I’m more inspired by her other superpower: She weighs just under ten pounds but can sprint like a greyhound and jump four feet high from a dead standstill—and she thrives on five-mile runs. Alas, she’s not invincible. Her kryptonite? Winter.

Don’t get me wrong. B loves snow. She’ll go bounding through massive dumps (of up to four inches) until she’s nearly catatonic from cold, and it’s entirely up to me to rescue her before she’s on the brink of death. But I couldn’t bear to deny her the pleasure, especially since winter heavily overlaps with what we call squirrel season—when the squirrels spend a lot of time on the ground, gathering nuts. B’s main mission in life is to seek and destroy rodents. (No success yet, but not for lack of obsessive-compulsive effort.) Given the extended time this requires outside even in icy wind and weather, it was incumbent on me to find some winter gear that’s sturdy, warm, and flexible enough to see her through her dangerous addiction. Here are some of the best options out there.

For Snow Days
Land’s End Quilted Dog Coat
B’s first coat ever was a Land’s End model—the Pet Squall Jacket—and after five years it’s not even close to collapse. It’s water-resistant and fleece-lined but suffers from the major design flaw of having a Velcro collar closure that doesn’t hold up to constant use. I loved everything else about the jacket so much that I actually hand-stitched extra-large snaps to the collar to keep it closed. But even better, the company’s newer model, the Quilted Pet Coat, is an entirely different and equally warm design that not only solves the collar problem but also provides better under-body protection from the elements—especially in the vulnerable rib-cage area. And at $29.50, it’s the only quality dog coat I’ve found that fits a tight budget too. landsend.com

All-Natural Base Layer
D-Fa Ice Barker
Made from soft merino wool, D-Fa’s light jacket stays warm when wet and dries quickly using your dog’s body heat. While it might be a bit much for cold-weather dogs like labs and huskies, pointers and other short-hair breeds will love the added comfort—especially on days when you’re far from the living room hearth. One thing to note is that because dog’s don’t sweat, breathability isn’t so much an issue of transporting perspiration as its drying when it gets wet. $119, d-fa.com

When Speed Counts
Ruffwear Cloud Chaser
Besides making you feel like your dog is a protagonist in an eighties movie that involves a lot of aerobics (see: Jamie Lee Curtis, Olivia Newton-John), this flexible soft-shell jacket (see: spandex) envelops a pooch’s core in microfiber fleece and moves with her. This is canine activewear at its best—lightweight, breathable. Replete with racing-stripe-like reflective strips and a full side zipper, the Cloud Chaser may as well be called the Squirrel Chaser. $74.95, ruffwear.com

Crazy Cozy
Foggy Mountain Snuggler
Besides fighting those evil-natured rodents, B’s other primary aim in life is to cuddle. Foggy Mountain makes that possible even when she’s out and about. The Snuggler is not unlike the beloved Snuggie: It’s sort of a blanket that’s been cinched and folded in just the right places, providing a self-cuddling environment, so Biscuit can feel swaddled in love even when she’s lunging at pant legs out on the sidewalk. This coat is seriously warm, and on those supercold days when it takes B approximately 1.2 minutes to decide that for the sake of her extremities she’d better go back inside, this is the one I’m reaching for. $38.95, truefitdogcoats.com

For Après Chase
West Paw Design Reknitz Sweater
I just realized that for weeks I’ve been pronouncing this REK-nitz, when all along it was REE-nitz. As in reduce, reuse, recycle, re-knit. Made from reclaimed cotton—which is greenspeak for scraps salvaged from the cutting table—the Reknitz is B’s go-to in the great indoors. It comes with a pre-cut hole through which a leash can be attached to a harness for walking, but we prefer to rely on it to guard against drafts, since I’m not always around to lift the blanket draped over the couch so she can climb under. $34, westpawdesign.com

Best All-Around
Ruffwear K-9 Overcoat
When it comes down to it, the jacket I reach for most often isn’t one that serves any highly specialized purpose. Because when it comes down to it, my dog isn’t Lara Croft. For the most part she just goes on walks, every day, no matter what. And for that ongoing, essential activity, the K-9 Overcoat is, well, just right. Sturdy and warm, it offers good coverage but doesn’t smother her either, and it’s built to last. Plus, the expandable waist strap and thick plastic buckles that click into place make it the easiest one to pull on and off. Plus, it looks like a cape. $64.95, ruffwear.com

Danger: Let me just slip into something more comfortable

If you’ve ever experienced that problem of a wet or muddy dog messing up your furniture or car upholstery, here’s a solution from same folks who make the FURminator fur remover. The new FUR Dry wearable dog towel simultaneously dries your dog’s fur and keeps it from making contact with, well, anything you don’t want to smell like a wet dog. Works great for post-grooming, too.

