Skipping dog walk in the cold

[Pawtucketbrew]

It's about 2 degrees here with frost on the ground. I have a small shorthaired dog breed (chihuahua x) who seems to want to spend her days lying under my duvet. I could take her for a walk now and I don't mind braving the cold but honestly she seems just as happy skipping her walks.

She's been out in the garden twice for wees and poos. She does have a coat but she's shivering just from doing her business in the garden.

Anyone else skipping walks for their little ones at the moment or should I force her out in the brisk weather 😅

@thelobsterquadrille I'm glad zoomies in frost is normal as DH had me feeling really bad! She normally gets zoomies when wet so I guess it's similar

Honestly don't feel bad! My beagle goes absolutely nuts in the frost - it's like he's so excited he doesn't know what to do with himself

It's also the reason he's banned from being off the lead at this time of year as the frost seems to stop his ears working too 🙈

Haha if I didn't let her off lead I'd have been skidding dragged through the frost too! She's been for walk this evening and seemed to know it was slippery as walked nicely on lead and I will take her for an offlead zoomie time tomorrow!

My labrador/ golden retriever is loving the cold and ice. Favourite new activity is scratching ice on frozen puddles, ponds trying to crack it then running around with wedges of it in her mouth.

I saw a very useful table somewhere about different dog sizes and heat and cold. Basically bigger dogs do better in the cold than small breeds. Once it gets to minus 9 no dogs should be out.

Just to add when I say ponds I mean about ankle deep big pools of water! Not going to risk her falling through ice!

Top tips for winter walks
Dogs Trust

Tip one: If it’s snowing, keep your dog on a lead

There may be deep patches or holes, or the snow may cover areas that aren’t safe. Keep your dog on a lead to protect and prevent them from falling and hurting themselves.

Tip two: Make sure your dog is wearing a collar and an ID tag and is microchipped

It's important to ensure your microchipping database is up to date with your address and contact details.

Tip three: Wipe after walkies

Make sure you wipe your dog’s legs, feet and stomach after a walk, as grit from the roads and dampness from rain or snow can irritate their skin.

Tip four: Never leave your dog in the car

Whether it's a hot or cold day outside, leaving your dog in a car is very dangerous and should never be an option.

Tip five: Don’t let your dog walk on frozen ponds

The ice may not be thick enough to take their weight. If your dog does fall through the ice never be tempted to go in after them. If possible, encourage them to swim back to you and call the emergency services.

Tip six: Avoid antifreeze

Antifreeze is highly poisonous but tasty to dogs. Make sure you always keep antifreeze and other chemicals well out of reach and be sure to quickly mop up any spills.

Tip seven: Safety first

Your own safety is important too. Make sure that you are dressed appropriately for the weather with a suitable coat and shoes. Make sure you're as visible as your dog is.

Tip eight: Regularly check your dog's leads, collars and harnesses

Make sure they’re all functioning safely and won’t get damaged by winter weather, as wet weather can cause metal clips to rust.

It can be trickier to do up lead clips and carabiners and attach them to collars and harnesses when it's cold, so do this indoors if you can.

Mine loves it and has spent the day running round in it, lying in it and chewing chunks of ice, eating DD's snowman, and generally being a nutcase. My last dog wasn't quite so keen. Like pp have said, just go with what your dog is telling you.

Mine has had a run around the snow in the garden and chased snowballs then I showered her paws off as she had chunks of snow stuck in her fur. She's back asleep under blanket now!

My old boy refused to walk in the cold, he did have a quick venture outside in the snow then straight back to bed (my bed)

Mine is wildly excited by the snow and 99% of our walks are off lead and he never stops running so I’m not worried about him getting cold so we’re walking as normal. The only thing I have stopped him doing this week is swimming as I do worry he’d get too cold, he would happily dive in if I let him though 🙄

DDog spent 90 minutes sprinting round in big circles the park... biting chunks of snow, doing lots of play bows...

Now curled up tightly on the sofa with her nose tucked under her tail for warmth!

I have a Dalmatian. Hates the rain can just about tolerate cold. Half an hour of belting round a snowy field is enough in this sort of weather though then he goes and sits by the gate to go home

No dogs should be out under -9 tell that to the search and rescue dogs out in Snowdonia last night searching for human numpties. Wind chill factor about -11

You should say "walkies" and see her reaction my dogs don't really like the cold but they do get bored in the house so they were up for it today we have been out twice just short walks

I have elderly 2 dogs who, despite having a sizeable garden for first and last "business" are seemingly hot wired for a walk in the morning. But these extreme icy temperatures are beyond my limits and so I have not walked them since Sunday. They cannot quite understand and are giving me hell but my reasoning is to keep us all safe so, as any " parent" I have taken a decision. Until this ice snap passes I will stay off the roads and pavements and just keep us indoors. Lessen chances of slips, trips, spills and falls. Maybe sounds pathetic to some but I believe in Prevention rather than Cure.

Can someone send my 2 spanners the memo about not walking in the cold We've carried on as normal but they've had paw/leg washes in warm water as soon as we get in and fleeces on until they're warmed up.

Ah @DivaDroid he's sooo beautiful! 😍

Our two don't want to go out. We are not making them. We have a big garden that they usually run around in between walks but currently they are by the fire, asleep. I wouldn't dream of taking them out. They'd hate it.

Long haired border collie, ex farm dog , she doesn't really understand the concept of cold. Just been for an off lead run in the woods she was absolutely manic, enjoying the snow, she has finally worked out lying in front of the fire afterwards is quite nice. She used to be very suspicious of it.

Miniature dachshund here - she’s having none of it. You take her on a walk she stops dead and reuses to walk any further. She can get out through the cat flap and has a regular mooch sniff around the garden. but a walk? Steady on!!

however, back when it was 40 odd degrees, couldn’t get out the back door fast enough to lie in the garden in full midday sun. She clearly missed the memo about keep your dog cool 😬

i’ve been avoiding walks with five month old lab pup. Live in deepest, darkest kent, and we had 20cm of snow on Sunday so everywhere is icy and slippery outside. I hate walking on it at the best of times, and I know the pup would pull me over.

However, we haven’t been neglecting his exercise. Ds has taken him,out. Also, he’s been having fun in the garden outside, plus we’ve been playing ‘chase’ inside. Good exercise for me as well as him.

I saw a lady in Cheltenham yesterday with her tiny dog well wrapped up in a CNN pushchair. The tiny dog was looking at everything and clearly enjoying the outing.

I'm somewhere cold, but not icy. My JRT went on strike yesterday. I took him and his JRTxBeagle sister out for a walk and he weed, pooed and then immediately demanded to be taken back inside.

JRTxBeagle refused to poo on the grounds that it was too cold, and she refuses to dog under those conditions 🙄.

I have a little jrt x chihuahua and he refuses to go out in cold or wet weather. He literally digs his heels in and refuses to step over the threshold then gives me a look before running back to the sofa.

Mine does this, bakes himself all day on the hottest spot of the patio .

My young greyhound has a day off walks (at least) a week as he needs to decompress.

@DivaDroid weirdly he loves frost and snow and walks a million times better (and further )! On a normal day it’ll take him about 5 minutes of persuasion before he’ll start off! We had a lovely walk in the snow yesterday . Today it’s slush and I’m fully expecting a stand off again.