There is no hope of getting a humidifier for the whole house, but would it be helpful to get a small one for my own living space within it?
It couldn't hurt. Even if it improves the air in one room, that's better than nothing. If you can afford a couple of small (meaning not a whole-house) humidifier so you could have one per room (the rooms used most often), that would help even more.
Cold air = dry air, and then add the heating from a furnace (whatever kind of heating you have), and it's basically heated dry air. I think everyone's feeling it. I finally caved and turned on the one in my living area. It's loud, and it turns into a battle where it cools the air as it adds moisture, which makes the furnace kick on more often, which heats/dries the air even more . . . but, my sinuses and nose just couldn't take it anymore. Sorry, didn't mean to digress . . .
Definitely get a humidifier. If you're going to be in the kitchen for a while, e.g. prepping pet meals, boil some water. That can add moisture to the air, too. Just be sure to turn it off when you're done in the kitchen.
Dee, I consider you our "dog expert" -- would it be ok for Bandit to skip the baths until the weather warms/moistens up? Dad had hunting dogs, and they never got baths unless they rolled in another animal's . . . waste
, so I don't really know how often dogs should be bathed and was just curious.