Ruffwear Cloud Chaser Jacket

Just in time for the first snows and ski-resort openings comes the redesigned Ruffwear Cloud Chaser soft shell. This iteration of the classic canine warm-up retains the reflective piping and fleece-lined water-resistant upper. The critical improvements are in the bottom portion of the jacket, which is more ergonomic and made from a lightweight stretch material that will move with your mutt better than ever. And the snug-fitting collar and arm(leg) holes will keep snow from building up inside. $75

• iDawg
• Ralph Lauren
• GlamourDog
• UrbanPup

Add any others as comments. . .

Cozy Hemp Collar

Natural Hemp Leash

Planet Dog announced last week that they’re adding new sizes and colors—pink, blue, and natural—to their fleece-lined  Cozy Hemp Collar and Natural Hemp Leash. The combo is straightforward and simple—perfect for around-town use.

Don't pet me patch

Nothing will spin your dog up or teach him to pull out on his leash like a stranger diving in on him with baby talk and aggressive petting. This is a dangerous combination that can lead your dog to view every stranger out ahead of you as a reward worth sprinting toward. We’ve talked about a few ways to prevent this kind of thing; here’s another: signage.

I will now attempt the 5.12 dog-width crack

Ever leave your pup at home because the terrain you’ll be tackling is too rough? Now you’ve got another option: add your pooch to your ropeline. The RuffWear Doubleback Harness is a full, strength-rated climbing rig that cups your dog by the backs of the hind legs and chest—just like a full chest harness on a human. The Doubleback can be used to catch a canine fall, lower him off rapel anchors, or hoist him into a helicopter. Available later this fall. (We’ll update you when they’re ready and have a price.)

Maggie making off in her harness

While Maggie is no Houdini when it comes to her traditional harness, she is an energetic walker who loves to chase down the unsuspecting cat in between vigorous sniffing sessions. The harness she has been wearing for years was a vast improvement over “leash on collar” walks, but there was definitely even more control when we walked with the Web Master. The harness was a bit more fitted than your standard harness, and the design of the harness prevented it from slipping around too much as Maggie walked. The support it provides really helped with the pulling, and when Maggie was off leash she was still able to run freely and didn’t seem hindered by the extra material/padding. The harness is lined with a soft material so it should not irritate the skin of dogs with even the shortest of coats. An added bonus is the handle on the back which made it easy to grab hold and lift Maggie into the car, as well as pick her up and move her quickly away from inappropriate snacks along the road or trail.

Danger briefly considered obeying and then ran off

Danger got to try out Mountainsmith’s Sport Line Dog Pack this weekend on an overnighter into the Pecos Wilderness. It’s got three pockets, variously outfitted with quick-draining mesh and waterproof zippers to carry everything from food to water to leashes and tie-out cords. The thing I love most about this pack is that its fleece-padded strap system doesn’t require the dog to step through anything in order to get it on. Two straps go under his belly and a connecter from the front strap comes up his sternum to connect to the collar strap. The trade-off is that you end up with a few more dangling tag ends than some of the other dog packs I’ve tested.$60.

One other quick tip about dog packs. They’re a great tool for teaching your dog to heel on a single track. By doubling the dog’s width, the pack forces the dog to stay behind you on a narrow trail. This is immensly helpful when horses or aggressive petters might be coming down the trail ahead of you.

Following Mace down the trail

Danger gettin' his pack on

Danger's a good sport

A slicker on a Lab is a bit like a lifejacket on a duck, but Danger is doing his best to model Ruffwear’s new Sun Shower Rain Jacket for all the short-haired dogs of the world. The Sun Shower is made from coated nylon with taped seams and includes hi-vis reflective piping to make your pooch stand out at night. The zip-off hood exposes a preppy popped collar that makes any dog look like an athlete. $75