up.
That said, part of it may just be the extreme cold in general as she loves snow when it’s 30 or so outside, but goes out, does her business, and immediately runs back to the door when it’s 12.
IOW, the coat may help but based on my own experience I don’t believe the booties would do much good.
BTW, if you get her a Steelers coat to go with the collar, a #34 coat might be better than a Big Ben one considering the smashmouth tradition of Steelers football.
General Winfield Stuck
A body sweater would preserve core body temp that should transpose that to her periphery areas, or feets. Charlie would send some of his extra fur, if he could:)
DanF
All this means John, is that you are officially “Dad” material. I see a mini-van in your future.
tinat
A solid color sweater, maybe a deep blue to offset her reddish hair would be utilitarian, not “dress the dog” cute.
And if you can find it, a sweater in a natural material is warmer and less irritating to her ubderbelly
mmolleur19
Sorry to be so late on this comment
However, dogs do need foot protection in bad weather; huskies wear them in Alaska. There’s nothing wimpy about using them. We got the idea for our two westies while visiting there.
Once of your earlier commenters did mention Muttluks. which is what I use. As stated, losing them can be a problem, so buy an extra set for spares to get you through the winter.
Karen
John, get her the Muttluks from PetsMart. When I had Katie in them for almost 4 months because of a fungus in the ground that only G.S.s are suseptible to, they stayed on her feet. And they have the tread on the botton so she won’t slide.
Bad Horse's Filly
@John Cole: First of all, this post made me laugh out loud this morning. Booties may or may not work, they tend to fall off – a lot. But you can use vaseline or other ointments, they work well to keep the cold out and the ice from sticking. So I second everyone else in the thread who is going to say the same thing.
Tzal
You adopted a mutt. You get a free pass on these sorts of things.
Face
If you get a Ben coat, expect her to run sideways unexpectedly, take 2-3 steps in place, then fall down. Repeatedly. Like 5-6 times every 3 hours, especially on Sunday.
brantl
Get the sweater and boots, or move south. On the other hand, we tried a sweater on our boxer-mix, and she hid between the parked cars outside, and wouldn’t go anywhere else when we let her out. (Invisible fence, in the country.)
Nannergrrl
Go with a fleece coat, its warm and breathable and scratch the booties.
Fido Fleece is one option and the one I have used before. Easy to get the dog in and out of the vest. Although probably not a concern with Lily; our dogs have about 45 pounds on her.
http://www.premier.com/View.aspx?page=dogs/products/apparel/fidofleece/description
GReynoldsCT00
You’re just being a compassionate and responsible hooman to your doggie. Something fleecy inside and weather repellent out the outside that is easy on and off would be good. Can’t help you on the booties.
drunken hausfrau
My pug loves the snow, but hates rain, and really hated Wisconsin sub-zero cold/salt/ice…
We tried many different kinds of booties — no luck. He would yank them off faster than I could put them on! Vaseline (or I saw mentioned, mushers ointment?) before we went out did help.
As for coats, Land’s End has a very good coat, like a squall coat for dogs — waterproof/reflective markings/lined in polar tec. My pug prefers that in the London rain… but he likes a cheap red plaid sweater coat from the pet store for snowy cold. And, yes, you can tell which he prefers to wear (he won’t let me put the undesired one on him).
Keep warm, fluffy towel by the door for when you come inside — you need to dry/wipe the paws first thing. His paws never seemed greasy afterwards.
It’s not ridiculous until you start putting party hats on your dog or dressing her for Halloween… that’ll come!
Mary
@Punchy: If there is salt on the sidewalks then Lily absolutely needs the booties. Not only is salt killer on their feet, but can cause serious digestive issues because the dog will inevitably lick it off their feet. It’s not a pretty sight.
asiangrrlMN
I ditto the Steelers coat (and a matching one for yourself), and, pics of course.
@arguingwithsignposts:
@jeffreyw: You two are going to kill me with teh overwhelming cuteness!
@TruthOfAngels: Want pics of your cat, plz. kthxbai.
beergoggles
For the most part, I agee with everyone that says booties are a bad idea for dogs.
The coat is fine; you can even get one of those nylon ones that don’t send out any messages about the owner other than that they are a cheap bastard.
josefina
Give it up, Cole. Just go with this. Embrace your new reality.
