Is -5 too cold for a dog walk?

[NinetyNineRedBalloonsGoByAgain]

9 year old spaniel.

Some arthritis but not flaring atm.

He loves his walks and will be sad to not go … but it will be -5 where I am tomorrow. Wind chill factor takes it to -7. I can’t go any other time so it’s -5 or not at all. I don’t have a coat for him as he tears them off as soon as they’re on!

WWYD?

My dog has an arthritic leg/shoulder problem which doesn’t do well in extreme cold

I vote no.

Too cold for mine ( jack russell) ….even with a coat

I think his paws might get frostbite - people always go on about hot pavements, but cold ones can also hurt.

My dog's physiotherapist says wet and damp days are bad for arthritis and cold, crisp days are actually better.
Four year old spaniel. Luxating patella and arthritis in one hind leg.
I did put a suit on her today to try to keep her warm, as we walked in an open field and much of the walk was on lead. If we walk in the woods, she doesn't wear one, as she runs enough to keep herself warm.

@NinetyNineRedBalloonsGoByAgain i was out in -5 this morning at 0630 with my nearly 12 year old Rottweiler who refuses to wear the Barbour jacket she's had for years. She loved it and has then been in and out the garden and basement all day playing with her Kong. Where as my 3 year old Rottweiler he looked at me and didn't want to go out.

My boy won’t poop in the garden, so he gets a coat (two this morning at 6am) put on him and off we trudge (it’s literally once he’s had a sh!t we turn around and head home

The attached from Pet Plan suggests it is too cold to walk them.

We have a very energetic spaniel, she will need a brief stroll because she doesn't like to poo in the garden. I will probably attached socks somehow to protect her paws and she will have a jumper on as she was clipped recently so her coat is shorter and thinner than usual.

Mines been out lots but she doesn't have arthritis. Walks have definitely been a lot shorter though because I worry about her paws.

@Isit2026yet My 10.5 year old foster dog has spent more time in the garden in the last two days than she has for the rest of the year combined. 😂

Surely your ddog will let you know one way or another. My ddog won't wear a coat but still wants to walk no matter what the weather. He's only ever turned back from a walk once and that was when some puddles were almost up to his neck.

I was also wondering this. 10yo greyhound, loves his 2 daily walks but we live in the Peak District and temps aren’t getting much above -2 here.. I can walk him on my lunch break when it’s ‘warmer’ but as mentioned, it hasn’t gone above -2 today! I adopted him last May so this is our first winter together and temps have been fairly mild until this week! He does have a fleece and a jacket.

Has any managed to get their dog used to the little booties I see advertised? I can't imagine her not very delicately taking them off.

@SpanielsGalore some dogs love the cold. Saying that our older one loves the heat as well. She’d happily sun bathe for hours in the summer outside if we let her. So much so every morning we find her sun worshiping in my husbands office (gets the morning sun). Our younger one complete opposite he hates the heat and hates the extreme cold. He's happiest 8-18 degrees.

Spaniels are bred to be working dogs, they are double coated to regulate climate conditions, we have a 7 year old border collie who would drive us mad if he didn’t get 2 long walks a day. I let him out in the garden and he just lays on the very cold patio, so I have to call him in, he hates being inside unless he’s sleeping. I did put a coat on him today, but he shook so much he got it off. I’ve got some boots which he has worn when he had an infected paw pad, so if we get a lot of snow I may try and put these on.

I take the lead from mine - he will get a walk in all weathers (apart from high temperatures) and is very good at letting me know when he wants to go home. He loves cold, crisp days - lots of smells at ground level and frost or snow to roll in.

It obviously depends on lots of things.
I have a big dog with a thickish coat.
He LOVES this weather.
In fact we did the longest walk I have done in a while today, because it was so beautiful. (dh takes him on longer walks that me)
He just loves being out in this weather. He has pretty tough paw pads, and doesn't seem nothered by the cold.

Our previous dog was a springer spaniel and also loved frosty and snowy weather.

Thank you all that’s very helpful.

As a lot of you say his arthritis seems better in the cold dry days than the wet ones.

I think we’ll give it a go but the minute he seems less than his usually crazily happy self we’ll turn back.

My dog really feels the cold. Some kind of Maltese/terrier cross, single thin coat, shivers a lot but was still desperate to go out twice today although basically wears a fleece constantly in winter.

We took our spaniel for his usual walks at -5c this morning, again at lunch when it was about 0c and again this evening around -2c. There was a thin layer of frozen snow on the ground. He is a typical spaniel and is very active when out, keeps moving and running. He shows no signs of being affected by the cold and doesn’t wear a coat or boots. They have fur to help with weather like this and similar to humans on a run, keep moving fast and they will stay warm.
I guess the main thing to consider is whether the arthritis will prevent him from keeping moving lots, if it does just return home.
I’d take him, they get so much joy from being out walking and many dogs don’t care or are affected by what the weather is doing!

My 12 year old springer loved his walk at -6C this morning.

Not even considered this! I’m from a country where it’s regularly around -10 to -15 in winter. Our dog always got walks, I would definitely told us if he was too cold. He refused to walk when it rained 😂

Mine’s mostly been having short round the block walks so he can have a poo but he’s a lurcher with a useless wiry coat and not an ounce of fat anywhere. He is miserable when he’s cold.

Any double coated working type dog should be absolutely fine.

Generally a spaniel will be fine in these temperatures for a walk. Off lead running about the dog will be warm.

I am conscious of warming my dogs before letting them run around madly until they are warmed up just like us going for a run.

If they are doing a slow ploddy on lead walk around the block they may need a coat.

13 y/o Collie cross here - goes out 2/3 times a day in all weathers she used to live the snow when she was younger