Yorkie Coat or Not – Some Facts

Anyone with a yorkie knows that yorkies have hair, not fur. When the temperature drops, a yorkie coat is necessary.

1. Fur vs Hair

Now that it’s getting cold, our fuzzy little friends are starting to feel the weather too. Many dogs have fur that keeps them warm when the sun is up less and less, but some dogs such as Poodles and Yorkies have hair instead. Hair is much worse at holding in heat than fur. It does do a better job than having no hair at all, but it is far less effective for our pooches.

2. Height Differences

One thing that’s taught in elementary school is that heat rises, and cold sinks. People, with our superior height, can stay warmer in the cold than Yorkies. So if you’re feeling a little nippy, your friend is probably feeling very chilly! Their little bellies are closer to the cold concrete as well, making them even colder!

3. Exposed Skin to the Weather

Humans had the wonderful idea thousands of years ago to wear shoes. Shoes protect our feet from all sorts of hazards, including ice and snow when it gets below freezing. Yorkies have yet to invent such a wonderful item, and tend to go outside with their bare paws out to touch whatever cold things there are out in the world. Until they figure out how to make shoes, it is up to us to make sure they stay covered.

Loki loved the winter play but hated his coat! ^^


But my Yorkie Doesn’t Like Sweaters

Many Yorkies need to be adjusted to wearing sweaters. Imagine if being naked all the time, and forced to wear clothes. This would be distressing to you as well, and you would need an adjustment.

A great tip to getting your little buddy to wear sweaters and booties is to take it slow. Put a single booty on and then immediately take it off. Celebrate! Cheer! Give your buddy their favorite treat! Then the next time, put it on and leave it on for thirty seconds. Slowly increase how long you leave the booties on, and when your buddy is used to the booty, put on a second until you get all four on.

Do the same with the sweater. Put it on for a moment, then immediately take it off. Make sure that this experience becomes reinforced with lots of treats and celebration. The more exciting it is to wear clothes the faster the change will be.

Extra Tips to Stay Warm

Heating pads are going to be your best friends this winter. Put one below your friend’s dog bed along with a thermostat so that nothing gets burned or melted. Heated blankets are also wonderful for both you and your dog. A heated blanket can even lead to bonding time!

The last important note is that you should lessen how much you spend outside with your dog when it’s cold. The rule to being out in the cold is not how low of a temperature can you and your friend stand, but how long can you stay out? If you’re used to taking a half hour walk with your friend every day, you want to cut that down to five or ten minutes when the temperature starts getting close to freezing.

Always underestimate how much they can stand. If you’re feeling cold, they’re feeling even colder, guaranteed.

If you would like to know more put your comments or questions below. We’d love to hear from you.

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