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How long is it safe for the dogs to stay outside in this cold?


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My dogs love this stuff but it's really cold out there. Zeke goes out and lays down in the snow to watch the cars slide up and down the road. Tommy and Joey love to run around in our almost a foot of snow. Yesterday AM the windchill was about minus 25. Better today.

 

I've been letting them out for about 15 minutes and then bringing them in to warm up.

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The dogs will be your best guides. If they start lifting alternating feet, then it's too cold for them. Otherwise, your 15 minute rule sounds pretty good. If it's reeeeelly cold, as in the below zero mornings we've been having here in upstate NY, I'll bring mine in even sooner than that.

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I've wondered about this, too. We've faced morning below zero with ridiculously low wind chills, and the prospect of walking the dogs in that is unpleasant (all the clothing, the difficulty in picking up after them, etc.).

 

When I run with our border collie, he never shows any sign of pain or discomfort, but he's fairly stoic (especially on runs). If it's below zero, I just skip the run and play with him in the back yard (especially with snow on the ground, which requires our running on the streets). I just wish I could explain our skipping the run to him in a way he'd understand!

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I think the 15 minute rule sounds about right. If you see them going ouchy-feet, you know they're starting to feel some frost burn. But years ago we had an Aussie when temps hit -40 and she'd go out and do chores with us and be just fine. Watch them close - especially if anybody gets wet or starts licking their feet.

~ Gloria

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My dogs seem to LOVE the really cold weather. When it was 0 here with cold windchills we were out for 20 min at least. Single digits to teens they'll be out for 30-40 min. I keep tabs on them of course, but as long as they're running and playing they've seemed to have done really well in the cold - better than in heat by a long shot.

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My dogs seem to LOVE the really cold weather. When it was 0 here with cold windchills we were out for 20 min at least. Single digits to teens they'll be out for 30-40 min. I keep tabs on them of course, but as long as they're running and playing they've seemed to have done really well in the cold - better than in heat by a long shot.

 

Mine too, even the littles. I got cold and wanted in in our recent unusual cold weather (teens, wind chill single digits) snow event way before they did, even the littlest little who is almost 10.

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