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Winter coat calculator

Does My Dog Need a Coat?

Pick your dog’s breed, or its size and coat, and see at what temperature it needs a sweater, a warm coat or boots, based on its coat and size.

Check your dog Shop winter coats
Dachshund in a reflective designer dog jacket

Pick your breed

Tap your dog’s breed for the answer, or enter its size and coat below.

Your dog
Your dog’s size
Coat
The weather

Three kinds of dogs in winter

  • Feels the cold earlySmall or short-haired: Chihuahua, Frenchie, Greyhound. Sweater from 45 °F.
  • Needs a coat in real coldLabrador, Beagle, Pomeranian. Sweater from 32 °F.
  • Handles the cold wellHusky, German Shepherd, Malamute. Coat only below 20 °F.

Best-selling winter coats

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Dress for the weather

Does my dog need a coat in winter?

It depends on three things: the size of your dog, its coat and the weather. Small dogs lose heat faster because they have more skin for their weight and sit closer to the cold ground. Dogs with a short single coat, such as Chihuahuas, French Bulldogs and Greyhounds, have little insulation. Big dogs with a thick double coat, such as Huskies and Malamutes, carry their own winter jacket. Puppies, seniors, lean dogs and dogs with health problems feel the cold sooner than a healthy adult of the same breed.

When dogs need a sweater, a coat or boots

We use the temperature bands from PetMD: most dogs are fine above 45 °F (7 °C); below 32 °F (0 °C) small and thin-coated dogs are at risk; below 20 °F (−7 °C) every dog is at risk of hypothermia and frostbite on long walks. Wind makes it feel colder, so the calculator uses the US National Weather Service wind chill, and wet fur counts as a step colder.

Your dogSweater or light coatWarm coat
Short single coat, or small without a thick coatBelow 45 °F (7 °C)Below 32 °F (0 °C)
Other coats, and small dogs with a thick double coatBelow 32 °F (0 °C)Below 20 °F (−7 °C)
Medium or large with a thick double coatRarelyBelow 20 °F (−7 °C) or in wet cold

Coats by breed

Size and coat type from each breed’s official page at the American Kennel Club (the United Kennel Club for the American Pit Bull Terrier). Tap a breed for its full winter guide. Your own dog may differ: a clipped Poodle needs more than one in full coat, and a skinny dog more than a stocky one.

Feels the cold early

Needs a coat in real cold

Handles the cold well

Signs your dog needs a coat

  • Shivering or trembling outside
  • Lifting the paws or refusing to walk on
  • A tucked tail and hunched back
  • Slowing down and heading home

Choosing a winter coat

A good coat covers the chest and belly, where small dogs lose heat fastest, and reaches the base of the tail. Measure the chest, back length and neck and compare them with the size chart, or save your dog in our dog size guide so every coat shows the size that fits. Shop dog winter coats, dog puffer jackets, dog sweaters and winter dog boots. Not sure about today? Try the how cold is too cold for dogs calculator.

Winter coat FAQ

Do dogs really need coats?

Not all of them. Small, short-haired, young, old and lean dogs benefit most; big double-coated breeds rarely need one except in wet, icy cold.

Is a sweater enough?

A sweater is enough for chilly days and indoors. In freezing, wet or windy weather a lined, water-resistant coat keeps a sensitive dog warmer.

Should my dog wear a coat indoors?

No. Take the coat off at home so your dog does not overheat; use a light sweater only if your home is cold.

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