Dog care in winter in India: cold nights, smog and street dogs
Checked against 13 sources
Dog care in winter comes down to a warm, dry bed indoors, a coat on walks for dogs that feel the cold, and a full dry-off after every walk24. In a north Indian cold wave, when the night-time minimum falls to 4°C or below, bring your dog in from the balcony, terrace or porch: IMD's own red-alert advice is to move pets indoors1.
Signs of hypothermia: go to a vet
Go to a vet straight away if he shivers hard, or stops shivering while still cold, seems drowsy or confused, walks unsteadily, has pale gums, or collapses.
- Cold wave (plains)
- Minimum temperature 4°C or below; 2°C or below is a severe cold wave1
- Feel the cold most
- Puppies, small dogs, short or thin coats, older dogs with stiff joints, and ill dogs24
- Where he sleeps
- Indoors, in a clean, dry bed; RSPCA suggests a room between 10°C and 25°C2
- Smog days
- At AQI 401–500 (Severe), CPCB says even healthy people feel effects with light activity6
The printable version of this guide is a free PDF. Get it at thapki.app/guides/seasons/winter-care/
On this page
- Which dogs feel the cold most
- Do dogs need sweaters in winter?
- Dog care in winter: cold nights and cold waves
- Winter walks
- Air quality and dogs: smog days
- Heaters and angithis: safety first
- Winter food: sweets, nuts and curd
- Street dogs in winter: what to feed and how to help
- Signs of hypothermia: go to a vet
- Get the printable winter checklist (PDF)
- Not fully clear yet
- Sources
Which dogs feel the cold most
- Puppies: they can't control their body temperature well yet2.
- Small dogs, which lose heat faster than big ones2.
- Dogs with short or thin coats24. Many Indies have a short coat, so go by your own dog's coat, not the breed name.
- Older dogs, and dogs with arthritis: the cold makes stiff joints more painful2. See caring for an older dog for comfort changes that help.
- Ill dogs, and dogs not used to the cold, such as a dog who has just moved north from a warmer city2.
- Flat-faced breeds such as pugs and bulldogs, which RSPCA says are at high risk of breathing difficulties2.
Do dogs need sweaters in winter?
Not every dog. RSPCA suggests a dog jacket for dogs that feel the cold or are out in it for a long time, and Dogs Trust says short-haired dogs may need one to stay warm25. A thick-coated dog who walks happily without one is fine.
Introduce it slowly. Lay the coat on the floor with treats on it, then feed treats through the neck hole, then rest it on his back, rewarding all the time. If he backs away, take it off, give the treat anyway and try another day5.
Dog care in winter: cold nights and cold waves
- December and January are the coldest months in north India, when normal night-time minimums fall below 8°C in many places. The plains of north-west and central India get the most cold-wave days, about 6–8 a year on average1.
- Bring your dog in at night. RSPCA doesn't advise leaving any dog outside in the cold2. IMD issues cold-wave alerts in yellow, orange and red, and its red-alert advice includes moving pets indoors1.
- Give him somewhere clean, dry and comfortable to sleep. RSPCA suggests keeping his room between 10°C and 25°C; below that, dogs that feel the cold may start to struggle2.
- Keep food and fresh water easy to reach and refilled2.
- Before you start the car on a cold morning, tap the bonnet and check under it and around the wheels: an animal may be sheltering there for warmth3.
Winter walks
- In a cold wave, NDMA advises people not to step out early in the morning or late at night unless they must13. The warmer middle of the day suits the long walk better.
- In the dark or in fog, stay on lit roads and use a reflective collar, coat or lead, for yourself too24. IMD warns that dense fog causes many fatal road accidents in north India1.
- Keep him on a lead2.
- After every walk, wipe his paws, legs and tummy, because road grit and damp can irritate the skin, and dry him fully before he sleeps24.
Air quality and dogs: smog days
- Check the day's AQI before the long walk. CPCB publishes it for Indian cities7.
- There's no AQI limit set for dogs. CPCB's categories are written for people: at Very Poor (301–400), respiratory illness on prolonged exposure; at Severe (401–500), effects even on healthy people, even during light activity6.
- On Very Poor and Severe days, CPCB says people, especially those with heart disease or asthma, may consider avoiding undue exposure6. The same caution suits your dog: shorter, calmer walks, and long runs or fetch saved for a cleaner day.
- Be extra careful with flat-faced breeds2, and ask your vet about an older dog or one with heart or lung trouble.
