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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

Does the cold bother your dog?

28 replies

PlateOfBiscuits · 20/11/2018 10:55

We’re getting a puppy soon and I’m concerned that the weather is going to get in the way of toilet training.

Basically, I’m worried he will get too cold and not want to bother, and that he’ll develop negative connotations with toilet training.... Am I overthinking this? 😂

OP posts:

pumpkinpie01 · 20/11/2018 10:59

I have a labrador collie cross and she has never had a coat, my DH firmly believes thats why they have fur !

NewYoiker · 20/11/2018 11:02

What kind of dog? Whippet absolutely get a coat.. Newfoundland? No.. our Heinz doesn't mind the cold but the rain is completely different. He'll pester and pester to go out and then when the door is open and he sees the rain he's like ha no!

Soubriquet · 20/11/2018 11:05

Urm...yes and no

I have two chihuahuas, and they will spend the majority of their time in front of the fire and snuggled up in blankets. They hate being cold

Saying that, they love going outside for walks too. The littlest one refuses to wear a coat so she keeps herself warm by zooming.

They will go out and go to the toilet maybe have a bit of zoomies in the garden but will come straight back in to snuggle and get warm

SilverbytheSea · 20/11/2018 11:11

Depends on the type of dog, out whippet is a diva and is a pain to get out in the cold and rain (we are west coast of Scotland so it rains a lot!) so would definetly recommend a fleecey coat and a waterproof coat if you have a whippet!
My brothers spaniel on the other hand doesn’t give a toss about the weather 😂

Original poster

PlateOfBiscuits · 20/11/2018 11:11

A dachshund. We’ll definitely get him a coat for walks.

It was more the popping into the garden every couple of hours to toilet train I was worried about.

The puppy book I’m currently reading has a picture of an owner completely wrapped up (hat, scarf, massive coat, umbrella) waiting for her puppy in the garden. I looked at that and suddenly thought ‘what about the puppy in the depths of winter!?’

OP posts:

BiteyShark · 20/11/2018 11:11

I have a cocker spaniel and the weather does both him as he always turns round if it's pouring with rain.

However, when he was a puppy the hardest thing about the weather was for me as you need to be outside with them all the time so you can praise them when they toilet (despite what some people tell you toilet training can take many weeks).

BiteyShark · 20/11/2018 11:14

Just seen your update. Yes that was me in the garden in -4 degrees huddled up thinking what the hell have I done.

Shall I tell you the good parts of doing toilet training in the winter? It's the fact that by summer they are over the painful puppy months when all they want to do is eat everything in the garden including stones. In summer you can both relax outside and actually enjoy it in the sun

CMOTDibbler · 20/11/2018 11:17

The puppies are generally a lot less worried about being in the garden as they potter about thinking about a wee than I am at 1am (3am, 5am....). Having a warm and waterproof coat you can put on very quickly is a total must, and bonus points for something you can pull on as you leap from bed as it makes getting back to sleep easier if you don't get cold

Peachydream · 20/11/2018 11:20

Whippet owner here- so yes, she has a jumper on for going out for a wee. Literally has to be dragged out & then she will do the quickest splash & dash you have ever seen.

However, family members have different Terrier breeds and they really are not bothered.

Original poster

PlateOfBiscuits · 20/11/2018 11:32

Thanks so much for the advice everyone. The idea of relaxing more come Summer does sound nice BiteyShark!

OP posts:

BassAce · 20/11/2018 11:35

I got my dachshund puppies in December last year.i won't lie, the 3am wee breaks were painful, but I think 3am is painful whatever the weather! What I did find great was as a previous poster has said... By the time you've got your dog fully vaccinated, trained, and they are old enough to go out for 'proper' walks (it's only 5mins per month of age in the early days), then you can really enjoy a good long walk in the sunshine.
Dachshunds are renowned for hating the wet weather, so mine is reluctant now to go out for a long walk in the rain... But that's perfect because it counterbalances his naughty teenager phase of running off, zero recall and not listening to me!! We actually get a much better behaved walk in the rain as they sort of sulk their way round 😂😂😂

Also... I found cold weather taught my puppies to be quick. There's now no dallying about when it comes to last bedtime wee... They learnt from day one to dash out, do what was necessary and get back in as quickly as possible. I'd say it's an ideal time of year to do it!

adaline · 20/11/2018 12:43

I have a wimp Beagle who hates the cold and rain unless he has his coat on. We got a fleece-lined, waterproof one that he wears in winter otherwise he just shivers and refuses to move!

pigsDOfly · 20/11/2018 13:25

I think the breed can make a huge difference to their attitude to the cold: greyhound needs a warm coat, huskie most definitely doesn't.

