It's 25 Degrees Outside And I Kept My Dog Out In The Cold, Is That Bad??

Question

It's freezing, 25 degrees. But I left my Akita outside last night. He usually sleeps inside. How cold is too cold for a dog??

I understand some people getting made, but don't dogs have double fur?? Don't Alaskan huskies stay out in the snow??

Avatar13, it's not 25 degrees BELOW zero. Just normal 25 degrees. And yes he has a doghouse, that he never goes into. And no I couldn't make it home last night due to the fact that Public Works blocked all the roads to my home because of road construction and accidents.

T.Cameron2004, the reason I don't bring him in all the time is that he's a big dog that tends to trash the house when he gets bored.

Answer 1

Akita loves the cold and if you have a doghouse, he has a fur coat and will be OK outside. Without shelter, please bring him in though.

Answer 2

omg I feel so sorry for you. You ask a simple question and people who might not know the breed of dog jump down your throat. I live WAYYYY up North in Alberta, people up here have dogs that sleep outside inside in a shed where ever and you know what they are HAPPY DOGS!!! Some people need to get a brain and understand that just because you left your dog outside once doesn't mean you don't love your dog. People get a brain, look into things a little more and have some compassion, yes for the dog but for the owner too who probably feels guilty about not making it home and wanted some sort of feedback to make her feel better.
Akitas can handle themselves outside, they have tons of fur! Please take the burden from your shoulders the dog will forgive you!

Answer 3

Answerers "intellige"... and "tlctreeca"... above are exactly right.
That kind of dog generally can take the cold or adapt to it with time so it has a chance to grow a thicker coat of hair, but two issues are involved:
1 each dog within any species is still an individual, and it may need to get used to being in the cold for longer periods of time, if that individual dog is used to being indoors, its not kind to leave it outside for too long.
2 if you leave it outside routinely, give a chance to get used to it, perhaps gradually more time or more often, ALSO, give it a shelter from the wind and rain or snow, put a sheet of blue stryofoam / extruded polystyrene insulation on the floor of that shelter and a blanket or rug that won't hold water long, perhaps those polyester-fleece blankets are best, because they are cheep, and wash very easily, and don't let mold/mildew/fungus grow, and it stays warm even if its moist, and its good to let the dog have enough food so it can metabolize some more or faster and create its own body heat. Even a slight shortage of food can speed up hypothermia. If he is outside more, in the cold, then he may need a little more food than if he were just indoors all the time.

Answer 4

Hate to say it , but most of you guys are NUTS !!!!

It is ZERO degrees F here and my dogs are outside having way more fun than the law should allow!!!! Where did anyone ever get the idea that dogs don't know how to take care of themselves in the cold,,, they have only been doing it for about 100,000 thousand years. Maybe we should bring all the Elk and Moose into the house too.
If a dog is sick, old, or something that is a different thing, but a young healthy outdoor dog is in absolutlly no discomfort outside at +25deg F.

We don't even think about taking the Beagles snowshoe hunting until the temp is about -25-30 below zero!!!!!!

Answer 5

I really dont know about Akitas but 25 degrees is a bit cold for most dogs. They still can get frostbite, espesially on the pads of their paws. If there was snow on the ground, it could have gotten in between the pads and turned to ice and caused frostbite there too. I would recommend that you put him in a kennel indoors when you are gone if he tends to tear up the house. The kennel will keep him safe and your home as well from being ransacked from your dog.

Answer 6

An Akita is bred to live out of doors in a cold climate. Just look at his coat, as you obviously have. You'd want to give him a decent shelter, though, from wind and rain which will chill him if he is not being active outside. If they have shelter and are dry, and are very well nourished, accustomed dogs can live out of doors in the Arctic - below zero F. But the colder it is, the worse it is a stress on them. It seems to me that below about 20 F it'd just be humane to bring them in, at least to a garage that's connected to the house.

Answer 7

An Akita can most likely take the cold but why are you taking your normallu inside dog and locking him out? He is not going to understand what is going on.
If you are going to have him outside he needs an insulated dog house to protect him frim wet and wind and food all the time and a heated water bowl so he has fresh unfrozen water at all times.

Answer 8

He is definitly fine in that weather. I have always had akitas, some inside and some outside dogs and they are made for cold weather. When they are used to being outside I would say -15 F may get a bit cold for them and we may bring them in for night and dogs used to being inside may get cold at about 0 degrees F because they may not have grown all of their winter hair considering they're inside all the time. Don't worry, he will be fine.

Answer 9

Depends on a dog. My Akita loves being outside, he has a thick coat, he is hot in anything over 60 degrees.
If you have a Chinese Crested on the other hand, it might kill him.

Answer 10

Did he have shelter?? If you're keeping him inside then do so. If you're going to keep him outside make sure he has an insulated dog house. Just because they have fur doesn't mean he wont get cold. Just because you have a coat on doesn't mean you don't get cold does it??