Affordable Cold Weather Dog Essentials | Best Dog Cold Weather Supplies

This post is about the best cold weather dog essentials every owner needs. 

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Our dog Ruth is originally from Texas. We adopted Ruth at the end of May, and we have not yet had her over winter. We live in Minnesota, which means that our winters are absolutely brutal. To help prepare Ruth for the upcoming winter season, we researched the best winter essentials for dogs. 

As the weather has gotten colder, we’ve been trying out our new winter gear – especially in the super cold early mornings. When we were researching what winter gear to get Ruth, I began to understand how important it is to keep your dog warm and safe when it gets really cold out. For us, this meant getting winter gear that is prepared for the most extreme cold!

In this post, I show you the absolute best cold weather essentials that every dog owner needs to invest in. We researched these products and we use them ourselves, and they are the best around! When we use them, Ruth is noticeably warmer and spends a lot more time outside.

Here are 10 must have winter dog essentials.  

COLD WEATHER DOG ESSENTIALS

JACKET 

Featured here is the Hurtta extreme warmer. While this jacket comes at a pretty steep price, I cannot recommend it enough. I read tons and tons of reviews on this jacket, and almost all of the reviews reported the same thing – their dog stayed way warmer in the most extreme cold temperatures. We spent a few nights camping near my parents house, and I can definitely attest to how warm Ruth’s body was in comparison to the night air. 

BUDGET FRIENDLY OPTION: 

BOOTIES 

Booties can be quite a difficulty for your pup. However, they are immensely beneficial. In fact, if you are going to be walking your dog anywhere where ice melt has been used, it’s absolutely vital that they are wearing booties. Ice melt is poisonous to dogs, and can be super irritating to their feet. Although an investment, this item should be considered a cold weather dog essential. 

Make sure that if you do get your dog a pair of booties, you invest in them. Ensure that the sole of the boot is sturdy, the boot is waterproof, and it’s rated well for the ice and snow. On top of investing in the booties, really make sure that you give your dog ample time to adjust to them. Look up how to train the dog to associate the boots positively, and train them to wear them over a week long period or more. The last thing you want is for your dog to be stressed by their new footwear. 

BUDGET-FRIENDLY OPTION: 

HANDS FREE LEASH WITH BUNJEES

A hands free leash is honestly life changing. I really don’t understand why more people don’t have them! If you get a hands free leash, make sure that you get one with a bunjee in it like the one above. This helps considerably if the dog pulls at all, or starts to run to chase something. On ice and snow, this can be a huge help! 

RELATED: OUR FAVORITE DOG TOYS | BEST ENRICHING DOG TOYS FOR NEW DOGS

REFLECTIVE HARNESS 

A strong, reflective harness isn’t just a necessity in the winter, it should always be your choice for keeping ahold of your dog. I really like this harness since all of the stitching is reflective, and it has the options of a front and back clip. 

VISIBILITY LIGHT 

In the winter, visibility in general is much more difficult and it gets dark out much sooner than in the summer months. This beacon from Ruffwear is essential to have on your dog during all winter months. Not only does it keep you safer while you walk them, in the instance that your dog gets off of their leash or slips away, they will at least have this beacon to help make them more visible to other people and to yourself! 

DOGGLES (FOR EXTREME TEMPERATURES) 

Doggles aren’t just cute, they’re extremely useful to your pet! When you feel like you need to put sunglasses on, your dog does, too. In the winter months, when the sun is reflecting off of the snow, some eye protection is needed more than ever. If you live somewhere that gets below 0, these are also very helpful to keep eye irritation low for your pooch. This item may seem unnecessary, but we always keep this item on our cold winter dog essential list! 

RELATED: THE BEST DOG TRAINING ESSENTIALS | TESTED DOG TRAINING SUPPLIES

COLLAPSIBLE WATER BOWL 

You may be surrounded with frozen water, but keeping you dog hydrated still needs to be a top priority. These collapsible water dishes are easy to clip to your belt loop or leash and give your dog water on the go! 

MUSHER’S SECRET PAW WAX 

If booties aren’t an option for your dog, this is the next best option. this paw wax is formulated to protect dog paws against snow and ice, and it’s a cult favorite! If we’re just running outside quickly, I like to use this rather than put on the booties. 

PET-FRIENDLY ICE MELT

Make sure that the ice melt you use around your house is safe for your pup! Ice melt like the one listed above is specially formulated to keep your dog safe.

MICROFIBER DOG TOWELS

No matter how much winter gear you strap onto your dog, they will always end up getting soaked. Microfiber towels like this one are perfect for keeping by the front door and wiping off your dog before letting them loose in the house. I keep a few in my car, too! 

THIS POST SHOWED YOU 10 MUST-HAVE COLD WEATHER DOG ESSENTIALS THAT EVERY OWNER NEEDS TO BUY.