A lot of us decided to welcome new puppies to our homes last year – according to Kennel Club the number of dog owners has climbed nearly eight percent – and demand for four-legged friends after the lockdown remains high.
There is a huge selection of 221 different purebred dog breeds to choose from, as well as plenty of crossbreeds, so there is a lot of thought to be done before selecting the latest addition to your family.
There’s even academic advice to seek out, with psychologist Stanley Coren’s book âThe Intelligence of Dogsâ categorizing breeds by instinct, obedience, and adaptability.
One thing to take into consideration is that some dogs just don’t get along with the cold.
These less hardy breeds won’t thank you for long walks in the snow and subzero temperatures – in fact, it could be very bad for their health – and could benefit from wearing a jacket when going out for a winter walk.
Here are the 10 dog breeds that struggle in cold weather.
There’s a reason you often see Dachshunds dressed in colorful winter clothes – their short coats and petite stature mean they hate the cold. Their short legs are also pretty useless when it comes to anything more than a light blanket of snow.
Photo: Canva / Getty Images
The little Chihuahua has very little protection from the cold – luckily, they are so small that you can easily stow them in your bag or jacket to keep them warm.
Photo: Canva / Getty Images
A good winter jacket, and maybe even warm protective slippers, are ideally needed to take out a skinny greyhound in wintry weather. However, they will still want to go home to bask by the fire.
Photo: Canva / Getty Images
Many people are surprised to learn that the Doberman Pinscher is not particularly cold tolerant – especially since it can take just about anything else in its stride.
Photo: Canva / Getty Images