Regardless of the weather, most dogs can’t wait to walk their owner. However, there are also one or two four-legged friends who stubbornly refuse to go outside when it rains. In the following we will explain why this can be and what you as the owner should do in this case.
Key facts at a glance
- Depending on the breed, dogs can freeze quickly and therefore do not want to go for a walk in the rain.
- A raincoat can help ensure that particularly sensitive dogs do not get cold so easily when it rains.
- If there is enough time, dog owners can try to avoid walking in the rain.
- It is not advisable to force dogs to walk in the rain.
Some dogs freeze in the rain
Not every dog is made to spend hours outdoors in wind and weather. While some breeds can cope with the cold and wet without any problems, others freeze very quickly when it rains.
Especially if your dog has a very short coat without a protective undercoat, it is not surprising that he finds the rain unpleasant and gets cold after just a few minutes.
Apart from that, there are also individual differences with regard to the perception of cold, regardless of race. It is therefore quite possible that some short-haired dogs like to go for a walk in the rain and some long-haired four-legged friends prefer to stay at home.
Try a dog raincoat
If a dog doesn’t want to go for a walk in the rain because it’s cold, a raincoat can work wonders in many cases. Because it offers the four-legged friend effective protection against the wet and ensures that he does not freeze despite the rain.
Since there are now raincoats for dogs in numerous designs and sizes, it should not be difficult for you to find a suitable model for your four-legged friend. Make sure that the dog raincoat doesn’t rustle too much, because very sensitive dogs don’t like that.
However, don’t be discouraged if your dog doesn’t happily run outside into the water with his new coat. After all, your four-legged friend doesn’t know that the raincoat is protecting him. But once he learns that, there’s a good chance that going for a walk in the rain will require far less convincing in the future.
Avoid walking in the rain
Depending on the time available, it can of course also be an alternative to avoid walking in the rain. The rain may stop soon, so all you have to do is be patient. Instead, just step outside the door if your dog needs to get away.
You may also be able to drive to a place where it’s not raining and walk your dog there. In this way, you not only avoid the bad weather, but also provide some variety during your walks.
Don’t force your dog
If your dog stubbornly refuses to walk you in the rain, you should never force him to do so and just pull him outside on the leash. Instead, be patient and try to convince your four-legged friend in other ways.
Perhaps a small treat is enough to motivate your four-legged friend. Irrespective of this, you can normally assume that your dog will make itself felt at the latest when it urgently needs to relieve itself.
Keep your dog busy indoors when it rains
When it rains very heavily, it is of course understandable that neither you nor your dog want to go on longer trips. If the inclement weather means your walks are limited to conducting business, try to keep your dog busy with alternative activities at home.
Use intelligence toys for this purpose, for example, or give your dog the opportunity to put its good sense of smell to the test in a search game. With a little creativity, rainy days fly by and you can soon go for a walk together again as usual.