If you’re determined to delay the inevitable, Foggy Mountain dog coats are excellent; you can order them online here. Slap a Stillers shirt on top and your ‘nads should remain somewhat functional.
As far as booties: as others have said, the problem could be salt and snow/ice between the toes rather than the cold itself. Try Musher’s Secret or something similar before you invest in booties, which most dogs hate hate hate.
(The Foggy Mountain recommendation comes from friends with greyhounds, dobie mixes, etc. My own dog needs no coat because she has a ferocious undercoat, encompassing Lily’s missing one plus several others, which means she sheds enough hair to knit up at least one whole new dog every single day, all year long. My dog is laughing at you and Lily but I’m not, because I do the sweeping and vacuuming.)
bemused
Doh. I must have had a crazy dream that yesterday John announced he was taking a week off from blogging. I suggest a post titled “I can’t quit you”.
Our two extremely furry dogs with such dense undercoats that it takes ticks a week to get down to their skin love, love, love snow. The sticky, snowman making type of snow is more problematic for them. Their feet look twice their size with the all the snow packed between their toes. The shorter dog ends up with her chest full of golf ball to tennis ball size snowballs.
Our dogs rarely have to walk on salt or other chemical treated streets or roads but for dogs that do boots or cleaning their paws before they start licking off who knows what kind of nasty stuff is a must.
geg6
Whatever you get, it better be black and gold. That is all.
GReynoldsCT00
Crap, still can’t link worth shit
Osprey
@arguingwithsignposts:
I’d go with something more like Faaabullouuussss!!!
Capri
I owned Basenjis and they were the same way. However, the coat and booties didn’t seem to help very much – they just didn’t “get” how having cloth tied to their body was for their benefit. They were cold and miserable and pissed off instead of just cold and miserable.
I’d suggest letting her spend most of her time indoors while the ground is so cold. Figure out some other way to spend time with her to take the place of walking perhaps – training to do tricks, find tiny amounts of drugs hidden in suitcases, whatever.
Of course YMMV
Max
Go to REI, you can get outdoor gear that will make the neighbors think you and Lily are training for Everest.
GReynoldsCT00
This
bystander
We’ve had really good luck with Ruff Wear products, and that’s the first place I go when I need serious weather protection for our dogs. The coats they have won’t carry a Steeler’s logo but Lily will look like she’s stylin’ high tech. Who would make fun of that? Have little experience with boots; couldn’t keep ’em on the dog. Have had lots of experience with the lifting-alternating-paws trying to walk on two legs problem, however. Will think about vaseline myself (thanks, folks). Don’t bother with the PetSmart stuff, unless you just want to toss your money in the trash.
Scuffletuffle
One thing pet caringship teaches us in spades is humility…embrace it, John!
Punchy
@Mary: We just got one of these for a Christmas gift. Hopefully will help remove the schmootz off their paws in winter and mud in the spring.
suzanne
Heh heh heh.
Once again, I am reminded of why my Huskies are the greatest dogs on the planet. :)
shortstop
You’ll get over the humiliation; we did, given that our dog has no body fat, a very thin coat of fur and we live in freaking Chicago. I wouldn’t bother visiting Petco or the other big chains unless you like doggie bomber jackets and Little House on the Prairie dresses — their sites may have a wider selection, though.
The most important thing is to get a coat that fastens with cross straps like this instead of one with a single strap underneath. The single-strappers blow around horribly in the wind, and you can’t really securely attach the leash to the hook in the middle of the back (which may not bother you if you leash Lily from the collar). The other benefit of this type of coat is that they usually come in unmortifying colors.
I can’t find an online picture of the boots we use, but they’re made of nylon with suedish pads and have short knit tops (like the wrists of a ski jacket). They’re a lot more flexible and harder to kick off than the ubiquitous Pawtector brand, which tend to be pretty stiff.
Expect hours of hilarity as Lily high-steps her way through the first few boot wearings. Our skinny, long-legged girl walks like a praying mantis at the beginning of each winter.
You’ll find the right temperature at which the boots become unnecessary to Lily — for our pooch, it’s about 15F.
Good luck!
Molly
@Keith G:
Excellent idea. Then if pressed, John can say “It was a gift from Aunt Bea, what was I going to do?”
