Life

Brrr! Living in a Frozen Tundra

Okay, my headline is a little exaggerated. We don’t live in a frozen tundra, but the past week sure has felt like one! It’s been very, very cold – single digit temperatures, below zero wind chills and a bitter cold that I haven’t felt in a really long time. Of course, that means two very cold dogs, one of which hates the cold and refused to go outside in it and the other just wants to romp around in the snow.

Let’s start with Maddux. Maddux hates any extreme temperatures. He would like climate-controlled 65-68 degree weather with no humidity year-round. No really. He doesn’t like when it’s too hot either. To say he is a little picky when it comes to the weather would not be an exaggeration.

To keep him warm, I have been putting him in a warm Dog Gone Smart winter jacket when we go outside. I like the design of it because it makes putting it on him much easier than the jackets where you have to put their feet through a whole, the faux fur around the neck line because keep him warm and the length actually fits his long body without him not being able to comfortably pee in it. The only problem? Maddux hates to poop while wearing the jacket – no matter how much he has to go.

When we are inside, the Maddux has several warm sweaters I rotate to help keep him warm. He also has access to a number of blankets if he is cold. He has actually been super snuggly at night, especially this past weekend when it was so crazy cold.

Bear is a totally different story. He doesn’t seem to be impacted by anything – cold, snow, rain – he doesn’t really care. In fact, he absolutely loves running around in the snow and eating it. He puts his whole head, mouth wide open, into a pile of snow and munches.

I have a ton of coats and sweaters for a little dog, but pretty much nothing for a big dog. Since he always seemed okay with the weather and he has a much thicker coat than Maddux, who has almost no fur, I’d look for coats and sweaters, but I wasn’t as worried. However, with the extreme low temperatures expected, I spent Friday night after work going from store to store looking for something to keep him warm in.

Finally, I found this $12 coat on clearance at TJ Maxx. Thank goodness! It is a little big, but it totally covers his long body. I cut the back leg straps off and have to add an extra bit of Velcro because it’s lose around the belly. But, for $12 and no other options, it worked. While Bear had no problem wearing it around the house or outside, he too didn’t want to do his business with it on.

How is the weather where you are? If it’s as cold as you here, hope you are keeping you and your pets nice and warm. It’s not an easy task. In fact, later this week, I am going to be sharing my tips on how I kept Bear and Maddux warm when we lost power for almost 8 hours during the snowstorm.

Also, I would love to hear about the best “keep warm” products you love for your pets. Do you have a favorite jacket, blanket or bed for them?

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