by Louise Nilon

Created on: December 09, 2010   Last Updated: February 24, 2012

With the cold weather drawing in you may have dusted off you favorite winter coat but have you taken a moment to think about your dog? Will Fido be freezing this winter season or has your pampered pooch got a warm sweater to snuggle in too?

When I became the owner of a short-haired Lurcher I soon realised the benefits of dog sweaters. The minute winter rolls in and the weather turns a short-haired skinny lurcher is more reluctant to go outside. He quickly gets cold and wants to come in from his walk before he's had time to run off his excess energy or relieve himself. It's a fairly obvious problem with a simple solution, when he's too cold he needs a sweater to keep him warm. As soon as he got his first sweater on he was happy to go out and start enjoying his winter walks again.

My dog now has a selection of sweaters with different purposes. He has his winter cold-weather sweaters, hand-knitted by me, these are in bright colours and have polo necks to keep his very long neck warm too! He'll happily run around for hours on a cold winter's day wearing them.

There are many options available for you and your chilly canine chum, if like mine your dog hates getting wet a waterproof jacket is the perfect answer, he'll stay dry and be happy to go out walking. Waterproof sweaters have health benefits, by keeping your dog dry they in turn help prevent him from catching colds.

Another benefit of dog-sweaters are you can buy them in bright colours to help you spot your dog when he or she runs and hides in the long grass. You can also buy sweaters that are reflective or even have LEDs that light up and help you keep track of them in the dark.

While most dogs have their own permanently attached fur coats some shorter-haired breeds can find it difficult to keep warm on cold weather walks. However it's not just short-haired breeds that can benefit from wearing sweaters. While sweaters keep short-haired breeds warm and dry they can also have benefits for dogs with longer or groomed hair. A sweater can be worn by a long-haired dog to keep his fur neat and tidy. In bad or wet weather even a show dog will need to go outside, by wearing a dog-sweater you can ensure your dog's fur stays clean and dry.

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