Sorry the title sounds a bit seedy I'm wondering what's the best way to keep Archie warm this winter. It's FREEZING and the last couple of days he has been reluctant to leave the house and go on a walk. He NEVER does that! He's fine when he's running, but if he's still he shivers and you can see he's very cold I haven't handstripped for a couple of weeks so he can be a bit warmer... but today i have been thinking... should I actually just not rake undercoat as much but still HS the topcoat off? What do you terrier owners do in the winter? Do you let them turn into fluffy monsters?
Kerrie he already has a little coat my mum made him http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b114/gigita/PB110015.jpg But it would be nice if he could be warm without it too as his coat is meant to be all-weather.
Aww bless him. I only have Harvey hand stripped twice a year. He was last done in Oct so not due again until April. So yes he does spend the winter montrhs with his more scruffy look .Although don't think he feels the cold as he is still going in the water to cool off on his walks
tuti my ben has been doing exactly the same thing with the shivering. :-( so I was thinking that I'm just going to leave him over the winter and let him have the 'au natural' look and then tidy him up in the spring. think this would be best for him as if he's cold now he's bound to get colder if we have this extremly cold winter they've been predicting!! at least there will be good before and after pictures next year!!
LOL jomcc I might just have to put the stripping knives away.... for a couple more weeks I'm not a huge fan of the 'au naturel' look, and I hate to think what Archie will look like in a couple of months. At the moment if I don't handstrip for 2 week he starts looking like a fluffy monster!
I know I left Ben alone for a few months once and he was just a big hairy blob!! Here is a pic of him last winter not looking his best, but still cute! http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c281/rs38/ScruffyBen.jpg
All dogs shiver when they stand around in cold weather, so do we, its a natural response. I do not believe dogs need coats, especially working breeds of dogs like Terriers that have a double coat which is weatherproof. I would make exceptions for old dogs. I stripped all my 3 Borders out the week before my holiday and all were perfectly fine, including the 12yr old. I realise many people think their dogs are cold, maybe its just me that thinks they dont need coats? Dawn.
I agree with you Borderdawn especially with the double coated breeds. I believe thats why Borders have such rough coats due to the harsh climates they were used for working in? I do know an Airedale who has one of these all in one coats which includes the legs!! Think its easier for the owner keeping the dog dry but not so sure for the dog particularly his street cred Some dogs run away in fear when they seem her coming
I dont mean it in any bad way if people put coats on their dogs, its just my personal opinion that dogs have coats and dont need more. Dawn.,
I've never handstripped Maya, just buzzed her with the electric clippers but I do let her coat grow out in the winter and trim around her eyes & mouth as needed One thing we swear by is boots! If we take her out for any length of time without them at minus 10C or colder she shivers, lifting one paw at a time. But with what we call her "clown shoes" on she galumphs around very happily....
LOL that photo is great strawboss! I think the booties are a great idea, their little pads must get freezing in the snow Borderdawn this doesn't apply to Archie but to pups: yesterday was talking to the vet about that and she said that puppies don't regulate their body temperature very well so they need to be kept warm in winter. Ziggy wears a little jumper and doesn't shiver with it on. And he's got a hell of a coat despite being short and smooth haired - it's really thick!
Thanks, I used to use the fingers of my worn out workgloves but had trouble keeping them on, these are called "muttluks" & have knit sleeves w/velcro straps,I get some odd looks but they're more popular now esp with the road salt that irritates their pads
Yes Tuti, I can see the babes getting cold, they dont seem to know what extremes of temperature are do they. On the Animal cops programs, you sometimes see them out in the heat making no attempt to get in the shade. You keep Ziggy warm while he is a puppy, dont want a cutie like that poorly. Dawn.