My Lab does the same thing, John. I have to pick up all 70 pounds of her, put her in the grass, and sit with her when it’s cold, then take her right back inside. And this is not a lap dog type of dog; she’s not a big cuddler. She just HATES the cold.
Guster
I use Musher’s goop on my little dog’s feet. Don’t listen to anyone who says they don’t need. This is my first little dog, and last winter I walked him so much he got frostbite on one of his pads, poor guy. But I live in Maine. I dunno if you have an excuse …
Seitz
If you need booties for Tunch, you could go to Paddy’s Pub in Philadelphia. It’s the home of the Original Kitten Mittons. (youtube)
They probably fit small dogs, too.
shortstop
josefina’s got it. That’s the brand we have for our half-Dobe, half-beagle and it’s fantastic (and has the aforementioned cross-straps, plus a nice adjustable front-of-chest strap). It also only takes a few seconds to put on. God, they’re expensive, though.
Mr Furious
John, if you want me to throw the assortment of fleeces and booties etc I have collecting dust from our departed Putty into a box, say the word. Lily looks to be a similar sized frame.
And if they salt the sidewalks in your neighborhood, you absolutely need booties if you can’t keep Lily walking in the snow. The salt burns their feet.
And for anyone reading this, the pet-safe salt substitutes work great as surface traction if you actually shovel and keep the walk reasonably clean—please use it whenever possible. Dog owners and you local stream will thank you.
still liberal
The dog has sense enough to come in out of the cold, but . . . never mind.
Michael D.
Get a gun and a C&C permit. If someone laughs at you, shoot his dog.
The Tim Channel
My suggestion would be to get your dog some boots like these:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2734/4271839416_31703affba_o.jpg
Enjoy.
Marc
All I know is we need pictures.
Pictures where you attempt to clothe Tunch would also be greatly appreciated :)
asiangrrlMN
@Michael D.: Man, I’m evil, but this made me guffaw.
booferama
We put booties on my eighty-pound Great Dane mix, but no coat. Even though her fur is fairly thin, she doesn’t need a coat. With the booties, she’ll go on for as long as I’m willing.
The Grand Panjandrum
You definitely need a break from blogging. Can we get a new tag: TMI … just saying.
Irony Abounds
(a) I live in Arizona, and it’s been 68 and sunny since early December, so I can’t relate.
(b) I would rather die than walk around with a dog dressed up like it belongs in a Sex and the City movie. Hire someone to walk Lily if she needs to be dressed to the nines. Or get married and have your spousal unit walk her.
CynDee
Lily is a lucky girl.
Note for next summer: I know a doggie who got his feet badly burned from walking on hot pavement. His person took him for a very long walk on a hot day, and failed to consider the temperature of the pavement.
Violet
This post made me laugh out loud. I have no suggestions for booties or coats, but I really hope you’ll provide pictures if you go that direction! Whatever is best for Lily is the thing to do.
tisalaska
You are about to enter a whole new world here. Get used to raising to the challenge of dressing a 4 legged toddler. They want to go but not so much the getting prepared for it. Depends on how much you plan to use them. Pretty cheap fleece booties and attach via that great invention velcro work okay. REI has some dog clogs that totally rock if your in it for more challenging treks ie: hiking etc.
http://www.rei.com/category/40003681 not cheap but lets face it your buying four! Whatever you put on Lilly expect her to
A. Hate them like you have applied fire to her feet right off the bat
B. At the begining when you finally get her to walk she does so at what will appear as a clydesdale in heat.
Hang in there she will get used to it. Get ready for the “ahhhs” from fellow walkers..
AdamK
I got my geriatric dog a nice tasteful cable-knit. She doesn’t seem to mind it.
maye
I predict she won’t budge when you put booties on her. Mission Fail.
BigSwami
I agree with Punchy. Get her the coat, but not the booties.
I have a Plott and a Dane at home, both dogs with short coats and not much fat on them, and they are more than happy to walk out in the bitter cold as long as they get to walk at all. They do, however, get their feet stung by salt, so I have to watch out for that.
Annie
@arguingwithsignposts:
The best picture by far….She is just to cute.
Thanks!
dave
Buck up Mr. Cole, you are being the adult father figure providing for Lily who is unable to do for herself.
