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If you have a dog that spends time inside and outside during the winter months, here are a four ways you can make winter a more comfortable time for your dog.

#1 Take Care Of Your Dog's Fur

The first thing you need to do is make sure that you take care of your dog's fur. During the winter time, you should not shave or cut your dog's hair. Your dog needs a nice, thick coat of hair in order to stay warm, especially if your dog spends significant amount of time outside.

During the winter, you are going to want to increase how often you brush your coat's fur. With your dog's hair longer, it makes it easier for your dog's hair to get tangled and matted, which is why you should spend some bonding time with your dog every day, brushing your dog's coat. Additionally, if your dog spends lots of times indoors where the humidity is lower, your dog may suffer from dry skin, which can be combated by frequent brushing. Frequent brushing will redistribute your dog's natural oils and help keep their skin soft instead of dry and flaky.

#2 Wash Your Dog

Second, make sure that you wash your dog inside of your home. You don't want to wash your dog outside in the cold because your dog could experience hypothermia. Instead, wash your dog inside and dry your dog off with a towel when they are done. Make sure that you are using warm water. If your dog will allow you to, use a blow dryer on low heat to dry off your dog. Make sure your dog is completely dry before you let them go outside; try to take your dog to the bathroom before you give them a bath so that they don't need to go outside for a while.

#3 Pay Extra Attention To Your Dog's Feet

Third, you need to pay extra attention to your dog's feet during the winter time. There feet can take a lot of abuse during the winter time. Clip your dog's hair so that ice and snow don't clump to their feet. Wash their feet with warm water when they come in from inside to get debris off of their feet. Keep their nails trimmed so they don't crack in the cold, causing your dog additional pain.

#4 Pay Attention To Your Dog's Food Needs

If your dog spends a lot of time outside during winter time, you are going to need to evaluate how you feed your dog. When your dog is outside, your dog is going to use more energy and need more energy than when they are inside. However, if your dog is inside all the time expect for bathroom breaks, you don't need to increase their food. Make sure that your dog has access to clean water; a heated water bowl is great for winter time. 

For more information, talk to a pet service.