Meesha’s first snow fall!
Acclimatizing Puppies to Winter

This Labrador Puppy loves the snow.

Meesha’s 4 month birthday started with a wonderful surprise, her first snowfall. My other two dogs just love the snow so when they saw those big flakes coming down they were chomping at the bit to get outside. Meesha as usual went running after Jackie and Miya, but what she found wasn’t what she expected. As she bounded passed the other two dogs she slid across the deck onto the snowy white lawn. You could see the look of wonder on her face followed by the look of complete happiness as she tried to catch the snow flakes. Of course the next thing that happened was the Meesha chase Miya game.

Puppies do feel the cold differently

Living in Canada our winters tend to be very cold, damp and downright brutal. As Fall sets in, our dogs begin to acclimatize themselves to the weather and dropping temperatures. Their fur grows in thicker and more protective. In Meesha’s case she is an American Labrador so her fur is much finer than Miya’s who is an English Labrador with very thick fur like a bear. However other dogs like Chihuahuas who are short-furred, love to be kept warm since they aren’t bred for cold temperature environments.  The tell-tale signs of winter are seen in your pets when you can see their fur beginning to prepare itself for the cold.

Another thing you might notice is that your puppy may not want to go outside to potty and may revert to going in the house. Once that cold draft hits their little bodies, especially the short-furred puppies they could be scampering back inside to find a warm place to piddle. You will need to help them feel safe and comfortable going outside.

Helping our puppies acclimatize to winter

Acclimatizing puppies to the outdoor chill takes some time. This helps to stimulate their fur to grow thicker and be more protective. If your pet tends to an indoor dog, these dogs will have more of a problem being outside for any length of time. So for these pups keep a closer eye on them and bring them back inside after short stints being outside.

To get puppies used to spending more time outdoors, start off by taking them out for two to three-hour periods beginning in the fall. As the temperature begins to drop, your puppies fur growth will naturally be prompted to grow thicker.

Keeping our puppies warm

A fashionable sweater or a rugged coat is the perfect apparel for keeping your puppy warm.  Since Meesha’s fur isn’t as thick as Miya’s she now owns a beautiful handmade wool Chilly Dog sweater. I chose a sweater for Meesha instead of a coat since it wrapped her body completely. Now keep in mind the first time putting anything on your puppy takes a little coaxing and time for them to get used to it. Meesha tried to chew her sweater off! So put the sweater or coat on for small bits of time that your puppy becomes familiar with their new winter coat or sweater.

Adjust your puppy’s food intake

Now that Meesha loves to play outside she is even more hungry than usual. In Meesha’s case being a Labrador she could eat her way out of a bag any day, but now that its winter she needs extra fuel to keep her warm.  However you don’t want to increase her food all at one sitting. In Meesha’s case I’m able to feed her three times a day so adding a small amount across each sitting is much easier for a puppy to digest then having a mound of food at one sitting. The tip here is to schedule your puppy’s meals and increase accordingly. Keep in mind not to overfeed the puppy to the point of too much weight gain. If in doubt, talk always to your veterinarian.

Meesha is truly loving the winter

Meesha our little puppy just loves the winter. Especially when Miya joins her for a rump in the snow! So enjoy winter fun time with your puppy, keeping in mind the type of dog, type of fur and what your puppy can handle on those Subzero days!