I see these dogs walking in city wearing raincoats, parkas, hats and other outdoor gear. My question is twofold. First do dogs really need winter clothes or is it mostly for the owner’s benefit? And second, do dogs mind wearing the stuff?
When we took in our little dog (she was a stray who wandered into our yard) it was February and cold, and since she’d been so matted and icky, we had to have her shaved. So we got her a sweater just to keep her from freezing when we took her out to pee.
This year, her coat is all grown back, so no more sweaters.
Beyond that, we’ve never dressed any of our critters. I just keep an old towel in the garage so when we come in on rainy days, I can towel the dogs off before letting them in the house.
When I fostered a greyhound I was told that in cool weather he needed a coat - that if it was cold enough for me to wear a jacket it was cold enough for him too. I’ve heard the same of whippets and italian greyhounds. My sister’s boyfriend’s whippet is very cold-sensitive - once he was inside next to the fire and she went to pat him. As soon as her cold hands got near him he started shivering and didn’t stop until she moved her hand away.
The greyhound was always quite happy to wear the coat, but it wasn’t a fussy coat with sleeves and pom poms - just a lightweight thin blanket with a couple of ties that wrapped around his belly.
Bear in mind that some dogs work better with harnesses than collars. I have pugs, and their neck/head ratio is suck that they can slip out of most collars. Also, it’s better for them not to have something around their throat - they already have a hard enough time breathing.
In light of that, I have a few little coat things that I use to clip their leashes to. I figure if they give them a little more warmth on cold days, that’s fine. But they’re primarily for functionality. OK, they’re a little cute, too. But they’re definitely not just all fun and games.
What’s with people who put clothing on dogs? Ya think the dogs like that? Do you think maybe the dog wants to yell, “Hello?! I’m wearing a fur coat! I’m hot!”
And it’s always these complete waste-of-fur dogs: Yorkies and poodles and chihuahuas … those aren’t even dogs, as far as I’m concerned. I have one simple rule: If I can yell loud enough to kill it, it’s not a dog.
We have two miniature dachschunds (smooth reds). My wife is highly amused by animals in people clothes (she simply adores William Wegman photography), while I despise it. However, when we were in IN, I was chagrined to find that it was necessary for our little female to wear a coat and boots in the winter. If she doesn’t, she not only begins shaking uncontrollably, but also ends up doing a “try to simultaneously keep all feet off the ground” dance, such that she doesn’t/won’t do her business. The male is a bit better; besides having a thicker coat and being beefier (hah!) in general, he doesn’t have back problems like our girl.
It seems she doesn’t mind the coat at all; the boots are a hindrance, but she deals. In general, the male can do without a coat, but sometimes has to wear boots. He hates them both.
Since we moved to WA, I’m happy to say that it’s not as much of an issue – unless it’s below-zero, neither seems to bothered for the short amount of time it takes for them to do their business then come back inside. I’m not sure why that’s the case, but my guess is the reduced humidity and less wind.
There have been some freaking cold days here this winter with the temperature in the low minus 30s and the windchill hitting the low minus 40s celsius. For the first time I bought a coat for my dog. It’s a fleece coat with a fake sheepskin lining. The first time I put it on my dog, she was confused. The second time I got it out to put it on her she was really excited. She quite happily wears it.
I have not bought her raincoats or boots. I do know of some people living in cities who heavily salt their sidewalks who have bought boots for their dogs because of the irritation of the salt on the pads of their feet. This isn’t a problem where I live, since the city dumps sand rather than salt.
Gee, Phase 42, how do you really feel?
Hairless xolos absolutely require coats in very cold weather. (There are also xolos with hair.)
Well, to be honest, I borrowed that bit from a standup comedian I heard many years ago 
Our Dog sienna is about 60 lbs and a shar-pei mix. If it drops below 40 or so she shivers when she goes out. This wouldn’t be too much of an issue except that makes walks right out, and her energy level indoors goes through the roof. So we bought a jacket for a toddler and put it on during those rare cold days. She wears it quite happily. She also gets to wear a t-shirt after a bath until she dries up.
My pets aren’t in life-threatening temperatures so the idea of putting clothes on them to keep them warm outside is counter-productive: I want the dog to freeze while they do their business so they’ll come back inside without dawdling. 
I have a 100 pound Samoyed. They were bred to be sled dogs, companion animals and everything else to the nomadic Samoyed people in Siberia. His favorite day is hunkering down in the snow with falling snow burying him. Massachusetts weather can’t dish up anything he won’t shrug off. A neighbor simply cannot grasp that however and called animal control twice when she saw him laying in the snow (they eventually told her to back off). I built him the mother of all dog houses but he only uses it sometimes. I have him in the house now but he can only stay in for a couple of hours until he drives us crazy trying to get back out into the snow. Sleet and freezing rain don’t bother him a bit either. Sometimes he ends up looking like a solid ice ball.
I have a whippet, and she’ll start shivering when there’s a blast of freezing wind down the street. I haven’t even tried her without an extra layer.
Chills can happen to the non-whippet dogs too. I went with some friends to the snow and they brought along their lhasa and Australian cattle dog. Both dogs played in the snow quite happily for a good half hour before we all headed inside. Little dog started shivering uncontrollably. I guess the wet fur finally got to him. Now, he wears a sweater in the snow and does much better. The shorter furred but bigger Ausie never blinked twice at the frost.
In summer dogs can burn their feet on pavement. I know that they often use ‘boots’ on sled dogs, not sure if it’s to prevent freezing or cuts from the ice.