I’ve been travelling with my chihuahua rescue a lot lately, dressing my little dog in her dog sweaters as we move through some colder countries this winter, and I’ve been getting asked this question a lot. Chihuahua owners are seeing the dog sweater or whatever warm chihuahua clothes my little dog is wearing at the time and they stop and ask me “what clothes should I get for my chihuahua?” It seems many people in cooler areas are afraid to get a chihuahua because they don’t think a chihuahua could survive–or at least be happy–when living through a cold winter in a cooler part of the world.
I’ve been taking my toy dog, as some of the locals call her, through the UK, through France, through Norway, through Sweden, and all around Europe this winter in 2015, with her wearing her winter sweaters from the Chihuahua Shop and some other online chihuahua stores, and I can tell you from experience that chihuahuas can live happy lives in cold places–provided you dress them appropriately so that they stay warm.
Does my chihuahua need clothes to keep it warm?
Yes. Absolutely. If you live in a cold country, your chihuahua needs clothes to keep it warm. Heck: even if you live in a warmer place with your chihuahua, you’ll notice him shivering at night when it cools off! Chihuahuas are very small dogs whose little bodies do not have the muscle mass and other temperature regulatory systems to keep them warm in colder climates the way the bigger breeds do. This is why we dress our chihuahuas in sweaters for dogs and why, when you see clothes on sale at the online dog shops, you want to buy a few small dog sweaters to keep you chihuahua happy, healthy, and warm!
But if you are dressing your chihuahua in those little dog coats for winter weather when it’s cold out, your chihuahua shouldn’t have much of a problem staying warm, provided he is moving around and getting exercise. Your chihuahua puppy might have to wear a pair of dog booties to keep his paws warm if he’s walking through snow, but otherwise a few layers of properly-sized pets clothes will do the trick. You just have to make sure you pay close attention when you first dress you chihuahua in his new clothes to ensure he is able to move around properly in them and that the clothes aren’t too tight for his little body, and that he is warm enough in the clothes. Often, if you’re living in a very cold country–one where it snows for example–you’re going to have to dress your chihuahua in multiple layers of chihuahua clothes to keep him warm.
Chihuahuas evolved and originated in the Mexican state of Chihuahua after all!–a hot part of the planet where the climate never comes even remotely close too the cool we experience in the more norther parts of our planet.
Layering clothes for small dogs
For puppy chihuahuas, the puppy jackets and the little sweaters for dogs will make a good first layer. You chihuahua needs to stay warm and so you want the first layer to be form-fitting (but not too tight) so that it insulates your chihuahua’s little body.
After that, the second layer should be a bit looser so that there is space for a bit of air between to the two layers of chihuahua dog clothes. This air acts as great insulation, provided you have a third layer of small dog clothing that acts as a seal, to hold the warm air in and keep cooler air from flowing into the chihuahua clothing seal. When it comes to clothes for small dogs, good third layers are those dog outfits that are waterproof, like a rain jacket or especially those great little winter coats for chihuahuas. If you can find those at a dog shop that is holding a chihuahua clothing sale, I recommend taking advantage of it and buying one of these winter coats because your chihuahua is going to get a lot of use out of it and will go a long way in keeping your little dog warm when it’s cold outside.
Of course, there are always the chihuahua owners who love their fashion and who just can’t be seen out in public with their little dog unless it’s wearing its little chihuahua costume, in which case you can simply slip the cool dog clothes you have over that third layer and have a fourth layer of fashion! Of course, it’s important that your chihuahua be comfortable and able to move well with this many different clothes on, so it’s important to have the pieces be the right size so they can be layered properly. But if you pay attention when buying your puppy chihuahua clothes and your small dog dresses, you should be able to tell if the outfit will fit over and underneath another one of your chihuahua outfits.
Having a large chihuahua wardrobe will make the task of bundling up your chihuahua for winter weather a lot easier, and so if you’re using everything from chihuahua pajamas to chihuahua bath robes to chihuahua t-shirts to chihuahua sweaters and coats, you’re most likely going to have the wide array of clothes available for dressing your dog warm the proper way where he can be warm with his different layers on and still be comfortable.
So if you’re living in a colder country and you’re wondering “should I get a chihuahua?” because you are afraid the little dog won’t be able to cope with the cold, I suggest you reconsider. You can find chihuahua items for sale everywhere these days: in the local pet shops and online in many different chihuahua shops. There’s no shortage of clothes for little dogs, right now. So it’s really not an issue of possibility. The real issue at hand is whether you’re willing to invest a bit of time in finding the right clothes for your chihuahua so that he stays warm and happy in your travels.
Of course, I’d recommend you check out the Chihuahua Shop (link at the top right of this page) to find these clothes for your small dog, but really: you can find these clothes everywhere today, so don’t limit yourself in your search for the perfect chihuahua clothes that will fit your dog’s body as well as is personality.
