When it gets cold, we wear more clothes.
We also heat our homes.
As humans, we have many ways to help us stay warm during the cold months.
But our canine friends are not so lucky.
Sure, they have fur.
But Yorkies only have a single coat, whereas most breeds have an outer coat and an under coat.
They are also tiny and lose body heat quickly.
As a result of their size and their single coat of fur, Yorkies get cold easier than most dogs.
Keep reading to learn just how easily Yorkies get cold, plus what you need to do to protect your little Yorkshire terrier during those cold winter months.
Contents
Do Yorkies Get Cold Easily?
Yes, Yorkies do get cold easily. They’re a small dog breed and have no undercoat (unlike other breeds of dog), which can leave them feeling particularly chilly in the colder months. You’ll be able to tell if your Yorkie is too cold due to its constant shivering or reluctance to go outside.
A Yorkie’s fur is very similar to human hair. This means it is thinner than your average dog’s and also much glossier. Yorkies also do not have an undercoat that helps fend off any nasty chills.
Plus, like human hair, theirs can become dry and damaged in the winter months. This also impacts how much your Yorkie feels the cold. If its fur is damaged then it won’t be able to protect it as well from the harsh impact of the cold weather.
Let’s take a look at the things you should be doing to protect your Yorkie from the cold. Further down, we’ll cover some of the more common questions we get related to Yorkies and the cold.
Protecting Your Yorkie From The Cold
It is your job to protect your Yorkshire terrier from the cold, both out on walks, and in the home. As mentioned above, it is also important to ensure your pet’s coat stays healthy, so that it offers the maximum protection.
Keep Your Dog’s Fur Healthy
Luckily, caring for your Yorkie’s fur is a similar process to the way we humans care for our hair. You’ll need to make sure you keep it clean by regularly bathing your Yorkie.
You can also massage in a leave-in conditioner to keep your Yorkie’s fur feeling soft and moisturised. But make sure you stick to a specialist pet store conditioner and not your own bottle from the shower. Or you can prepare your own homemade conditioner for dogs.
If you want to be extra cautious, you can also buy a humidifier to inject moisture into your home. However, I would avoid this, if your house is prone to dampness.
Applying a solution of water and oil ca also help. Some owners will recommend baby oil for matted dog hair, but there are potential problems with baby oil. Follow that link for better oils to use and instructions for mixing a good spray-on solution.
Keep Your Yorkie Warm Outdoors
Outdoor walks is when your little Yorkie really feels the cold. It is important to know that Yorkies find it difficult going out in temperatures under 45° F, or 7° C. But you can’t just cancel walks.
It is important that your Yorkie is able to get its daily exercise during the winter months. And a dog loves nothing more than going out for its walks.
To make sure your dog still gets to enjoy its walks, you can buy a sweater or a coat for your Yorkie. These will stop your dog from feeling those chills and reduce the risk of any shivering, or more serious conditions, such as hypothermia or frostbite.
Most pet stores and online outlets have many choices and designs, so you can make sure your pup is the coolest dog out on the town.
Thick sweaters can hold their body heat, while coats and parkas can protect them from freezing temperatures and raging wind. Read “Do Yorkies Need Sweaters In The Winter?” for more.
If you live in an area where it is likely to snow in the winter, you may also want to think about getting a pair of shoes for your Yorkie, or a specialist balm to protect its paws from the frozen ground. These can also be purchased from your local pet store, or online.
Here is a good option on Amazon.
At first, your Yorkie may not like its new coat or snow boots. If it is something that they aren’t used to then they’re likely to find it uncomfortable to wear at first.
If your Yorkie does not like wearing clothes, we strongly recommend helping it get used to it. If it is cold out, clothing can save its life. Don’t just forego it, because your dog doesn’t like wearing a coat or sweater.
If your pup just doesn’t want to wear those spiffy new clothes, try slowly introducing the coat or shoes to your dog. You can do this by first putting the items on your pup in the house, for a short amount of time.