General Winfield Stuck
A black leather doggie jacket with maybe a Harley insignia should keep yer hormones at manly levels. After this past season, I would pass on the Stealers gear though.
serge
John, your balls will shrink up and you’ll start to grow breasts.
I’m lying, of course. I have a spitting-image twin of Lily’s, Roxy, who puts up with the sweater routine quite well. Of course, I won’t be seen anywhere near her. The spousal unit did it, and she can deal with the walking…
Milo Johnson
Being a good daddy means making sure your kids are warm and don’t have frostbitten toes. Anyone who thinks you are less masculine for taking care of your kid is not someone worth listening to.
Joshua Norton
Just carry her around on a pillow. You’re practically there as it is.
MNPundit
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
CaseyL
@Milo Johnson:
This.
I have no direct experience of pet clothes, but from what I’ve heard, if you can get musher booties in Lily’s size, go for it. Those booties are designed to protect sled dogs’ feet during races, so you know they’re good.
Also – I don’t know if you happen to be looking for a Significant Other – but, speaking for myself as a lady who likes compassionate and protective men: A man who cares about his little doggie enough to get her the very best cold weather gear, and who walks her proudly, knowing he’s a Good Daddy, is definitely someone I’d be interested in getting to know better. If you know what I mean.
bcinaz
As long as you don’t paint her toenails red.
MolyBloom
Duluth Trading Co. has a decent dog coat (fleece-lined interior/waterproof exterior) for $30. It’s easy to put on, and the bottom flap doesn’t get wet when dog pees. Plus it has reflector tape and little pockets. Got 2 for my friends’ boxer and lab cause they don’t have much hair. My dogs are heelers and tough little bastards, weather-wise.
Bad Horse's Filly
@booferama: I really want a picture of this. I can’t imagine putting booties on my three danes, my guess is my girl would have stood stock still and stared at me, knowing if she didn’t want to budge there was nothing I could do about it, until I took them off.
We did have a good routine though, they were not allowed past the patio door without having their feet wiped. This avoided the licking off the salt on paws issue and kept my floors mud free. They would stand patiently in line, ready to have their paws dried, before coming in. God I miss all 450lbs of them.
Quaker in a Basement
@DanF:
Yup. This is a definite Dad indicator. When I see a big, strong, tough guy walking down the concourse of the airport carrying a pink Barbie rollaway suitcase, I know that’s a good Daddy who loves his little girl more than he cares about what people think.
This is just a variation.
BJ Bjornson
John,
I felt the same way when I had to get booties for my dog due to the iceball problem in her paws. (Short distances were fine, but any serious hiking and the ice buildup can spread their paws open wide enough to tear. Water dogs are particularly at threat from this, but any breed outside of true Huskies will experience it.)
In any case, I got over that issue when I visited the Yukon and learned that the racing sled dogs they use, due to being cross-bred with greyhounds and other non-Arctic breeds, are almost always dressed up in coats and booties to survive the elements and run without injury to the paws. I figure if sled-dogs are dressed up in such a manner, I shouldn’t be ashamed for dressing mine the same way, (though admittedly I rarely use the coat, more due to the fact that when its that cold, even I do want to be out very long).
I admit to being slightly amused, however, that despite the fact its below -30C here for the last week, even the little Shih-tzu I inherited will stay outdoors longer than Lily apparently wants to.
Cat
@josefina:
These are the coats we use for our Boxers for the last 7 years. The dogs don’t seem to mind them and it keeps them warm. Don’t get any coat with a velcro strap. You may have a dog or run into a dog that enjoys to pull coats off and the velcro doesn’t stand a chance.
Only one of them ever would wear the muttluks and none of them have ever had any problems with the snow and ice on their pads.
Jules
@Seitz:
Kitten Mittons make me laugh every time.
My cats would kill me in my sleep….
Mr. John stop worrying about your manliness and get that dog some booties. If sled dogs (very manly man dogs) wear dog boots then they must rate somewhere low on the “does this make my penis look small” scale.
DaddyJ
Would a wolf need Muttluks? Of course not. But would a wolf be walking on concrete flooded in freezing salty slush? Nope.
You break it (the canid genome and canid’s native environment), you bought it (booties to protect your mutant mini-wolf’s feet from salt damage)!
I always like to imagine what the world would be like if humans had subjected ourselves to the same breeding experiments that we performed on our “best friends.”
