Can I leave my dog outside in the winter?

Question

I have a long haired german shepherd. I want to know if his coat can stand the winter. Ok i dont want any answers saying how wrong it in to leave my dog outside if thats what your going to say please dont answer. I live in canada i want to know if he can stand it ? here it can get to -15-20 very cold i have a kennel I need to know. do anyone you keep you dog outside?

Josh its people like you I really hate im ask if the german shepherd coat can haddle the wether and what are you talking about? you really didnt help and its in -15 to -20 c

Answer 1

Yeah U can leave him out only if U leave him out most of the time......don't keep him indoors ad then one day shock him by making him sleep in the cold.

Answer 2

An acclimated cold-weather-furred (like a GSD) dog can stand temperatures down to about -45F if there is no draft and he is kept dry. That doesn't mean he will be comfortable and happy - just that he will survive. Your dog's den would have to be more then an insolated dog house - there is always a draft at the entrance no matter how it is covered unless it is an actual door and the dog is prevented from leaving his den over night. Eskimo sled dogs generally bury themselves deep into the snow but that isn't a practical solution. The bottom line is that it is unlikely that the proper conditions are met for such cold temperatures so it would be better to heat wherever he sleeps. A folding GSD-sized crate can be bought for about $80 (US) via mail-order (including over-sized shipping) if you shop around. Pet Edge is a good place to start. He's old enough that he will hold all night and there is sure to be room somewhere. A temperature of about 40 -50F would be ideal especially if he goes out to the kennel in the daytime (cold/warm changes will hinder his immune system).

Answer 3

The coat of a German Shepherd is not the same as the coat of, say, a Husky or Malamute (which are designed to withstand colder temps), and I don't think they would survive outdoors in a Canadian winter. Or if they did survive, I don't think they'd be very happy about it.

At least get a HEATED kennel if you're determined to have a furry lawn ornament instead of a pet.

Answer 4

dont make push ur dog out of the way for the baby. ur dog was ur first commitment. bostons are a small type dog that are ment to live indoors. they cant handle the cold even if u buy a shelter and put blankets in it. if u are worried about the dog being around the baby or that u dont want to neglect ur dog b/c all ur time will be spent with the baby find u dog a new home. the baby isnt comin for a while so look around and c if u can find it a new home that will have the time and money for it. if u cannot take him to a no kill shelter. i am sure since he is a small dog that he wont be staying there for long.

Answer 5

I would sugges,t that you don't leave him outside in the winter. German Shepherds coat's aren't as heavy as an Akita's, Alaskan Malamutes or Husky's. The way I look at it is, if it is too cold outside for you, then it would also be too cold for him. I would keep him inside when it get's that cold!

Answer 6

well i think in the begining and end of winter he will be ok but im not sure that breed will be able to withstand the massive cold. i have siberian/wolf mixes that cant handle the indoors, so some breeds would do just fine. my best advice would be check on it when the weather is very cold if you can see the dog is getting very cold bring him in. good luck

Answer 7

We used to keep them in a kennel outside, but when it got extremely cold we would bring them into the garage where there were more walls to protect them. However, the temperatures your talking about I wouldn't risk it. Dogs get frostbite too let alone if it is unsuitable for a human to be outside then the dog shouldn't be outside. Your dog can probably be left alone outside for about an hour if that. Now a question I have for you is: Are the temperatures in C or F?

Answer 8

I also live in Canada. Doesn't matter where you live, dogs are social animals. You want to make your dog miserable (regardless if "his coat can stand the winter") then leave him outside. He might even develop antisocial behaviour from isolation and develop frustration agression. Wouldn't you be proud.

Answer 9

*sigh*

I don't understand why people think that if you have your dog outside, you don't consider your dog a pet, or you are abusing it.

I have two dogs, both live outside, and they are happy and healthy--regular vet check ups, proper housing for them, and all. I don't neglect them or ignore them; they are working dogs, as well as my pets, and I am around them for the majority of the day.

I live in the country, and don't see the purpose of stuffing my two large dogs in a 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom house when there is 1, 065 acres of roaming land outside for them to use. I think smushing them inside the house would be more cruel than letting them stay outside with lots of space to roam and run.

I live in the U.S., so I don't know what temperature that is in Fahrenheit, but I'll take your word for it and say it's "very cold." xD

For "very cold" weather like yours, I'd invest in a heated kennel, and purchase pet-safe heating pads for him to sit on. Nowadays with this "pet clothing" trend, I suppose you could also buy a sweater or thick shirt to use on him. If it's really icy, spend a little extra and buy some boots for him. Just note from my experience: It can get very costly to keep a pet properly housed and comfortable outside.

If you don't mind keeping your dog inside when it gets frightfully cold, that would be best. For all other average weather conditions, you can let your dog stay outside. When it is storming or is really hot or cold, I'll always take my dogs inside. For any other conditions, they stay outside, and love to go off in the cool mornings to roam and explore.

Answer 10

I live in Pennsylvania and my uncle keeps his hunting dogs out all winter. I don't know how your winters compare to ours (I'm sure they're a bit worse) but he has a dog house with a kind of wrap around doorway so the wind doesn't blow inside at all and he has a bunch of straw and blankets inside and they've survived years out there. I think on really cold nights they put them in the basement though.

Answer 11

It's far too cold to leave a dog outside in the winter.. People get charged all the time for leaving their dogs out in that weather..