16/01/2026
Do dogs need coats ? 🐶❄️
My opinion is sometimes, yes. I went for a 45 minute snow walk today. With a portion on lead and a portion off lead, and 2 of my 3 dogs wore a fleece, and I’ll give my reasoning below:
Olli (left) did not wear anything: he is long haired and has a thick coat, and although he is 8 yrs old, he is fit and does not have any current major musculoskeletal concerns, and had a good on lead warm up and cool down around his off lead time.
Fergus (middle) is also long haired, and is my youngest dog at 3 years old. However, he does have some health concerns , particularly HD and shoulder pathologies. Therefore I want to ensure he stays warm, and he also doesn’t cool down too quickly after his time off lead.
Luna (right) is 5 years old, healthy and fit but is however smooth coated and does visibly feel the cold when she’s kept at a slower pace. If I had had a longer period off lead and a shorter walk home I may not have used a fleece for her, or taken it off after a warm up.
I also prefer to use a fleece/coat option that allows as much free movement as possible, and ensure the fit doesn’t hinder shoulder mobility and stride length, and doesn’t twist excessively.
So to summarise Breed, age, body condition, health status, and activity level all matter, and the addition of a coat/fleece can greatly improve comfort for some dogs, but isn’t necessary for all.