S. cerevisiae
Maggie, our Cavalier, loves her Vikings fleece. She even likes to wear it inside when we watch the games. It is really easy to get on and off and she looks like a regal little fan.
When you watch a sled dog race almost all the teams have booties and I doubt if anyone questions either the dogs or the mushers toughness.
shortstop
@Bad Horse’s Filly: I read this with horrified yet admiring fascination. They all tried to sleep in your bed with you at the same time, didn’t they? What were the food bills like?
Silver Owl
Skip the stuff at the pet supplies places and get the winter gear from a sled dog site. Black Ice is a good one. I get my malamute gear from there.
The boots are to protect the feet from ice balls and salt damage. Keeping the fur trimmed between the pads will help with ice balls.
If you’re walking in highly salted areas you don’t want Lily constantly eating the salt from her paws as she cleans them. Boots are good for that.
Single coated dogs do need protection from the cold if they are out for long periods of time. I have Alaskan Malamutes so they love the winter but hate the summer. lol So I don’t know much about the sweaters/jackets for single coated dogs.
chrome agnomen
john, if you’re worried about your testosterone levels, you can pick up a set of nuticles in extra large at the pet store while you’re shopping for booties.
asiangrrlMN
@CaseyL: Ditto this. I, too, would be VERY impressed by a man walking his dog dressed in a coat and booties because it shows he (the man) carries more about the well-being of his dog than his purported masculinity. And, because that would mean I wouldn’t have to do it!
Phoebe
Do it. Chicks dig guys who care about their dogs.
And some chicks, the finest among us, also dig guys who are self confident enough not to care about how manly they look. Like, who, if you’re putting your gloves on or tying your shoe or something, on the sidewalk, will hold your purse for you during the time you do this, and not hold it out at arm’s length like it’s a fecal specimen. Really.
Bill
For her body, maybe buy something pre-made of light, thin fabric. Then sew a piece of an emergency blanket ($2.25 at any sporting good store) as a lining. As for her tootsies, maybe a set of customized booties using the same thin body-fabric lined with pieces of the same emergency blanket.
I think her J-tail is just going to have to brave it.
Good luck John.
Bad Horse's Filly
@shortstop: I try not to think about what the food bills were – probably about $120 a month (we’d go through a 40lb bag every 10 days of high end food). They were not allowed on the furniture or beds – they had expensive, fluffy beds of their own (when they could shoo the cat out of them).
Favorite memory – leaving for work in the morning, house all tidy, coming home and they’d taken every toy out of the toy box and scattered them from the family room, through the kitchen, dining room, living room, up the stairs and into the hallway and bedroom. Then laugh at me as I picked them all up when I got home. It didn’t even look like they played with them, just carried them and dropped them at suspicious intervals.
debbie
I just got back from walking my sister-in-law’s dog for her. It’s smaller than yours (Cavalier King Charles), and there’s about 10-12 inches snow here. We walked around a good-sized block (no sidewalks were shoveled). He ran through just about every snow bank in sight. I brought him in, wiped him down, and he wanted to go right back outside again. I let him out for another 15 minutes and made him come in. He had absolutely ZERO problem with cold feet.
I think your dog ought to just get used to the cold.
LibraryGuy
you should consider Pawz dog boots (link: http://pawzdogboots.com/ ). They are basically slightly thick balloons that slip over your dog’s feet, and are tight enough to stay on without trouble. My little Westie mix gets them whenever we have salt and slush on the sidewalks, or the snow is melting on the ground, and it makes a big difference.
cathaireverywhere
My elderly spaniel mix has a plain navy turtleneck. We call him “The Professor” when he’s wearing it. He refuses to keep the pipe in his mouth, though….
Nylund
Just carry her around in your purse Mr. Cole.
Willig
Frankly, as a gay man, may I say F * CK YOU with regard to your testosterone levels. I’m always surprised how being a REAL man is so easily threatened. You and many of these comments show just how far we have to travel for real equality. Plus, do people really measure their masculinity on how much they can make their dog suffer? I guess when that is all you got.
I have two dogs that wear the boots. Where I live, NYC, the sidewalks are strewn wildly with rock salt, which is bad for the paws. Plus, I don’t need it brought back into the house and on the furniture. Pain twice over to put them on twice/three times a day, but worth it.
