MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Steve, it's that magical time of year.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Oh. Oh, you mean the holiday season.
MARTIN: Well, it's that. But I mean this is the time of year when dogs might wear sweaters...
INSKEEP: (Laughter) OK.
MARTIN: ...or even snowsuits. But some of us around here were wondering - because we are inquiring minds - is that really necessary?
INSKEEP: After all, dogs have fur. Well, this program is where we don't just talk. We check things out. So we put this question to a doctor - Dr. Miriam Fink, a Washington, D.C. veterinarian. We asked if pets really need an extra layer.
MIRIAM FINK: Some dogs really need it, and some don't.
MARTIN: The dogs that don't are, as you might guess, larger ones with thick, fluffy coats like huskies.
INSKEEP: But for smaller and short-haired breeds like whippets and greyhounds, Fink says they could use some insulation.
FINK: Even if it's around 50 degrees, but it's raining, we should definitely put something on to protect them because that cool air will stay on them for longer. And we want them to get nicely insulated and warm.
MARTIN: Oh, and don't forget the shoes. I would never forget the shoes.
INSKEEP: (Laughter).
MARTIN: Fink says booties help protect dogs from snow, ice and - most important - road salt.
FINK: Because salt is put down on the ground, and that salt can really irritate their paw pads.
INSKEEP: What about heels? I wonder if heels are OK. Anyway, Fink...
MARTIN: Not after COVID, no. Nobody's doing heels.
INSKEEP: Oh, got it. Got it.
MARTIN: No.
INSKEEP: Well, Fink acknowledges that some dog sweaters are purely for looks - or likes.
FINK: There's now this culture of, let's get everything on camera and document everything and get these really cute holiday cards together, where everybody's matching. And it's fun. It's in the spirit. It's very - there's no harm to it.
MARTIN: Anthony Molina Rubio (ph) works at Dog Coop, the dog day care center. It's also in Washington, D.C.
ANTHONY MOLINA RUBIO: Yeah, there's a lot of creative sweaters out there.
MARTIN: He loves it when people dress up their pooches.
RUBIO: They are going to treat them like their own child - put a sweater on them, you know, shoes. I've seen people wear - put shoes on them. People treat them like their own kind.
INSKEEP: Oh, come on, little baby. Put on your sweater.
MARTIN: (Laughter).
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