Walking in the Cold

[Guest Tina]

Hi all:

I have a question about walking my Cairn in the cold. Although it hasn't gotten incrediably cold yet (I live in NoVa), the temperature has started to drop and in the morning it can be in the high 30s. How cold is too cold to walk? I have heard that it is a good idea for a dog to wear booties when its very cold because of the ground. But what temperature would that be.

Thanks for your help!

Tina

[bradl]

We live in a temperate zone, but my wife's childhood Cairn never wore a bootie in fourteen years of Minnesota winters.

[Eliz222]

I think it's too cold to walk your dog when it's too cold for you!!!!!!! I have taken Scout out when it was in the teens and she didn't have a problem. I went on shorter walks (2) instead of one long walk. This was more for my comfort than hers!

[derecskey]

When you said you heard it was good for dogs to wear booties, are we talking Mexican Hairless, American Eskimo, or Cairn Terrier here? I do think you have to take the breed into consideration. These lads and lassies hail from the highland shires of Scotland.

Did everybody have plenty o' good bubbly jock this Thanksgiving?

Visitor: "Can you tell me where the railway station is?"

Scotsman: (wildly gesticulating) "Ochayenaebother

-palit'sdoontheroadandturnleftattheweehooseonthecorner."

Visitor: (perplexed) "Are you a tourist too?"

[kayharley]

Our temps in CT in the winter can range from a comfortable 30 degree to somewhere in the -10's and even lower. Add a wind chill and we've had weather advisories for any prolonged exposure to the cold.

I make sure the fur on the bottom of my Cairns foot is clipped as not to collect snow or ice which can make walking very uncomfortable. We play outside in snowstorms and they love it. But come the frigid temperatures where human skin can freeze in minutes, my dogs only go out to do business and they do it quickly ..I make sure of it!!

[Milopup]

kayharley,

do your pups wear shoes, or are they okay in the winter without pawwear?

[Guest Guest]

I am in Ct also and when the ground starts to become too cold Ripley will begin to hop or simply stop and look at me. Time to pick him up and go inside. Sometimes the temp. isn't bad but the ice or snow underfoot will do it.

[CallisMom]

I am CT as well. We have a farm in the Catskills where Calli has experienced her first snows this year. It can get really cold there. When the temperature is too cold for me but not below freezing (I don't think) - Calli can play in the snow for hours! It can be hard to get her in!

[Milopup]

CallisMom,

Does your pup wear shoes in the snow, or is there no need?

Thanks.

[CallisMom]

No shoes - she doesn't seem to need them or care about the snow. She is having the time of her life running around and digging in it . . . you should see her nose when she come in!!! I grew up in Rochester, NY and we had sooooo much snow there. I had a maltese - who was extremely delicate - but even she loved to run around out in the snow.

[CarCarDawn]

Hi! I live in central NY and the winters here can be ferocious!! Riley lets me know when he needs to come in or when it is too cold to walk anymore. I have leather velcro boots for him but have not been able to get all four of them on him at the same time - - he hates them. Guess he's just a natural lil boy!!!!

[Guest Kathryn]

I guess I can speak for my cairn Allie here in Minnesota, where it is snowing as I write. Allie has spent her entire life in the north - her breeder is in Wisconsin. It's not oncommon for the temperature to go below 20 degrees below zero here. Allie gets walked outside twice a day whatever the weather. Her feet actually seem to get more cold (she holds up one, then the other) if it's a little warmer and the snow is wet. If it's a dry snow, she has no problems, even at 20 below. (We, however, are wrapped from top to bottom to tolerate that weather, and even then keep scarves over our noses and mouths.) We're out a minimum of 20 minutes.

Actually, our cairn loves the snow, and loves jumping up on snow mounds from the plow and diving into snowbanks. But then, she also eats dandelion fluff right off the plants too, so maybe she's a little wierd...

It's a good thing she doesn't need a coat or boots, because I don't think I could get one on her. We put a ribbon on her neck for her first Christmas, and she had it off and in shreds in just minutes.

[Milopup]

Love all the stories of "naked pups" in the snow. I was worried about my pup because he spent his first winter in San Diego, where it never snows and is about 50 degrees warmer in the winter than in NYC. We are putting a fleece coat on our pup for the colder days, but have decided to use Musher's Secret Wax on the feet, since he won't wear booties.

