Generally, I’m not a fan of dressing up animals. I mean, baby goats in pajamas aside, does any animal really need to wear a unicorn hat? But, there are definitely exceptions.

We are smack dab in the middle of a polar vortex. Humans can get frostbite in minutes. Did you know that your pup can also get frostbite? Dogs paws are in the elements every day. Signs of frostbite on your dog’s pads include them becoming very pale with bluish tinge, very brittle, and it hurts your pup when you touch them.

I started having my dog wear boots when we walked around the city in the winter. The rock salt that everyone uses is bad for your dog’s paws. Also, there have been some incidents of dogs being electrocuted when standing on badly grounded grates. (I think, thankfully, that’s fixed now.) Gunnar, my dog, has several pair of booties, depending on the situation. He’s not a long haired dog, but he can still get snowballs between his toes, so boots help minimize that. It also keeps his pads off of the ice and snow.

Keeping your dog’s feet warm in this extreme cold is important. It’s also important that you know the signs of frostbite in dogs, so head on over to your favorite vet and ask.

Coats are important for dogs that don’t have a lot of hair. But in weather like this, coats are a good idea for everyone. I know one Diva collie that must wear a coat any time the temperature dips below 45 degrees. Gunnar has a couple of coats, too. Waterproof ones and warm ones, so that when he goes to play in the snow, he doesn’t get wet and frozen.

It’s not a fashion statement when you’re trying to keep your dog safe. If you want to keep her safe with a $2000 Gucci dog coat, well….I guess that’s okay, too. As long as it keeps her warm.