Get your dog used to wearing winter gear
Henry, a Welsh corgi, added a jaunty knit scarf for his recent stroll at the dog-friendly Belmont Lake State Park in North Babylon. (Newsday / Dec. 29, 2011) Credit: John Rennhack
Now that winter is here, it is important to be sure that dog breeds native to warm climates are protected from the cold with a proper coat or sweater and boots to protect their paws from salt and ice.
Be that the coat fits the dog properly and allows it to move naturally while wearing it.
The same goes for the boots. It is always better to practice with the dog in the house first. If your dog does not feel comfortable wearing the apparel indoors and won't walk around naturally with them on, then it surely will not do so outdoors.
It is better to make it a game at first, praising the dog and giving it treats while it is wearing the coat and boots in the house. Then, take them all off while the dog is still happy and playing the game.
This is important with the boots -- if you allow the dog to shake or pull them off just one time, it will know it can do so and will not keep them on at all.
Better to put them on, then take them off before the dog gets the idea. Your dog may look silly wearing boots, but its paws will be grateful for them in the end.
Out East with Doug Geed: Wine harvests, a fish market, baked treats and poinsettias NewsdayTV's Doug Geed visits two wineries and a fish market, and then it's time for holiday cheer, with a visit to a bakery and poinsettia greenhouses.
