CANINE BEHAVIOUR
Parlez Vous POOCH?! Blogger and qualified ‘Dog Listener’ Julia Collins discusses the wisdom and practicalities of clothing for dogs.
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ncreasingly it seems to be à la mode to put clothes on our dogs. I am certainly guilty. It began with a zip-up fleece for chilly walks, progressing to a duvet-style ‘turn-out’ rug for seriously wintry weather. Before spring arrived we were sporting a onesie! In fact, of the latter, we possess two. Following messy, cold morning walks we can peel out of one, have a quick paw wash and slide effortlessly into onesie number two, ready for a day’s
gardening. Snug, windproof, and ideal for sitting on damp grass, especially as I either add the fleece underneath or the duvet on top! I have long wondered about the wisdom, or kindness, of taking a dog from a centrally heated home out into the cold weather. Especially when we humans get all togged up in coat, hat, scarf, gloves, etc. I fully comprehend how kennelled dogs of old would have stupendous coats and thermostats to match, enabling them to cope, but when you’ve been sno oozing in your fleecy bed one minute and expected to face bleak open fields the next, to me a coat of some sort maakes perfect sense. An nother reason is the dreaded clean-up. Not possessing a sluicedown area, for us this has to take place on the paving outside the front door. We all know the horrible feeliing of a breeze on wet skin. Well, imagine that am mplified on a cold day when n you have four legs to wash, pluss bits of tummy! You see where the onesie is coming from. Now wadays my pooch watches th hrough the French doors from m the comfort of the hall, whille the onesie receives the clean up that was formerly
his fate. In addition, less warm water and towels are needed. That has got to be a plus. It can be draughty around the Barn. I bought him a sweater, and this mustard yellow number proved terrifically dashing, so much so that a navy polo followed closely on its heels. Handy too, when rain makes the temperature plummet and nights aren’t so balmy. Just like horses’ rugs, the variety of coats for dogs seems as limitless as the occasions we can dream up for their use. I tell myself that practicality is the watchword. We dress for purpose here – not appearances, although those bandanas can look very cool – perhaps if we received one as a present?! Parlez Vous POOCH?! articles are also available on the Oracle, an audio information magazine for visually impaired listeners, which is part of Wymondham and Attleborough Talking Newspapers. To access all the Talking Newspaper recordings, go to www.watn.org.uk
Julia Collins @walksoflifessuffolk www.walksoflife.co.uk 29
