Our small dog gets cold in the winter. We put a plain dog sweater on her when she goes outside. Sometimes she's more comfortable (not shivering) if we leave it on her.

Otherwise, no clothes. We don't dress her up for the sake of it or anything like that.

Anonymous wrote:I only put "clothes" on my dog at two times:

1) Halloween. My dog wears a costume as we go trick-or-treating with the kids.

2) Boots/shoes to wear in the snow when there is a lot of salt down that could damage the dog's paws.



Otherwise, the only thing my dog wears is a collar.

Yes plus birthdays. We had a lab who wore kids party hats. Many European breeds have coats that can stand the cold. It's like plants-some die off in our climate.

Anonymous wrote:I don't have any pets but I realize that some dogs actually get cold outside in the winter and a second layer is recommended.

http://www.petmd.com/dog/seasonal/evr_dg_sweaters_for_dogs

+100. Very true. Help your pets stay warm.

Anonymous wrote:My chihuahua gets cold in the winter. I dress him in a sweater when I take him out.

My chihuahua gets cold inside the apartment in winter sometimes (I don't control the thermostat), so I put a sweater on her then. I don't take her anywhere in the car on very cold days (we still go outside to do business, with a sweater). She goes to work with me once a week in appropriate weather but I don't take her in the winter, generally. She does have a raincoat, which is very useful in spring/ summer.

OP,

I'm French, and it seems you have little understanding of dogs.

The majority of dog breeds will not tolerate very cold temperatures, they were bred to have short coats, large noses and slender limbs which lose heat rapidly; yet the majority of dogs need daily outdoor exercise, otherwise they lose their doggie minds (bark incessantly, destroy stuff inside the house, even develop aggressive behavior).

Individual dog needs will vary, and perhaps your European country has relatively mild weather, so dogs don't mind being kept indoors for 3 days out of the whole winter. In France, unless you're in the Alps, it's rare to have really cold temps. Here it's different.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where I come from, in Europe it would be considered animal cruelty to do this. The animal does't get a choice but someone has put a jacket and bow tie on him or something.

We believe that animals have fur to keep them warm in winter and that you don't take them outside if its dangerously cold.

Can you explain to me please, the background behind dressing up pets?

Craziness from people who think their pets are like their children.

Some of us who have lost children and are struggling to have them do feel like they are our babies and it's comforting for us to have and love our pets.

My chihuahua gets cold in the winter. I dress him in a sweater when I take him out.

Anonymous wrote:Where I come from, in Europe it would be considered animal cruelty to do this. The animal does't get a choice but someone has put a jacket and bow tie on him or something.

We believe that animals have fur to keep them warm in winter and that you don't take them outside if its dangerously cold.

Can you explain to me please, the background behind dressing up pets?

Craziness from people who think their pets are like their children.

No.

I only put "clothes" on my dog at two times:

1) Halloween. My dog wears a costume as we go trick-or-treating with the kids.

2) Boots/shoes to wear in the snow when there is a lot of salt down that could damage the dog's paws.



Otherwise, the only thing my dog wears is a collar.

I don't know what the history of putting clothes on dogs is. But when my dog is shivering, damn straight I put on her sweater. It's brown ribbed, with red trim. She looks very preppy in it. Being that when I take it out she wags her tail, and after it's on she's not pawing at it trying to get it off, I don't think it's animal cruelty.

Her sweater doesn't cause her any pain, and none of her dog friends shun her when they see her wearing it, so it's not causing her emotional pain.

Perhaps since you come from another country, English is not your first language and you do not truly know what "animal cruelty" means? Here are examples of animal cruelty:

1. Kicking a dog
2. Shooting a BB gun at a dog
3. Starving a dog

Putting a sweater on a shivering dog is not animal cruelty in any sense of the term.

My senior gals can wear a fleece when it's very very cold. A rain jacket if it's pouring cats and dogs (see what I did there?). That's it.

Only in the winter and only because my little Maltese will get cold. I'm a Cowboys fan, go figure, her fav winter outfit is a Redskins one. She actually gets excited to put them on.

I don't have any pets but I realize that some dogs actually get cold outside in the winter and a second layer is recommended.

http://www.petmd.com/dog/seasonal/evr_dg_sweaters_for_dogs

Where I come from, in Europe it would be considered animal cruelty to do this. The animal does't get a choice but someone has put a jacket and bow tie on him or something.

We believe that animals have fur to keep them warm in winter and that you don't take them outside if its dangerously cold.

Can you explain to me please, the background behind dressing up pets?