What kind of weather can dogs handle?

[Toby's my baby]

This might sound absolutly horrifying to you all, but right now it is like 6 degrees farenheit, and my dogs stay outside all the time. And none of my dogs have that long of hair. They all have dog houses the people could live in ( they have insulation and windows and everything, VERY warm) but even so, some PTers probably disagree a lot with this, but my dogs have lived outside there whole lives. Boo boo has for 13 years, and at night it averages about -5 F.

[Uabassoon]

We don't really have to worry about winter here. Our winter don't get very cold, at the lowest we might get to around 30 degrees (-1 C) but that's only at night. However Payson is a wimp and he stands outside and shakes when we take him out, so we finally got him a jacket.



Summers here are horrible so we have to be really careful, we get temps of 115+ (46 C).

[K9soul]

I really feel it has a lot to do with acclimation and what the dog is used to. It's the same with people really. 35-40 degrees would feel awful cold to someone who was used to deep south temperatures, but it feels like a balmy day to me in the winter. Tommy and Tasha live in the house, if they go out and it is -10 F or colder they pick up their feet and Tasha trembles and they want to come in quickly. But if they were outside all the time they'd be more acclimated and handle it easier, at least Tommy would, not so sure about Tash . I think Zero will be fine in about any weather you'd have though, Akitas generally have thick wooly coats and enjoy the cool weather .

As others have mentioned, I'd worry more about heat in the summer. Overheating is definitely more of a risk for him than getting too cold.

[cali]

its gets to around -50*C over here and most of my dogs have short coats lol they do get cold at around -30 and start listing their paws, but 0*F is not cold at all, an akita should not have any problem at all.

[tz1]

Yea i was just making sure. akitas have double coats, and he is very furry so I think he likes the cold just fine.

I am sorry but 0 F is very cold. You can't just walk around in regular clothes. You gotta get your parkas on!! I mean you gotta get bundled up for that kind of temperature because it's just dangerous! I went snowboarding yesterday and it was like 5 degrees F and I was dying from the cold!!! I am talking layers of pants and long sleeved shirts and sweatshirts!!!!

[Vette]

Im not recomending this.. but our neighbors kept their dogs outside in pens all the time.. and it gets rather cold here during the winter. but their dogs never sufferd any ill causes from it.

dogs do much better then we give credit for out in the elements.
but again,, im not recomending this,, nor do i think its the right thing to do..
i think dogs should be as part as the family and 'with you' not stuck outside.

[CagneyDog]

its gets to around -50*C over here

With windchill I'm assuming? Where the heck do you live?

[cali]

canadian prairies lol my city was the coldest place on earth last winter people around here are proud of that fact the movie "just friends" was filmed in my city last winter, I read an artical in the paper, some of the acters stepped off the plane were shocked to say the least, the cameras had to be wrapped in quilts

[Alysser]

Sassy would never be able to handle such freezing tempertures like that. She has very short hair now becuase she got her haircut. But we only take her out for walks in spring and early-mid fall. Also summer. Not winter though. To cold! Even with her coat on. In mid fall we use the coat! Sometimes even in spring!

[Cuddles]

http://www.hsus.org/video_clips/page...temID=27260098

I would suggest to view this video from the Humane Society of the United States.

[anna_66]

I have to say my three love the cold weather much more than they do the warm. Now it usually doesn't get below zero much here, but they seem just as happy outside when it's 30 or when it's 0. They do have a doghouse but most of the time refuse to go in it (Roxey would much rather sleep on top of it ). It's not unusual for them to be out for hours at a time in the cold...because they want to be. If they want in all they have to do is ask (scratch on the door or bark).
They expecially love it this year because we have quite a bit of snow on the ground, they play like crazy

Of course I do have a husky and a chow, but Bon must be warm blooded because he stays right out there with the girls! I have noticed that they've been eating quite a bit more since they stay out so long.

So I think as long as he's used to it and wants to be out in it there not a thing wrong with letting him be out as much as he wants!

[ontariogreys]

That will vary based on the individual dog, breed, type of coat, age of the dog, their health and even their diet.

Dogs with longer double coats and good levels of body fat are better at handle a wider extreme of temperatures both hot and cold, since their coat and fat levels act as an insulator, even in high temperatures that insulation helps to keep their core body temps cooler,

If you have a dog with low body fat and thin coat the weather extremes there can handle is much less than the group above. during the hurricanes in the southerns where many people lost power and could not run AC or were trapped in the long traffic tie ups ended up losing their greyhounds to the heat. If I am going to outdoor events with my greyhounds on hot summer days where I won't have indoor shelter for the dogs to cool down in then I have to carry bottles of water some frozen to either pour over them to cool them down or put beside them when they are laying down to help keep them from overheating, my american eskimo though she is older can tolerate the heat better than them and does not need the water soaking.

Dogs that are ill or hyperthyroid will have a harder time with temperature extremes.

As dogs age you will often see reduced ability to handle extremes in temps

Diet, for dogs that spend a fair bit of time out of doors, they will burn off fat faster, so should be fed a higher percentage of fat during cold weather, or fed slightly more,

Windchills and humidity can also be a determining factor on how longer the dog is comfortable outdoor

As for feet, it is not so much the cold and snow that causes a problem but salt. My dogs will get frozen feet at temps below -30 C can handle -10 not problem in the backyard, but walk them on the where is just below freezing where sidewalks and roads are salted and they are holding up the feet crying

[dogzr#1]

Can't help you much. we don't go below freezing here. the dogs seem to enjoy it when it is cold though.

[cali]

lol like glacier said 0F is around -18*C which to me, is warm enugh for light pants and tang top lol just toss on a light sweater to go outside lol thats the kind of weather our snow MELTS in lol