My dog won't walk in cold rain. Should I force him? What clothes help?

Hello. It really depends on the overall conditions & how long your pet will be outdoors. Temps around freezing are very tolerable for dogs during short excursions outdoors & longer walks where they will be moving pretty consistently. Temps that get down into the teens, a strong wind or rain, your basset might appreciate a coat, but most dogs can easily tough things out for their daily walks & many resent wearing a coat. There is nothing wrong with putting on a coat, but even a short haired breed can puff up their coats a bit creating an insulating air pocket over their skin. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sometimes dogs can get scared even when there does not appear to be anything scary in sight. Remember that they can hear and sense much better than us so he may be perceiving something that is near which you may not. This can improve but it can certainly become a bit difficult at times. I recommend that you start taking him out for longer periods but very slowly over the next several weeks. Encourage him to stay out with treats and positive words. Also, in the beginning just take him out without walking initially just to get him used to his surroundings. Eventually little by little he will learn that going outside equals getting treats and attention and will improve with time but it does require time and patience. You can consider using the Thunder shirt for him which you may find online and can help a lot in these cases. Good luck and have a great day!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Some dogs just do not enjoy going outside too much and it takes some encouragement to get them to go outside. Most of the time this is something that happens when they are scared or nervous about their surroundings. This is certainly not uncommon. A few things that you can try are going very slowly and reward progress. As your dog makes progress going outside, go ahead and reward Petrus with praise and also treats. Try to find fun things to do outside that your dog may like such as playing ball so that he associates going outside with something good. Before you know it he will get used to being outside. Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! In reality if Teddy likes the snow and he is comfortable outside you do not necessarily need the booties and coat unless you are staying for an extended amount of time (over 20-30 minutes). You can start using it when it is under 40 degrees Fahrenheit. It really depends on Teddy and what he tolerates. For my dogs I usually do it when it is under 20 degrees Fahrenheit based on what they tolerate specifically. Good luck!

For short walks, a few minutes, she can probably go out as is. If you plan on spending more than 5-10 minutes outside or if Maggie takes a long time to do her business, then you may want to consider booties and a coat. You can browse fashions at the link below. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/category/dog/dog-apparel

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Odie is super cute! If Odie is an outside dog then he needs shelter from the rain and the cold. Provide a dog house that is dry and protects from the wind, rain and snow (if you get snow). You can even look in to safe heat sources if it gets that cold in your area. I do not recommend not having shelter for outside dogs. He shouldn't get sick with proper shelter. I hope this helps and good luck!

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If you are going to go outside and it is very cold out, or if you will be going for long walks or on colder surfaces (not snow but ice or cold pavement) then booties are a good idea as they can get frostbite and wounds from cold on their feet. Best of luck with Spike! Have fun with him!