Too cold?
I know OES have thick coats, but I wonder if it can still be too cold? I have a doggie door for my OES to go in and out, and he loves to stay outside!! It's raining and cold (to me anyway), and when I came home, he was outside!! I called him in and he was shivering!! I sure don't want him to get a cold or freeze to death. Should I not let him out at all while I am not home? I do work 9 hrs a day 
Thanks! Karole |
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| Hello
So long your dog can go inside, there is no problem. But under 10F, I would have them inside. Our dogs love to let the snow cover them. 
Lene in Sweden/Norway. (we used to have snow by now, but now... just rain, and 3 oes and one puli  ) |
| We are in New Hampshire....and our dogs LOVE the cooler weather. 0 degrees is nice balmy weather for them. Cassiopia, in particular, likes to go outside in the "cooler" weather and lie on the porch with the gentle breezes (also known as gale force winds) going through her fur.
However, if I knew that the weather was going to be really bad, I'd probably keep them in that day. Jennifer, Baxter, Cassiopia and Sharkey |
| i read on this forum iy you can't stay out in it for a long time then your dog should not stay out in it, However knowing a dog has a natral instinct for survival so i would also think the dog would go inside if it had gotten to cold. but you know your dog. Would your dog stay outside in the heat? does he come inside on its own through the door? i guess i am woundering if because nobody is home the dogs thinks it must stay out. i don't know thought. Maybe you could put a blanket down under a covered area for him to lay and get warm. |
| Ah,
When we were in CA, he hated to go outside (seems a bit hot for him). He wouldn't even look at the doggie door. Now we are in DE (OK OK it's not as cold as some other places) with a huge yard, he doesn't want to stay in door when I am not home!! I don't force him to stay outside at all, in fact, I consider the whole house the dog house haha. I don't know what he would do in summer (since we just got here in Sept), but I do know he hates the heat and loves the cold. So some dogs love it when it's 10F?? Maybe I worry too much at this point? It's just odd because before he refused to go out (to potty) if it's raining, but now he doesn't seem to mind sitting in the rain!!  |
| The colder it is, the longer mine want to stay outside. In fact, my dog with the least coat will stay out the longest! We have a dog door too so, as long as it isn't super muddy out, I let them stay outside as much as they want but only when I'm home so I can check on them occasionally. I worry about keeping the dog door open all day in fear of something happening outside or something else getting in. (And I mean something not someone. My Komondor would never let a person he didn't know into the yard!) |
he's probably fine then. I live in South Carolina and cold here is 40 degrees  i am going to take a vacation to the north to some moutian so Olive can see snow. if you are really worried just make sure he has a place outside to warm up. otherwise have you ever seen a sheepie sit still long enough to freeze to death  |
I think if your dogs want to go outside, and have a way in, then it's fine!! 
Everywhere I've been, the weatherman/news says to keep dogs inside when it reaches below freezing. ...but they're just referring to those who keep their dogs outside 24-7. I live in Alaska, and Yuki seems to love the cold weather. A lot happier than when we lived in TX. However, she hates to be wet (slush,rain). |
| I'd worry more about the wet than the cold. If I knew it would be wet outside, I'd want to keep my dogs in for the following reasons:
1. Wet, they can become much more cold much more quickly, It's a concern even in a young, healthy dog, although mine love being outside and love the cold weather, too. Snow is even better--to them. 2. Wet, they become very messy very fast and if they have free access to the house, so would my house. It would anyways if I insisted they come in, but I might have more control over the mess. I'm thinking mud here, not just puddles. Depending on your situation, this might or might not be a factor. If your dog door opens only into the mud room, and you're willing to mop it up, then you should be ok. 3. Alone outside in a wet yard for unspecified amounts of time, my dogs would dig holes. Lots of them. There would be a lot of mud. A lot. |
| I live in AZ and let me tell you...this time of year, velcor does NOT apply to my dog....i have a hard time keeping her in....she LOVES it outside...sigh...I like summer better....then she likes to be with me all of the time.... |
| My first OES was an outside girl all the way and we lived at 10,000 feet in Colorado!! She had a wonderfully thick coat and undercoat and a big St. Bernard to snuggle with in the dog house. She did not want to be inside!! The third dog was a Siberian and the three of them considered winter to be high season for play and romping. Feet trim to keep the snowball problem down and kept her dry, but otherwise she was fine outside. As she aged we were in lower elevation......Denver like climate and she still wanted to be outside. Hated it inside.........sniff, sniff, I wanted to snuggle. She wanted to snuggle with her two k9 buddies.
Also there is a very well know sheepdog person in Alaska who had a dog run off one winter day! YIPES!! Took days to find her and she was fine, full coat, a little foot frostbite or somesuch. So these are extremely hardy dogs!! If the undercoat is complete and the dog remains dry, they can brave just about anything if they have a nice protected dog house to get out of the moisture and wind. You can bet all subsequent sheepers have been inside dogs......I've seen to that, but still find them wanting to go out in single digit weather to play. Strangley, this MO girl is afraid of snow......as it falls. Once it is on the ground fine, but not when it's coming from the sky. Jack is a house dog.........he is from southern NM desert, he hates rain and snow. Harry........LOVES cold weather. Hard time getting him inside at night...and then he puts his cold nose on my.........well, never you mind. s. |
| Looks like everyone has experience on dogs in wet and cold.... and the mud.
I almost had a heart attack one day when I came home to a place full of mud. Good thing I blocked most of the carpet area and upstairs off (don't want him to fall down the stairs when I am not there), so it's mostly the vinyl floor. And he gave me the look like 'hey, aren't you happy to see me?'
Another question, now I am thinking about it. I have a deck with stairs. I am afraid when the snow and ice hit, he would slip. I did put down non-slip tape on the stairs, but wonder if there is something else I can use? The tape starts to come off!! Dogs, you gotta love them. |
| I've noticed that my dog seems to prefer the cold also!! He loves going on his walks more now than in the summer. I had to cut his walks short during the summer months because he'd just plop down from the heat, even in the morning!! He's definitely happier being outside right now.
Sharon and Max |
There's doggie ice you can put on yoru stairs if they are slippery. Personally, I wouldn't do anything. Maybe I'm mean. I just care about my uprights when it comes to things like that. I think the dogs can take care of themselves, and if/when they slip... (and I've seen yuki slide all over ice), then they slip. I imagine if no one is there while they're outside, there isn't a reason for them to charge up them or down. Otherwise, I can't imagine them just slipping to a point they seriously hurt themselves. Then again... sounds like I've got a "these guys are tough"' mentality.  |
| Plus if they slip, they are closer to the ground than we are!
susan (who is nursing a giant hematoma from a slip in the shower this a.m........and it's too cold for ice packs, brrrr) |
I was thinking about the deck steps too...its been too cold to put that non-slip tape here and I was thinking it might come up in the cold anyway...sounds like I was right. On the deck itself we nailed one of those indoor/outdoor runners....I was thinking on the steps themselves I would just cut pieces of the runner and nail them to the step. It isnt only the dogs that go out there...we have to go out there too, to clean up the poop....my daughter has already fallen on the slippery steps once this winter  |
| Our Ollie loved the winter and snow. We often had to force him to come in at night. He actually climbed on our adirondac style loveseat (slatted wood) outside and took a nap in a snow storm! This was with about 3 inches of thick coat. I wish I would have gotten a picture.
Chewie is loving the cooler weather, so I think he will be the same. He's the only one with long hair, and he can't convince his dog siblings to stay out and play with him! |
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