Are you walking your dogs in this weather?

[loveawineloveacrisp]

Just that, really. We have lots of snow and it's due to get colder. He didn't get walked yesterday. Seems perfectly happy but I feel bad. Has access to garden for toilet, obviously.

What about the list of dogs that shouldn’t be walked in cold weather? As for your comments about it being perfectly safe. You are just being patronising and a bit obnoxious to other posters.

I've been out with my eight year old retriever this week when it was -6. Feel bad now. She had her coat on then and this morning when it was -3 she rolled in the garden on the frost and snow without her coat on and looked so happy. So I'm thinking she probably was okay.

It's a useful chart, thank you.

@2025willbemytime I'm sure she'll be fine, you did what you thought was best.

Thank you.

My pup's been lying outside every day, she's loving it! But she is better suited to it than most dogs.

I think that chart is way too simplistic. A large greyhound is going to have a totally different cold tolerance to a large golden retriever.

-5/-6 is when I start to think about the weather for my labs. They'll still get walked but I'll limit the time. Above that I don't really consider the temperature too much beyond perhaps putting a coat on if they're damp after a walk (they'll still choose to paddle if they find water that's not iced over!). If I had other breeds, or even the same breed who obviously wasn't enjoying it I'd do things differently.

I agree, it's misleading. A Husky or Samoyed isn't huge but will obviously cope with cold way better than many other breeds. Our Pyrenean is better equipped for cold than an equivalent sized short-haired breed would be.
I think you need to use your common sense just as you're doing with your Labs, rather than relying on a chart.
We've always let our dogs lie out in the snow, but it's their choice - it's a hardy breed and when they want to come in they will let us know. Obviously if current pup (9 months) was a tiny whippet we'd need to be more concerned about her getting cold.

Ah don't worry about it. All dogs are different.

DDog1 is 12 and has been in the snow since Thursday, refusing to come inside and just 'splooting' all day every day. She loves it and last night I had to go outside and collect her and entice her back in with some steak. DDog3 has gone outside, piddled and pooed and then raced back inside like a thousand Goldie puppies were chasing her. This morning I had to nudge her out the back door with my knee against her bum as she was refusing to go out and I knew she needed to.

As long as your dog looks happy, volunteers to be out there (I.e. you don't have to drag them) and isn't in pain - remember to check her paws afterwards for snow balls - then carry on!

I agree with those saying that chart isn't especially useful. It's okay as a guide, but, as has been said, there's a huge difference between a greyhound and a golden, even though they're both large dogs. Similarly a small adult whippet is going to feel the cold much more than a puppy Bernese, for example.

As a dog walker I generally start to watch the temperature once it gets to -3. That doesn't mean stopping walks, but I do shorten slightly. I have some dogs I won't take out below freezing for various reasons though.

Thank you to all the posters who have said more about the chart. I still took her out today in -5 as she had her coat on and wanted to go. She is in and out all evening too and I've seen her more than once not only rolling around in the frost and snow - minus her coat - as well as just laying down in it. I've never seen her shiver so I am assuming if I do she's in trouble.

Thanks again. Well carry on and I'll trust myself a bit more

One sprocker and one working cocker.. walked twice a day, sometimes three... 2-3 hours early morning, mostly woodland and fields and half to one hour late afternoon and or evening everyday regardless of weather unless it's too hot. The sprocker prefers the cold, in fact asks to go out, just to lay down in the cold! The wcs prefers the warmer weather and will choose the warmest or sunniest spot but doesn't seem to mind the cold either.

Trust yourself. My Lab loves to go out in any weather (typically for that breed but I agree others may not like extreme cold weather). He’s a guide dog in training and they tell us not to use jackets and he certainly doesn’t seem to need one.

We've been out this morning with coat and it was - 6. I was desperate too leave as I was too cold as forgot my thermals but she wanted to stay. Of course we did one more circuit then she was happy to leave. This afternoon we went without her coat as I'd washed it but it was 2 degrees. She was fine then too and has just gone out to roll around in the snow and frost and it is currently 1 degree. I think she is fine!

It just depends on your dog and its preference I think..... i took mine out when it was snowing and was worried people would judge me for it 😅 hes a German shepherd cross labrador and thoroughly enjoyed giving himself snow baths

I have a Lab who seems to love all kinds of weather.

More to the point, he would probably destroy the house if he didn't get his walks!

My ddog is no longer with us but he loved the snow, deeper the better. He had a thick coat and I did have a jacket for him too in sub zero