Cold Winters (boots? coat?)

[Sara & Trix]

Hello!

I live in Winnipeg, Manitoba (in Canada) and it gets very cold here.  Already this weekend, we will hit the -30 mark with the windchill.  This is Trix's first winter and we've only had a little snow so far, but she goes nuts in it!  Having lived here my whole life, I'm used to the cold and anticipate walking her twice a day on the days she dosen't go to daycare.  

I've never had a dog before, so I guess I'm just afraid of missing any signs that she is getting too cold and then have her suffer (frozen paws or ears are my biggest concern).

My preference would be to not have to put a coat or boots on Trix.  I've crocheted her a simple black sweater if need be (but I prefer my doodle naked). 

Do dogs show signs when they are too cold? 

She's a very lean 30lbs and her coat was just cut to about 1 inch (in case that matters!)

Thanks!

 

  

[Arron (Shadow)]

I'm from Saskatoon and aren't those cold days wonderful?! It was -26C with the windchill for our morning walk today.  Dogs do show signs they are too cold much like us.  Just pay attention to her and you'll know.  Dogs will shiver and they will act cold but the biggest problem we find is the snow balling up in the feet.  It gets uncomfortable for them to walk with large ice balls between their toes or their pads and they will start lifting their feet and walking gingerly.  Just get the balls out and you are good to go.  If you don't like boots you can use a paw balm, something like Musher's Secret as it prevents ice buildup and helps protect their feet.

This is our first doodle but I have plenty of experience with other dogs in the snow.  A 1" cut might be a little short for real long walks but Shadow is about 1" right now and she absolutely loves the snow.  She asks to go out just so she can play and roll in it.  She will go outside just to lay in the snow for a 1/2 hour or more before she asks to come back inside.

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

I live in Ontario (Ottawa area) and Luna does fine in the cold temperatures.  In fact, she LOVES the snow and will "snorkel" in a fresh snowfall (she shoves her nose in it and walks forward, tunneling through it).

 

I would say the biggest thing is to make sure the paws are neatly trimmed and you watch for snow balling up in there, because it will get very cold and could give the pup frostbite.  Luna was born in August last year, so she was only a few months old when Winter hit and she was fine.  We took her for 30-45 min walks in the ice and snow with few issues.  If it seems like the pup's paws are getting cold (she's picking up her feet a lot or gnawing at them) then pick her up, pick the snow out of the paw pads and warm her feet a bit.

 

 

[Elizabeth, Bailey & Bruin]

OK, I live in Florida and can not even fathom minus degree weather or even walking in it LOL... I'd have that pup in snowboots, hat, gloves, parka, butt warmers, portable heaters...oh wait that's me ; )

 

Enjoy your winter...bbrrrrrrr

[Sara & Trix]

I can see it now...

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

I agree, you can use the pad cream and if she seems cold then a jacket for a walk would be ok. People woud understand! She can still be a naked doodle when it's warmer. That's might cold!!!

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

wow Sara, you are MUCH tougher than I am.  I live near Chicago and I hate winter.  We had weather here this week that was in the upper 30's and I had to force myself to go outside and walk the dogs.  When we actually get into winter I usually beg my DH to take Cubbie for a walk.  Last winter we only had 1 dog so it was no big deal.  I just hope that I can convince him to take dog walking duty again this winter even if it means walking 2 dogs now!

[Sara & Trix]

I know - it's a little weird that I like winter.  But bundling up and walking in the crisp air makes me happy!  I always have to force myself at first, but I'm always glad I go once I'm out there. 

There will of course be days with blowing snow and blizzards that I gladly drop Trix off to daycare ;)

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

If her coat is about an inch long right now and she is lean I think the sweater would be a good idea for this winter. If her coat were unaltered (in its natural state/length it would be giving her a lot more protection from the elements. Plus many doodles do not have an undercoat either and consequently are without that layer of warmth as well.  Keeping the torso warm will allow more blood flow (warmth) to reach her extremities too.

It will also depend on your walking style. Are you a fast, steady walker which would keep her blood moving or do you make a lot of stops for sniffing/exploring?  At any rate I vote for the sweater for this winter and next year try to keep a little more length on her natural coat. If she seems to be overheating with the sweater on you can always pull it off. I like to err on the side of "too much" rather than "not enough"! LOL!

[Sara & Trix]

She's 8 months old, so we cut her hair to help with the puppy to adult coat transission.  I walk pretty fast and the older she gets, the less sniffing/exploring time she requires.  I'll start her off sporting her new sweater ;) and will buy some musher's secret as suggested above! 

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Sounds like a good plan! And I totally understand the need to keep her hair manageable at that stage!!  Here is what Tara looks like when she is cold! You can see the look of misery on her face!! :(

 

[Lin D & Yogi]

Our Yogi is almost 2 yrs old.  His coat gets tangled from day to day and becomes very matted.  I was hoping that it would soon be the adult coat and easier to manage.  I asked my vet about this and he said it's just the type of fur and it will always be like it is.  When we purchased him he was to have a wavy fleece coat.  As he grew it did become curlier. 

 

He said we could shave him and I mentioned that he had a short coat and wouldn't he be to cold?  He said oh know not at all.  He will be fine even if he had no fur.  He is about 25 pounds and my husband does take him on walks in northern Ohio.  Wow, he answer was totally shocking.  Honestly I don't know what to think.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Lin, Tara is about the same size with the same type of coat. We live in southern Oregon and our winters are mild but this girl gets COLD! (See picture above!) I am not in agreement with your vet about a dog being fine in northern Ohio winters with NO fur! OMD!!!  REALLY??? That would be like a person going outside NAKED!!  I think the suggestions from people with smaller dogs would apply to Yogi as I do think they are affected differently by the cold then the larger doods.  Tara loves her sweaters and actually comes running to me so I can put them on her!  If you start with a sweater on Yogi you would easily be able to tell if he is getting too hot on walks. Sometimes I think it is more difficult to tell when they are cold.  You may just have to experiment a bit to find his comfort level in the cold. Let HIM tell YOU! :)