If the heat suddenly goes out in your home during the winter, then you need to speak with a heating specialist to repair your furnace. While you wait for the heating services repair person, you can wear several layers of clothing to keep yourself warm, but your dog needs to stay warm as well, especially if you own a small dog or a canine with short hair.

Take Short Walks

If you take your dog for long walks during the day, then considering going for numerous short walks instead. Exercise is extremely important to keep your dog in good shape, but your dog will become quite cold if he spends 30 or 60 minutes outdoors at one time.  

Limit walks to about 15 minutes and try to get your dog to run or play at the end of the walk. The exercise will force your dog's heart rate to increase and this will warm up his body. Strenuous exercise should be limited to about 10 minutes though, otherwise your dog may overheat. To keep this from happening, make sure to offer your dog a bowl of water once you go back inside.

When your dog is finished with his walk, use a towel to dry his fur. This will help to prevent a chill. You can use a blow dryer to dry off the fur as well, and make sure to remove snow from your dog's paws with a wire brush. Feed your dog after your walk too, because your dog will exert a great deal of energy to stay warm if your house is cold. In general, your dog will need between 60 and 1,200 extra calories during the cold weather months. The exact number depends on your dog's weight.

Warm Up Your Dog's Bed

Your dog will spend a great deal of his day sleeping, and this means that you can keep him warm in a cold home by making sure the bed is as warm as possible.

One good bed option is a product that contains an inner insulating layer of material. These beds reflect the body heat of your dog so that it can be reabsorbed. You can make your own heated dog bed as well, or you can purchase a heating pad to place underneath the bed your dog already has.  Make sure to elevate the bed off the ground though, because drafts and cold air will sit close to the floor and it will cool off the bed.

You can also help to keep your dog warm while he is sleeping by purchasing small booties or slippers for your dog.  Make sure to purchase a product with velcro closures though, so the boots do not slip off. You can buy sweaters and coats for your dog as well. The best products are made with nylon or polyester, because these materials will help to trap heat close to the body.

Groom Your Dog

If your home heating system is not working, then you may be worried about brushing your dog and releasing hair from his body. You definitely should brush your dog, though, because your dog's fur helps to trap heat. The hair or fur sticks out from the body and this allows some air to move close to the skin. The air becomes heating by the body of your dog and this helps to keep him warm. When your dog's fur becomes matted or tangled, then there is not enough space for air to sit next to the skin.

Make sure to brush your dog at least once every other day to remove loose and matted fur. Purchase either a wire-pin or bristle brush and use the tool gently so you do not remove hair that is not already loose.

If your heating system malfunctions during the winter months, then you can easily keep yourself comfortable by using blankets and warm clothing. This is not true of your dog, so follow the tips above to make sure that your dog does not become too cold while a professional is working on your furnace.

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