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Pet Pause

Outdoor Dogs Get Cold Too

Details: Category: Animal Issues and Pets; Published on Friday, 12 January 2018 11:12; Written by Dianne Lawrence

Give most dogs a choice between a soft pillow and cozy fire...or cold ground outside, what do you think they will choose?

People who have outdoor dogs often mistake a dog's silence as an indication there isn’t any problem. What they don’t realize is that dogs can endure enormous pain and suffering before they start to howl. Unless your dog is bred for enduring cold climates, she will experience great discomfort during our winter nights. If you need to wear a jacket, its likely your dog needs to be protected as well.

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If you have an outside dog, consider these solutions to providing a safe and warm environment: cover the flaps of the doghouse with weather-proof material or dog flaps (Google Dog Flaps for a variety of choices) and put bedding on the floor, which can help retain the dog's body heat in the dog house. Igloo doghouses are excellent solutions as they are designed to keep heat in and cold out, but the floors get cold, so some kind of bedding is important. Smaller is better than larger for retaining body heat but needs to be large enough for the dog to stand and turn around. Garages are too large to offer warmth, so provide a contained shelter within the garage where, once again, body heat can be retained.

Coats and sweaters, available at your local pet shop, also help the dog retain body heat.

But the best solution is to bring the dog in at night or during rains especially if he is not bred for the cold. Did you know that dogs are better protection IN the house than outside where they can easily be silenced by a determined intruder? If you are worried about unruly behavior, simply leash the dog to a stable source, provide a bed and water and he will get used to the routine of coming indoors at night and I guarantee you, will really really appreciate it.

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