The weather outside is starting to get cold, and what does that mean? Walking your dog in the winter just got a lot harder. With shorter days, less sunlight, and bitter winds, you need to take extra precautions when walking your dog during this season. While it may be cold for us, consider that your dog is an animal. Many of them don’t know where they’ll be sleeping each night — they depend on us to keep them warm and comfortable. Here are some tips to protect your dog during the cold winter months:

Keep your dog on a leash at all times.

While it’s tempting to let them run wild in the snow, it’s imperative that you keep them on a leash when they’re outside. You never know when they’ll run into the street and get hit by a car or even worse, get lost! This is especially important during the winter because if your dog does get lost, it could freeze to death before you have time to look for them.

Dress your dog in a sweater or jacket if they’re shivering.

If your dog has short hair or is a smaller breed, consider dressing them up in something warm like a sweater or jacket when they go outside. This will help keep them warm and prevent them from getting too cold. Some dogs don’t like being dressed up though so make sure yours doesn’t mind it first!

After Your Walk, Give Your Dog A Warm Bath

After your walk, give your dog a warm bath. This will help wash away all the toxic chemicals that they might have stepped on while they were out on the walk. It is also important to dry off your dog thoroughly so that they don’t catch a chill.

As long as you are taking proper precautions with your dog, there is really no reason to not enjoy the winter together!