what do you do

what do you do with your dogs in nice 0 degrees winter weather.

I'd buy him a doggie coat or sweater and even booties (melting salt can harm the pads of their feet) and still give him walks. Dogs adapt to cold weather. Now, the better question would be whether or not WE could adapt to the freezing cold walking them! LOL

I bought coats but I can't get my dogs to wear boots....They hate them.

I found some open areas to walk my dogs to avoid salt but the deep snow makes their feet get cold and we usually cut the walks short (just more short walks instead of fewer long walks)

But when I got Amstaffs I knew I wasn't going to have winter warriors...lol (not much hair)

that what I think. Can we adapt to the freezing cold walking them

Yes we can. I still hike my dogs in the dead cold of winter, even a blizzard won't stop us I found working at a dog kennel for years has made me resistant to the cold. I think many people who work outside adapt better to the seasons. I am outside cleaning in the worst of weather and walking dogs at the kennel outdoors...then coming home to hike my dogs.

It's a lot harder to adapt to the cold if you work indoors. What I used to do when I worked at the Vet clinic is hike consistantly...that way your body gets used to the changing season. It's also great on my heating bill as I keep my home slightly on the cool side...just enough to keep the pipes from freezing.

I even take my dogs out in -35 celius weather...
My Dobe keeps warm on our hikes because he is constantly sprinting and running on our hikes...he never stops. I am fortunate I have 16 acres and plenty of hiking trails in my back woods. My Newf's and Rottie...all my dogs past and present love winter time.

With any dogs that have fur growing between their pads, I trim and shave this right out so they won't collect snow balls.

I still walk them. If it's really, really cold I don't walk them, I give them a good hard play session instead. Colby has short fur so she has to wear a coat when she takes walks in the winter.

I don't trim the hair on the feet in the winter....

if my dog doesnt have an undercoat this year boy he wil have one for sure next year! I try to get him out and get him excercised in the cold. Since it is snowing tonight, I am going to have to crate him in the garage. Normally he would sleep outside (he prefers cold over warmth, dont ask me...) Hopefully after I move I'll be able to have a heat lamp out there for when drops off to the 20s and teens.

But I do keep hay in his house for warmth and it also as a piece of carpet on the doorway to keep out the wind. One day when it got into the 30s, I tested the temp inside the dog house it was approx. 45 degrees.

-Dixie

oakley seems to love cold too...so he is gonna force us to adapt to the cold (you would think living in MI would have already done that...)

he is just like OOOH SNOW...outside i must GO!!!!

but yeah, we got him booties...there is always a lot of salt around me...and i dont want his footsies to get hurt!

Riot LOVES winter time Hes getting in a really nice thick coat now, so he'd rather be outside then inside.. lol He wasn't too fond of the summer.

Spring will be hell.. lol too many puddles and mud to play in for him lmao!!

We've had consistant snow now and it hasn't stopped me once from getting in a nice hour long walk/jog with Riot at the conservation area.

My girls love the snow. They run around like nutballs and love it when I throw snowballs at them. Tippy has to have her paw fur clipped or she gets a bunch of ice balls stuck in her fur.

Zeus is an absolute wimp when it comes to cold, probably because he has no thick fur or body fat to speak of. Cold weather means I snuggle on the couch with my blankie, and he snuggles with his blankie on the floor next to me.

Well as you can see from Nalla she has NO hair, hehehehe she is bald almost, Izzy being a husky has a nice fur coat. I let them play out during the day but at night they have their kennels inside.

One word for my pup-- DOGPARK!!!!



One word for me-- Layers. As in layers and layers of cloths.

Dixie...can't your baby come inside with you ??

I have got beautiful warm fur coats for my dog, which they love to wear in winters. Infact, they wait for winters lol, they really jump with joy seeing those cozy coats. And during freezing cold nights I would take my dog to the especially constructed warm bed for him.

LOL, Sadie is the same way. Whether its freezing cold, snowing or raining, I'll open the back door to let her out and she will stick her head out the doggie door for a few seconds then turn around and look at me as if to say "Hell no!" and walk away. Sometimes I have to carry her outside. Nora, on the otherhand, could care less. She loves the snow.

We did this....



Teddy acts all tough, but he really is a wussy.

How cute Puckstop

Rocky hates the winters and much prefers to lay in front of the fireplace on really cold nights (like last night below zero)

The beagles on the other hand love the winter and when it starts to snow they know it is time to hunt YAAAHOOOO

I buy chewies so she has something to do which doesn't involve my going back out into the winter night. Weekends we go hiking but I really hate going outside in the dark and wind and cold after working all day. When the guilt gets to me, we train inside, play games (find the hidden food is popular) or I put her outside (fenced yard, on a tie-out) for some air. Poor dog, her agility course is about to be buried again, nor'easter due tomorrow. Blegghh.