You can gradually lengthen the time your Yorkie wears the item, and it shouldn’t be too long before it is in love with its new coat and eager to wear it out on a walk.
Some Yorkies also tend to get wet a lot more than others. Obviously, wet fur means your pup will get cold much faster. If your dog tends to jump into bodies of water, make sure you always have a towel handy to dry it off.
Can Yorkies swim well, then? Yes, all Yorkies are born with the ability to swim. But not all enjoy it. Some Yorkies love to swim, while other do not. Some are also afraid of water altogether.
Keep Your Yorkie Warm Indoors
Even if your home feels warm to you, your Yorkie can easily get cold inside the house. It is much smaller and feels cold easier, plus it is much closer to the ground, where the cold air ends up (it is heavier than warm air).
You may want to check areas in your house where your Yorkie spends most of their time, such as its favorite spots or where it sleeps. You don’t want any nasty drafts making your Yorkie uncomfortable.
The best way to do this is to walk around these spots barefoot. If you feel any unwelcome cold breezes, then you may want to re-think where your Yorkie’s bed will go for the winter months. Its sleeping spot in the summer months may not be as ideal for the winter months.
You can also watch your dog when it sleeps. The position in which your yorkie is sleeping can give some indication of how cold it feels. If it is stretched out, it is probably fine. But if it always sleeps curled up into a tight little ball, it is probably feeling a bit cold.
What Happens If A Yorkie Gets Too Cold?
It’s important that you take measures to protect your Yorkie during the winter, otherwise it may suffer serious health conditions, such as hypothermia or frostbite. Symptoms of hypothermia in dogs include sluggishness or delayed reflexes, dilated pupils, and loss of consciousness.
You’ll be able to notice frostbite easier than hypothermia, because it affects your dog’s exterior. You’ll notice that the tissue has become damaged, which is a result of the circulation being cut off, causing the area to go numb. Frostbite can result in amputation.
How Cold Is Too Cold For A Yorkie?
As mentioned above, temperatures under 45° F (or 7° C) are generally too cold for most Yorkies. Once you get down around that temperature, you’ll want to put your pup in a sweater or jacket to help keep it warm.
How Do I Know If My Yorkie Is Cold?
There are a number of symptoms you can look for, if you think your Yorkie may be too cold. Your pup may begin to shiver, which is a common reaction to the cold for the majority of animals.
If you touch your dog’s ears and they feel cold, then you may want to take steps to warm it up. Your dog may also curl up into a ball, which is a method they use to keep in as much body heat as they can. Other signs may include delayed reactions, sleepiness, whining, and limping.
Can You Leave Yorkies Outside?
For a short period of time, yes. But you can not leave this breed outside for a lengthy amount of time. If the weather is too hot, then your Yorkie may become dehydrated or face the effects of sunstroke. And cold weather can also make your Yorkie ill, as we have already seen.
If you leave your Yorkie out on its own, it may also run out of food and dig holes in your garden, or find itself in various dangers, like road traffic or potential dognappers.
Do Yorkies Get Cold At Night?
Yes, Yorkshire terriers can become cold at night. They are a small breed and only have one coat layer. It is important to make sure their bed is placed in a warm area of the house and away from any doors, windows or colder areas of your home.
You should also make sure the bed has plenty of blankets during the colder months, so that your dog can burrow into them at night, if it does become a little chilly and you’re asleep and unable to help.
Yorkies Get Cold Easily: Conclusion
The cold weather is a struggle for most people and animals. Small dogs are especially affected. And if those dogs only have an outer layer of fur and no undercoat, like Yorkshire terriers, then they feel the cold even more strongly.
They are not made to withstand cold, harsh weather and strong winds, so you need to pay extra attention to them during this time of the year.
Make sure your pup’s bed is in a nice warm area of the house and that it has blankets to help it stay warm at night. When taking your Yorkie out for walks, a nice sweater or jacket will protect it from the cold. The ideal sized clothing is important too.
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