What Breed Of Dogs Need To Stay Outside In The Cold?

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   Lady Guinevereposted 11 years ago

   What Breed Of Dogs Need To Stay Outside In The Cold?
   
   There has been lots of messages going on on FB about bringing your animals in when it gets too cold.  I don't think this is totally correct.  They are not people and some need to stay out in the cold. There is a condition that some dogs get when they are cooped up in a hot house with dry conditions called Hot Spot.  What breeds would be OK to stay out in the weather, providing they have shelter, food and water?

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   JThomp42posted 11 years ago

   Siberian Huskies, Alaskan Huskies, Malamutes, etc. All sled dogs actually prefer the cold. Even at 20 below in Alaska, they keep their sled dogs outside. They were bred this way.

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3. 69

   melfinaposted 11 years ago

   I don't think any dog should be cooped up inside or left outside for extended periods of time.  They need a balance based on what kind of dog they are.  My mini dachshund spends more time inside during the winter, especially since the snow bothers her low-to-the-ground belly.  My Alaskan malamute spends more time outside, since he loves the snow and the cold weather.  However, even he can suffer from being in the cold for too long.  It gets to about 20 below here, and I would never leave him outside all night, even if he is a sled dog.  Being outside in the cold for too long gives him cracked paws and dry skin.

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      Lady Guinevereposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Cracked paws are not caused by cold weather.  Here is some help for you: http://www.helium.com/items/1435815-cra … treatments

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   DrMark1961posted 11 years ago

   I have read some of those incorrect messages on FB (like "When is it okay to leave your dog out-NEVER") and they are incorrect. It is cruel to make some dogs come in. Besides the sled dogs mentioned by Jeff, some livestock guard dogs (like the Great Pyrenees and Komondor) would be uncomfortable in the house.
   Dogs are not built like we are. Owners need to remember that.

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      Lady Guinevereposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I got a bigger list when I posted this to FB:  Alaskan Malamute, Samoyed, Siberian Husky, Laika, Newfoundland, Greenland, Norwegian Buhund, Swedish Lapphund, and the Pyrenean Mountain dog. The top dogs of arctic cold weather. Probably many others tha

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      DrMark1961posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Are you just looking for a list? Add the Moroccan kelb rihali, the Caucasian Ovrchka, the Romanian Shepherd, the Hungarian Kuvasz, the Saint Bernard, the Tibetan Mastiff, the Chow chow, Akita Inu, Bernese Mountain Dog, etc, etc, etc.

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      Lady Guinevereposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      DrMark, yes.  I am tired of all these posts on FB that tell you to bring your dogs in and all those photos of dogs in teh middle of the street.  ! lady told me her dogs paws get cracked and skin dry.  People don't know about dog breeds or their fur.

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   peeplesposted 11 years ago

   Just because a dog can handle cold doesn't mean it should have to. Plenty of dogs have the ability to withstand cold temps. However when someone buys a pet it becomes a PET, DOMESTIC, and FAMILY. Does that mean it should never step foot outside? No but it does mean it shouldn't be left tied to a chain in freezing weather while it's owner sleeps comfortable in a warm house. Dogs that are meant for cold weather die every year from being left out in it. I personally know someone who left a husky tied to a tree last year during freezing temps and it died. It was an otherwise healthy 3 year old dog. Also how is that water going to stay drinkable and not frozen in freezing temps? Is the owner going to go out every 3 hours and change out the water? What counts as shelter? A 2 by 2 dog house?
   I get letting animals be animals. I even understand not wanting them inside for long periods, but if it's 20 degrees outside or snowing heavily a dog should be brought in at night.

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      DrMark1961posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      My DOMESTIC PET Siberian Husky FAMILY members would always choose to lie out in the snow and not come inside, no matter how cold. (They did not like rain, however.) Forcing them to come in the house would have been cruelty.

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      Lady Guinevereposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      You make me out to be some kind of Animal Abusing monter.  Where in my OP did I say without food, water or shelter.  There are Dog houses that are insulated and some that are heated and same with food and water dishes.

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      peeplesposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I didn't make YOU. You did not clarify what type of food shelter and water. Adequate is a matter of opinion and considering the majority of people where I live think adequate is a barrel to sleep in those details matter to me. NOT YOU in particular.

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   philliposted 11 years ago

   Malamute and Huskies are the first dogs that I think of. I would think that St. Benards, too (weren't they used in snowy mountains for rescue dogs?).

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   Lady Guinevereposted 11 years ago

   Geesh people only want to read what they want to read!  Not one of you all read the last part in the last sentence:  "providing they have shelter, food and water"  I NEVER said anything about ABUSE or being TIED OUT.  Some of you make me out to be some kind of monster who condones animal abuse.

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   lanablackmoorposted 11 years ago

   Like others have mentioned already, an animal that can stay outside in cold weather, it doesn't need to. If you like it unbearably hot inside in the winter, yes, the animal will probably be more comfortable outside. But that's because the house is too hot, not that the animal *needs* the cold. Many of the "cold weather" breeds also have an intense need for social interaction with their human and animal family. Keeping them outside isn't really fair.
   
   As an aside, our Malamute mix actually HATES the snow! He goes out for two seconds and wants to come back in right away. There's no telling if any individual dog will like being outside, and no dog wants to be alone all day.

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      Lady Guinevereposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Those dogs that are used for sledding have a great interaction with their owners, more so than the rest of dog owners.

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      lanablackmoorposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      That's true, but those are working animals and have interaction with their owners on a very regular basis, as well as interaction with other dogs. A regular dog owner works, socializes, etc. and cannot be there all the time for a dog who is kept out.

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      Lady Guinevereposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Then those who do not have the time to interact with a pet should not have one....period.  They should get one that fits their lifestyle.

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      lanablackmoorposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Unless you plan on coming home from work and spending all your free time outside in terrible weather with your dog, I can't recommend any breed. It's easy to spend time after work with an indoor dog, but not if your dog is out in a blizzard.

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      Lady Guinevereposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Then don't get that kind of dog.  What I am trying to convey here is that all dogs might not want to be indoor dogs and they should not have to be if they are not that kind of dog.  Dogs are not people.  Find the right kind of dog for your circumstan

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      lanablackmoorposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      While that may be true, another thing to consider is that you may be injured or fall ill and have difficulty caring for your dog and spending time with him. In that case, you might need to keep your dog in, and outdoor dogs are no joy to housetrain.

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   agilitymachposted 11 years ago

   One thing I have learned in my decades of dog training is that you cannot generalize all breeds.  If a husky or malamute is used to being indoors, it has acclimated to a warmer clime.  If you suddenly force it to live outdoors, then you will be putting the dog in danger.  And, any breed in any extreme needs to be brought indoors or to a warmer shelter during brutal cold spells.
   
   Also "hot spot" isn't caused by being indoors, but by shedding and allergies.  Bringing a dog indoors will not "cause" shedding.  This is caused during the dogs regular shedding cycle that occurs regardless of being indoors or outdoors.
   
   http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/hot-sp … dermatitis
   
   Also, some northern breeds may have uncovered illnesses that will make them more susceptible to cold weather conditions, and they may need to be brought indoors.
   
   Generalizations are very dangerous.  While some dogs do enjoy cold weather, saying that all of the breeds you mention need to be left outdoors is downright dangerous.  This would be a dog by dog decision based partly on breed, coat, climate and health.  And of course dogs should be left outside only under the condition of food, water, dog house AND tons of extra attention time with their humans.  No dog should be put outside without a minimum of a couple hours a day of one-on-one time with their people.

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