- Trouble breathing is an emergency: call your vet9.
Heaters and angithis: safety first
- Never burn an angithi (coal brazier) or a kerosene heater in a closed room. IMD advises keeping the room ventilated to avoid toxic fumes1. The gas they give off, carbon monoxide, builds up in closed spaces and is as dangerous for your dog as for your family8.
- Signs of carbon monoxide poisoning in a dog: weakness, sleepiness, fast breathing and confusion, and in bad cases collapse. Get everyone, dog included, into fresh air and call a vet straight away8.
- IMD also asks for safety measures with electric and gas heaters1.
- A burn from a heater or an angithi needs a vet. Large or deep burns, and burns on the face, need one straight away9.
Winter food: sweets, nuts and curd
- Keep winter sweets away from him. Gajar halwa, panjiri and dry-fruit laddoos often contain raisins, which can damage a dog's kidneys10.
- Nuts such as almonds and walnuts are full of oil and fat, and can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and possibly pancreatitis10.
- Wondering about curd in winter? See can dogs eat curd for the same small-amount rule that applies all year.
- Dogs may eat and sleep a little more in winter2. Stick to his usual food, and ask your vet before you change how much he gets.
Street dogs in winter: what to feed and how to help
- Give bedding. AWBI has appealed to citizens to give street animals bedding, mattresses and cots in winter, for warmth and comfort11. A cot or mattress keeps a dog off the cold ground.
- Feed the same plain, safe food as the rest of the year, with clean water, at the feeding spot agreed in your area. See what to feed street dogs for what's safe and what isn't.
- Never share sweets with raisins, or nutty treats, with them either10.
- Check under your car before you start it3.
- The hypothermia signs below apply to street dogs too. A dog who has collapsed, or can't stop shivering, needs a vet2.
- If crackers frighten the dogs on your lane on New Year's Eve, see what to do when a dog is scared of crackers.
Signs of hypothermia: go to a vet
Checked against vet sources. Not yet reviewed by a vet.
- Go to a vet straight away if he shivers hard, or stops shivering while still cold, seems drowsy or confused, walks unsteadily, has pale gums, or collapses2.
- Shivering can stop once a dog gets severely cold, so a cold dog who has stopped shivering is a worse sign, not a better one2.
- Hypothermia can be fatal if it isn't treated quickly2.
- Call before you set off, so the clinic can get ready for you9.
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Not fully clear yet
Official sources disagree or leave gaps on these. Confirm before you rely on them.
- Most cold-weather advice for dogs comes from UK sources (RSPCA, Dogs Trust), written for snow and ice. We found no Indian veterinary guideline on dogs in a north Indian winter; IMD's cold-wave advice mentions pets only in one line (move them indoors), so this page applies UK advice to Indian homes124.
- We found no vet source that sets AQI limits for dogs, or says which hours of a smog day are safest for a walk. The shorter-walk advice above applies CPCB's advice for people; ask your vet about your own dog6.
- We found no vet source that changes the curd advice for winter. The idea that curd is 'cold' and should stop in winter isn't something our sources mention.
- Rules on where street dogs may be fed are being put in place under the Supreme Court's judgment of 19 May 2026 and AWBI's procedures of 27 November 2025. Ask your municipal body or RWA which feeding spot applies in your area12.
Sources and how we check
Facts checked against the official and veterinary sources below by Thapki. Not yet reviewed by a vet. Written with AI help from the sources below, then checked line by line; the Thapki team reads and approves every page before it goes live. How we check
- 1Standard Operation Procedure: Weather Forecasting and Warning Services (2021), chapter 7, heat and cold waves (PDF)
- 2Winter and cold weather care for dogs
- 3Cold weather care for cats
- 4How to keep your dog safe and warm in cold weather
- 5How to get your dog used to wearing a coat
- 6National Air Quality Index (report), table 3.12 and section 3.4 (PDF)
- 7National Air Quality Index
- 8Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in Dogs
- 9What to do in a dog or cat emergency (pet owner version)
- 10People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets
- 11Appeal: provide bedding and cots for stray animals during the winter, 26 Dec 2023 (PDF)
- 12Circular: strict compliance with the Supreme Court's directions in Suo Motu W.P. (C) No. 5 of 2025, the AWBI SOPs of 27.11.2025 and the ABC Rules, 2023 (PDF)
- 13Winter cold wave: do's and don'ts