Winter walking in Ireland is less about cold than about darkness and wet. The temperature rarely troubles a healthy adult dog; the four o'clock dusk and the sideways rain do. Kit for those two problems and the rest looks after itself.
Visibility first
A driver on an unlit road needs to see the dog from any angle, not just in profile. That means reflective material on the flanks, the chest and ideally the tail line, plus a light on the collar. Reflective strips work with headlights; an active light works before the headlights find you. Carry both.
Coats, for the dogs that need them
Thin-coated breeds, small dogs, puppies, seniors and dogs that get wet and then sit in a cold car all benefit. A double-coated northern breed in a coat is usually just uncomfortable. If you do use one, it should clear the front legs and the belly entirely so the dog can trot without the fabric riding up.
Paws
- Check between the pads after any walk on gritted footpaths. Road salt is an irritant and it packs into the gaps.
- Rinse with plain warm water rather than wiping; grit dragged across a pad does more damage than it did sitting there.
- Keep the fur between the pads trimmed short in winter so snow and mud cannot ball up in it.
- A wax balm before the walk gives a light barrier on salted routes. It is not a substitute for rinsing afterwards.
The drying routine
Keep a dedicated towel by the door and a second one in the boot. A microfibre drying coat does more in five minutes than a towel does in fifteen, and a dog that has been properly dried does not spend the evening damp on your sofa developing the smell you will blame on its food.
The kit lives by the door or it does not get used. That is the whole system.
Tom Ryan, Wexfur
Finally, shorten the route rather than skipping it. Two twenty-minute walks in the dry gaps beat one miserable hour, and a dog that has been out twice is a dog that settles in the evening.
