I saw this today and was frankly a bit perplexed. There's a saying up here: "The Arctic favors men and dogs and frowns on women and horses." If I followed this, I'd never walk my dog. In fact, I see a lot of people up here who skijor (cross-country sled while being pulled by a dog) or run with their dogs or do stuff with their dogs when it is way colder than this. The Yukon Quest is run at temperatures way below this.
I would not let a short hair Chihuahua out at those temperatures but that's not a good dog for up here anyway. Dogs that size are eagle bait. Literally. But I've got an Aussie shepherd/mastiff pup who's about 5 months old and about 35 pounds.
We've had a rash of early cold weather so 10 has been about the high for the last week and a half and yet I go walk the dog or let the dog out. Last night I walked the dog at about -5. We were out for about 30 minutes and he did just fine. Ran up and down the trail.
What do you all say? Is it me? Or is this chart too restrictive?
Doesn't make any sense unless there's separate charts for regions. My dog was bred in Texas so he seems to absolutely hate the cold. Cries like a bitch when it's time to go outside. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Superturtle:
Doesn't make any sense unless there's separate charts for regions. My dog was bred in Texas so he seems to absolutely hate the cold. Cries like a bitch when it's time to go outside.
No, all dogs are the same. They don’t evolve to their surroundings. /jj [Reply]
Seems like some pretty small windows.
An 18° temperature swing is all it takes to go from "No Evidence of Risk" to "Potentially life threatening cold"? [Reply]
I always find it interesting to think about all of the animals out in the wilderness when it's sub-zero temps. If these temps kill a dog, why do so many other mammals thrive and do just fine in this climate? I'm sure breed plays in, but even if it's a dog with thick fur how much can that really matter?
I'd imagine if you're dog is excited to go on walks, and seems to be enjoying it while being out, there probably isn't a lot to worry about. [Reply]
I have had Boxers for the past 15 years. Used to take them outside for walks even with snow on the ground. That being said, I definitely wouldn't leave them out there for a prolonged period. They are a short haired breed but they can withstand 30 minutes outside in the cold. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Otter:
Short haired fawn boxer owner. There's some truth to this but I'd go more with exposure time than just temperature. I think they're over-simplifying.
You're not dipping them in liquid nitrogen by taking them outside.
Originally Posted by wazu:
I always find it interesting to think about all of the animals out in the wilderness when it's sub-zero temps. If these temps kill a dog, why do so many other mammals thrive and do just fine in this climate?
Any wild animal in a region is going to adapted to the climate while dogs have been bred for all kinds of weird, stupid shit. A chihuahua is just not equipped to handle a Minnesota winter.
This chart is bullshit, though. They're fucking dogs. They aren't going to die after 15 minutes of walking outside. [Reply]
My old standard schnauzer didn't give a shit how cold it was....he expected to be walked every day.
Dogs can understand repetition and schedule. He'd let you know when it was time to walk. Miss that dog.
He didn't like the rain though. Loved the pool, lakes, rivers etc. Hated baths and rain. Guess he loved getting wet, but just on his own terms. lol [Reply]
