I just read Fin's blog (what a beautiful dog!) which mentioned a winter horse blanket coat. There are several new Canadian tripawds and there will be more tripawds showing up in the next few months from winter climates (north and south of the 49th). So I thought a thread on winter dog fashions would be appropriate.

Without the insulation of fur, a dog is at high risk of becoming chilled. Their skin is basically like that of a human at that point. I think it is important to give a cold climate dog who is fur-challenged due to surgery or chemo some assistance in the insulation department.

Fin and Cyn – can you tell me where you found the nice pony blanket? It sounds great.

I got a doggy horse blanket from Orvis and the basic model fits great on an amputee. No need to worry about a floppy arm hole. But I mistakenly ordered it in a Fin or Oslo size rather than Tazzie size (one step down). I guess I'll have to exchange it for a smaller size, but that is always a hassle when dealing with mail order and international borders. I think the fleece lining is more of a cotton type fleece than a polyester fleece (I will have to check that important detail to make sure). Of course, cotton should NOT be worn next to the skin when warmth is needed. If it gets damp, it no longer insulates. 

Other good winter wear: RuffWear seems to make some nice products and I ordered their fleece sweater (is that the type that Wyatt has). I figure this fleece will be his basic item, until the days get really cold and require an additional overcoat. I figure a horse blanket type coat may be good for the really cold days. Having said that, we are starting to see some fur returning and we are having surprisingly warm days (plus 13 deg C today – which is probably an all-time high for Winnipeg in mid-Nov)

Susan & Tazzie 2

I remember Cherry's red great sweater (how appropriate!). But unfortunately Tazzie's mum is not as talented as Cherry's dad when it comes to making these things!