Suggestions to protect your pooch from plunging temperatures

With cold alerts on the rise, people are trying to stay warm inside. Temperatures dipped below minus 20 this weekend, and Environment Canada is calling for more of the same in the coming days.

But what about pets?

Darren Stinson, a Chelmsford veterinarian, encourages dog owners to start winterproofing their pooches by putting booties on their paws.

"I think they're a good idea for several reasons," Stinson said. "One ice is sharp and we get dogs in with lacerations to their feet and legs from ice all the time."

"They also protect the feet from the irritation of road salt and slush that they will get stuck in between their feet," Stinson said. "Some dogs have an awful lot of hair between their toes and when that slush gets in there tends to freeze and it can cause them quite a bit of irritation and pain and discomfort on long walks."

But some owners may say their dogs don't like wearing boots. Stinson has more suggestions for those circumstances.

"You kind of have to train them in your house to accept them," he said.

"Our little French bulldog, when you put them on, she starts to high step like those soldiers doing a goose step... but she does get used to them then kind of forgets about them."

Stinson also suggests paying attention to what breed your dog is, as different breeds have different tolerances to cold.

"If it's a Arctic breedit's not likely going to freeze, and one can probably tolerate far more cold thensay a chihuahua or the French bulldog," Stinson said.

"Short short hair breeds that are not Arctic breeds that don't have a lot of body fat for insulation certainly should have a coat on," he said. "Your greyhounds, your French bulldogs, Chihuahuas. It's okayto take them for a walk in the cold just make sure they're protected and you're not out there too long."

Stinson says an easy rule to remember is that if it's too cold for you to go outside, then it's too cold for your pet.

"If you're not willing to go out there and play for an hourin the snow at minus 40 then your dog shouldn't be out there either."