Does Larry Need a Rain Coat?

I want to start by saying that I gew up with a Viszla that slept outside in her kennel in Montana winters.

It was as well insulated as we could make it, but still, Montana winter nights get COLD. And she did fine. It wasn’t an issue. So I know that skinny, short haired dogs can do just fine in the cold and wet without additional protection. I know this.

And yet…

Fall has fallen on the Seattle area. I love fall, but Larry is proving to be not a very big fan of the rain- and it isn’t even the cold rain yet. If its raining and we go out, he sticks to thin strip that is covered by the eaves of the house.

It could just be that he came from LA, so he’s not used to the rain, and once he adapts, it won’t be an issue. At the same time, I keep thinking, it’s not just that he’s skinny and short haired, he’s also little. I mean 23lbs.

I don’t worry about Junebug because she’s been through a winter before and doesn’t seem to mind it. And she’s built differently. She has more body fat because that’s the way Beagles are. But not my little Larry.

Anway, we’ll be keeping and eye on him, see how he reacts to walks in the rain, not just trips to the back yard, and then decide. If we do get him something, it will be along the lines of what I see the Greyhounds around here wearing- more like a horse blanket than the doggie “jackets” you see.

Lindsay says:

September 29, 2011 at 12:35 am

I live in Fargo, N.D., pretty much the coldest place on earth in the winter. I take two vizslas running twice a week in all weather – no matter how cold it gets. They do not wear doggie jackets or boots. We run for a half-hour and they are just fine. Sometimes it's 20 below zero.My dog has one of those camouflage hunting vests. It's waterproof and actually designed to keep the dog warm rather than look cute. He hates wearing it. So, for the most part, my dog does not wear a coat in the winter either. He would rather be a bit cold than wear his vest so I've accepted that. He's a lab mix with really short hair almost like a vizsla.

shanendoah@Life by P says:

September 29, 2011 at 3:00 am

I lived in Miles City, MT, so very similar winters to Fargo. And yeah, the Vizsla did just fine. I'm just paranoid about Larry. He has no meat on his bones (its a struggle to keep his hip bones from sticking up a half inch above his rump) and he's just so little. He's the smallest dog I've ever owned.We'll take our cues from him. If he comes in from a walk in the rain shivering, it will be rain coat time. If its just that he doesn't like to be wet, but doesn't seem otherwise affected, no coat- but I'll still be paranoid.