My dog is small and well coated and will not wear a coat of any kind under any circumstances, and given that she was out in the garden at around 12.30 last night in a bitter biting wind having a wonderful time and refusing to come indoors I suspect she doesn't need to.

Having said that, some dogs can find a strong wind whistling around them quite scary regardless of breed.

Baxdream · 20/11/2018 14:12

My dog came back in shivering this morning 😬 he's a Lhasa apso.
We got him in the winter but I don't think his toilet training was delayed by the weather. I definitely used to go out with him to make sure he went.
It's so much easier in the summer when the doors are open though!

BluthsFrozenBananas · 20/11/2018 14:28

I have a Pomeranian, she’s approximately 50% thick, fluffy fur and doesn’t seem to feel the cold or rain, she’ll happily play in the garden all winter. She also hates wearing anything other than her harness so no chance of getting her into a coat or jumper.

We got her last November so I feel your pain around toilet training. As pps have said, once the spring comes and they’re ready for proper walks its glorious to be out with your dog.

Keep a coat, wellies or similar and a torch by the back door ready at all times. Also if you can block off a section of your garden to start with it makes life a bit easier. There’s nothing like chasing an overexcited puppy around the flower beds at 3am in the rain trying to get them back in.

wheelwarrior · 21/11/2018 02:45

Nope but is a lab so out all weathers .But it did bother me in winter hanging round outside in freezing cold.We did need to scrape the snow of grass when was a puppy
But will happily pee/poo on it now

wheelwarrior · 21/11/2018 02:47

I used to sleep in onsie saved time for those night time trips

OrcinusOrca · 21/11/2018 04:18

My small breed pretends she doesn't need to go when it's cold or wet then goes in the house, absolute swine she is. She'll even trot outside and then trot back in like 'well I've been out...' but she does all she can to refuse to go.

LegoandiPads · 21/11/2018 12:02

I found the house training in the snow really focused the dogs mind on the task in hand. You ain’t going back in until you are empty. (Though was not fun as the human).

mrsjoyfulprizeforraffiawork · 21/11/2018 13:31

My Staffie seems to be fairly impervious to the cold BUT she hates the rain so she gets to wear a coat if it is raining or, as soon as we exit the door, she will be doing the fastest U-turn ever seen and back through the door before I can shut it. With a coat, she will consent to venture out in it. I would get most dogs a coat for really cold days BUT I used to have a large collie/cross mix who had a "double fur coat" and she never had one - so, any dog with that sort of coat doesn't need one.

Hoppinggreen · 21/11/2018 13:34

Golden Retriever owner here, colder and wetter the better as far as he is concerned. Especially loves snow

pigsDOfly · 21/11/2018 13:53

Some dogs just don't notice weather. I remember being in the park a while ago when it started to rain, not just rain but it was as if the gods were emptying buckets of water from the sky.

Fortunately, I happened to have the car with me that day so we retreated to the car and waited a bit to see if it was likely to ease off.

Meanwhile I watched a poor woman - a regular in the park - with her spaniel - not sure which type - as she stood getting wetter and wetter while she threw a ball for this soaking wet oblivious dog who was clearly having a wonderful time.

I drove off in the end as it was clearly set for the day, they were still there, both soaking wet. Lovely to see a dog so happy though.

almondsareforevermore · 21/11/2018 20:41

Housetraining a little pup in frost, rain and snow must be terrible. That’s why we have got all of ours in early summer.

Original poster

PlateOfBiscuits · 22/11/2018 07:49

Don’t say that almond! I’m gearing myself up for the ‘everything's going to be fine’ frame of mind.

OP posts:

QOD · 22/11/2018 07:53

Our chihuahua has. Wee’d. On. Every. Bed.

Grrrr

She no longer has free roam of the house. She wee’s on command if taken outside but was casually wandering off upstairs to ‘see dd’ and then we found enormous wee’s on beds
We’re obviously a bit slow as she’s done it 7 times now

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