(ANDREW YATES/AFP/Getty Images)

Snow, ice, freezing rain and whipping winds — all the elements can seem like an assault on your best furry friend.

But do pets need special gear to weather the winter, especially since they wear built-in jackets all the time?

Reid Groman, staff veterinarian at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine, told the school paper The Penn Current that . But still, some “short-haired breeds may be more comfortable in the cold weather with a sweater.”

Although typically, he added, common-sense procedures, such as short walks on very cold days, and a return home if they appear to be shivering, work just fine.

As the slideshow above shows, pups can look pretty cute in clothes, though that's never a reason to dress your dog. Instead, they should don clothes only out of necessity, such as if they are a warm-weather breed stuck in a cold climate.

(MORE: )

PetMD also suggests that toy breeds, or ones with particularly short hair, such as greyhounds, might , or even indoors if you keep your house heated to a low temp.

Older dogs with weakened immune systems, or diseases that might impact their hair, such as hypothyroidism, might also enjoy a winter sweater, PetMD added. (The same principle applies to humans.)

If you do go the clothing route, just cover your pet from the mid-chest to their tail — no sleeves needed, Groman said. Make sure they're used to the new threads before going outside, too, as some might not want to use the bathroom while dressed.

Also, hearty cold-weather dogs, such as Burmese mountain dogs, don't need clothes to get through the winter, and might in fact be quite uncomfortable.

Slapping a sweater on a dog that doesn't need it could even cause man's best friend to overheat. Helen Briggs, a spokeswoman from the , told the U.K.'s The Telegraph that . “It is the same as if you lave a dog in a car in hot weather,” she said.

"There are very few occasions when an animal needs a coat, even in the recent cold weather,” Mark Johnston, from the British Small Animal Veterinary Association, told the paper, adding that it could even hurt the animal's ability to regulate their own body temperature. "Dogs have developed a very effective coat of their own, which will protect them from the elements. It is adjustable so they can raise the fur to control their temperature. Dressing them in a coat diminishes the animal's ability to regulate their own body temperature and could be detrimental if the animal gets too hot.”

The bottom line: Ask your vet for guidance, and when the weather is truly terrible, dogs and humans alike should avoid long spells of time outside.

That said, icy sidewalks can hurt dogs, drying out and even cracking their food pads. Dog booties or regular application of petroleum jelly can help prevent the problem — though neither should be necessary for animals genetically accustomed to cold temperatures, such as huskies, Groman said.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: 14 Hacks for a Healthier Winter