How cold can my dog take?
 

I have a catahoula leopard dog and since winter is fast approaching I am wondering what temperature can the dog take. I live in Saskactchewan Canada and it gets down to -40 in the winter and right now is down to -5 at night somenights. So I am wondering how cold of a temperature can this dog take and for how long, or what is a safe temperature that she could be out in during the day. Thanks.

Hello grey9 :).

A Catahoula has a short single coat. She can probably stay outdoors...moving...for about as long as you can with a regular jacket on in such temperatures. If you start to get too cold, then she will too.

Just in case, please don't ever leave a dog unattended outdoors in sub-freezing weather.

Hi neighbor! Whereabouts in sask? It is safe to say that in our winters, especialy the weeks on end of below -40 that you should never leave them outside, just walks and potty breaks, if you are in a city i would always protect the feet because of the amount of salt that is used.

That said, is it a farm dog? So many farm dogs live outside, if that is the case, make sure there is a heated place for him to go, and a heated water dish as the only water available will be the water that has antifreeze in it.

Yes, the weather we have had for the past couple days sure makes us get ready, we are supposed to get snow today and the high is -3. . .

Short coated dogs cannot handle temperature extremes well, hot or cold. Personally I don't even like seeing a northern breed (like a newf) outside when it's that cold.

Dogs can suffer hypothermia just like people. And because a dog has a higher core temperature than a human, they can be extremely susceptible to hypothermia. When a dogs core temperature drops, the body will lower the blood supply to the extremeties to keep the internal organs heated. This can lead to the loss of a limb. Hypothermia can also be fatal.

I have two Bostons that are also single coat breeds, and they are very sensitive to both heat and cold. They do not have the ability to keep themselves warm like other breeds, so they cannot be left outside in extreme temperatures, except for quick potty breaks. I would not recommend a single coat breed as a farm dog, but if he is, he must have a way to get to heated shelter in winter and shade in summer. An unheated shelter that can work for some breeds will not be enough for single coat breeds. I can tell you some horror stories of single coat breeds left outside or in unheated barns and dying horrible deaths. :sad: Mine have warm coats and boots they wear if we're going to be outside for a long time. They are naked for quick potty breaks and such, but do not stay bare outside beyond that when it's extreme. They are pretty much indoor breeds.

In heat, they can actually blister and sunburn if left out without shade as again, their coats give them little protection, so something else to consider and keep in mind next summer. They also have less fur and less protection on their feet too so their feet can also freeze or burn faster. Not to make them sound fragile, LOL, but they do require more care than double-coated breeds.