As for laughing Huskies, there is one in my neighborhood that also wears the boots. I guess some people care more about their dogs that their precious manhood.
Jeeesh
Anne Laurie
Lily may not need a coat once’s she got the right booties, and her feet are warm enough that she can keep moving. I like KV Supply, which has a better selection at slightly lower prices:
KV Dog Boots & Mittens
No personal experience, but some of the NE papillon owners swear by the Pawz “disposable/reusable” brand over the sturdier outdoor-gear type. They say the Pawz are easier for a little dog to walk around in, easier to get on/off, and tough enough to prevent salt burns & ice balls while still being light enough that a small dog can get traction and not “skate”.
Incidentally, if she’s really got “no undercoat”, that would be another indicator that Lily’s part Chihuahua. As others have said, all she really needs is something that’ll keep her torso / core from losing heat too quickly — the only advantage an expensive REI-style masterpiece has over a cutdown thrift-shop (human) sweater or a ‘horse blanket’ square of microfleece is if it’s easier to get the custom model on & keep it in place when Lily’s out & moving.
Comrade Darkness
I’m late, and I haven’t read any other comments, but I have to throw out a:
Doing whatever is best for your family is the manly thing do to. Period.
CalD
Have you considered moving somewhere warmer instead?
carr1on
Gawd I love my Mastiff. That dog doesnt care if it’s 100 degrees or 10 degrees. As long as she gets two squares a day, and 15 hours of sleep, there are no problems.
Big dogs rule!
SiubhanDuinne
@Quaker in a Basement:
And for those who aren’t, what a good headfake!
John Cole
@Willig: Lighten up, sunshine. It was a joke.
I proudly walk around town making baby sounds and what not to Lily. I couldn’t give two shits what people think of me.
sheiler
I have the biggest baddest sled dog ever. But we live in the Laurentian mountains, north of Montreal, where it’s snowy and super coldy. When my dog gets ice or snow clumps in between his toes or on his pads, he stops to bite them off, and then the cold being what it is, freezes the tiniest amount of saliva he excreted to get the original ice off, and ends up with more ice. We had to get him booties. Muttluks work for us. You do have to watch it the first few times out so that it’s not too tight, and not too loose. He occasionally still loses a bootie or two, but I am pretty quick to notice it and to backtrack and find it/them. But there’s very little traffic on the snow shoe trails we take in the winter.
Lisa K.
My dog alternates between two tutleneck seaters we got at (gulp) WalMart when she goes out. She could kill you with all her cuteness in them.
DZ
I use Mountain Ridge booties for my Siberians. Keep their feet warm and free from ice cuts – great product.
shortstop
I’m a huge fan of Danes, Bad Horse’s Filly. Sweet-tempered, even-keeled dogs — the Dobe/beagle, who’s only 35 pounds, loves playing with them at the dog park. My parents live in the woods, and every time we visit them and Clem spots a doe, she gets into a play bow. I’m pretty sure she thinks they’re Danes.
Anne Laurie
@shortstop:
I will always cherish the memories of one friend’s Great Danes being introduced to another friend’s Shetland ponies. The matriarch of the Dane pack, after some rather confused air-scenting, tried a play-bow… and the lead Shetland did the crowd-and-kick routine that equines use in the same situation. Only time I ever saw Nikki’s natural (hound) ears stand straight up — she looked like a pawky Hallmark card!
LiberalTarian
Well, if you dress her in a Conan the Barbarian outfit nobody will know she’s a girl, but you’ll protect your machismo.
A little Thor hat would rock some macho, too.
kimba
De-lurking to recommend Neo-Paws for dog shoes. Our dog Jim wears them when the snow is choppy and icy; they keep snow and sharp, uncomfortable bits of ice from getting between his pads. So far, we’re happy with them. Good luck!
http://www.neopaws.com
Ma's regret
Obviously..Dogs ain’t dumb.
She sees that pussy ain’t coming out to take a dump.
Jason
Our Bee, who is basically the same fur-wise as Lily but in size XL, has snow up to her undercarriage for about a week now and does the little paws-dance. We have larded her up with a protective layer of blubber, like a sea cow. So, uh…walk Tunch, and let Lily use the litter box.
Also we got her one of those pet-boutique pink argyle collars and my wife dresses her up like a bumblebee. Nobody cares, because she’ll eat half the costume anyway.