[derecskey]

Ha, Allie's not weird. Bella loves to check out Dandilions and anything else that sticks up out of the grass. She also LOVES to jump into leaf piles, so I'd imagine she'll be the same with snowpiles... especially since she wasn't afraid of her first snow and she wasn't afraid of her first walk near the river. Must just be the Cairn way!

[Carolinasmom]

We live in Denver and Carolina does not seem bothered by the cold. Twice this week the temp. was at or near freezing with some snow/ice on the sidewalks. She did just fine on our 2+ mile walk. She also spends a lot of time out in back hunting mice and stalking squirrels, paying no attention to the cold! However, this is the SAME dog that insists on crawling under the covers towards morning to snuggle!

Just like Shoe said, if it's too cold for you, it may be too cold for your dog. I don't walk when it's in the 20's!

Marsha

Edited December 3, 2004 by Carolinasmom

[Account Deleted]

 Merry Christmas! It is snowing as I am typing this in Massachusetts Otis  and I are both in bed!  He is the strangest dog that I’ve ever owned .  He has been housebroken since five months old he will be a-year-old January 15th. He does not go out until 9/ 930 in the morning, summertime earlier we do a 3 mile walk. And he is never had a problem with the cold or snow. I do put paw protect on his feet it’s like a lotion with natural ingredients so the snow and the ice won’t stick to it. It works very well. He does wear a coat especially when it’s raining or snowing out.  I have to add we do not do a 3 mile walk when it’s snowing out it’s too dangerous with the ice and snow and the sidewalks are not cleared.

I talk to his breeder and she said all her cairns love the snow.

 

[sanford]

Here in the city, I put a coat on Ruffy when temps go down to the 20's or below. It's not a dry climate here and the humidity makes the cold more penetrating. The tall buildings cause high winds and the wind-chill factor can go down to the low teens. Most sidewalks are treated with salt, so Ruffy has to wear protective rubber booties. I've also used Mushers Secret, but only for short walks. It seems to wear off on longer walks.

My apt. Is over-heated, so my terrace door is kept ajar most of the time and Ruffy is free to come and go, choosing to spend lots of time out there, no matter how cold it gets!😊

[Sam I Am]

No walkies for our two....-32F with the wind chill. Typical beautiful Alberta blue sky, with bone chilling temps. Sam is bored...which is not good for a young Cairn, however turning him out in the garden to go potty and run around last but a few minutes, paws pitifully being held up . Rosie and Sam are house bound for a good part of this week as it’s not warming up enough to take them on walks.I tried putting boots  on Sam ....he was hell bent on ripping them off.  Last night had the family over for Xmas eve dinner and Sam was a wild child. Landed up putting his leash and collar on so he would stop being a pain. It’s all about leaning things and growing up. Rosie was also educating him in how to behave ....a bit of fur was flying around and it wasn’t hers! He smartened up after that.🤪

[bradl]

Thirteen years later I wonder how the OP and @Milopup got on  

[Account Deleted]

Wow, yes way too cold! I know what you mean about them going crazy in the house but they don’t walk. We just walked for an hour we had 6 inches of snow but Otis loves the snow, And it’s 32° out. I have to put the leash on him when someone comes in because he goes crazy once he has the harness on him he calms down.

If he doesn’t go on at least a 1 mile walk, We are at each other’s throat’s LOL!

[JoJo]

Sounds like a treadmill equipped for Cairn’s is needed!  

[Idaho Cairns]

We have only had one experience when we thought it was "too cold" for our Cairns and that was a frigid morning in Dillon, Mt. at -33 degrees!  We let the dogs out of the car to go potty and notice rather quickly that the dogs were doing a strange kind of "dance" with their feet.  Closer inspection showed that they were literally being frozen in place--the warmth of their pads on the cold ground melted and then re-froze their pads to that ground with every step.  It didn't look like it hurt them but it sure confused the dickens out of them.
As far as Cairns "loving" snow?  Yep, ours do--with our first deep snow they have a real tendency to frolic and they always enjoy helping us clear our decks!!!

https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=Rv0L9WYEllM

[bradl]

Idaho's video:

 

[Account Deleted]

Oh my goodness that is adorable! Otis is going to be a year old January 15, and we do walk 3 miles a day in Massachusetts weather, but today he decide to get out of bed at 9 o’clock!! And the only reason he got out of bed is because I took him off the bed  to make it! And this is from last night at 5:30 was the last time he went out, I have to say is never been an accident since he’s been five months old! He is a Wheaton also.

Edited December 26, 2017 by Account Deleted

[Account Deleted]

Every time I try to upload a video or a picture it says it’s too big how did you do that?