For anyone that knows about Huskies?

Question

Since my dogs are inside dogs & all short hair, I need some information here regarding a Husky (Cody) I recently took in.
She has always been an outside dog, doesn't want to stay in the house for any length of time, so my question is, "how cold is too cold for her to be out?"
I have her a house set up on the enclosed deck, the house is insulated & has straw in it , but she won't even get in it. Right now she is sleeping on a dog bed on the deck beside the house. Since I have never had a dog live outside our home, I'm having a problem dealing with this.
The home she was abandoned at, she use to sleep under a deck on the cold ground so I know she does have it better here, but I do want to have her come inside if / when it gets too cold.
Any & all help / advice will be greatly appreciated by myself & Cody.

JR, You're probably right. Friends have told me Huskies loves the cold weather.
I guess it's just cold natured me! lol

Tony, I really won't force her. That is why she is only in the house for very short periods. When she goes to the door, I let her right back outside.

Thanks Goldengal

Thanks Loki Wolf

Lara, it is her choice to be outside. Not mine. I'd rather she be in the house, but why would I want to make her miserable & regret being here!!

Answer 1

"How cold is too cold?"

Well, this morning when I went out to water dogs, it was 19 deg. F, and several of my dogs were curled up in "sleeping holes" they've dug in the gravel of their kennels, about 3 feet from their dog houses.

Sometimes I find them sleeping on top of their dog houses, and when it hits about 0 deg F, they will all be in their dog houses.

Does that answer your question? ;)

She won't freeze herself to death, although she may have an aversion to the dog house for other reasons. If you look outside and she's shivering -- then you should worry. Until that point, let her do her thing.

Answer 2

I have a husky mix or purebred husky,sam?But I do know his mom was a husky.We tried to make him stay inside when he was just a little 5 wk old pup,but he won't come in the house unless you force him in or put food on the floor!He likes to sleep on the porch under the wicker furniture.He stays in the back of the house when he has to be put up in the kennel he does not sleep in the dog house he just digs a hole and sleeps on it or sleeps with the lab we have,but sometimes when it rains he will get in the dog house but last night he would not go in the kennel,garage,porch,or in the house so he just layed in the rain when he hates water!I am not worried though cause as much as people hate it like myself dogs like him are hearty and built for that weather,his coat is getting thicker now.so I am not worried I think she is fine maybe it is a husky thing.sam is black and tannish/white with markings of a husky.He has the lean tall figure of a husky,the curved tail of a husk,well he has everything a husky has but since he was being given away free with his littermates I suppose he is a mix.But I think she will be fine outside but if it is really cold to where things freeze that is when you should put her in the house or something,even if she likes it or not.

Answer 3

I have Samoyeds... They have liked to live on top of doghouses as well as under a snow drift when given the option of the "hot" 65 degree house or the nice cool -30 degree weather outside.

When the windchill would get below -30 I would haul them in.

Interestingly enough there was a sled dog race last year that nearly was cancelled due to the extreme cold. The ONLY team that did not have any frostbite injuries and was still happily working was a Samoyed team.

For what its worth.. The Ural mountain region can get to -50 degrees and then you add windchill... I believe that's where Siberian Huskies originated.

Answer 4

I'm not sure there is a "too cold" for huskies.

I have heard many stories from people and experienced it myself that it's something like -30 below and a husky will be on top of it's dog house acting like it's 70 degrees to us. I have seen my own husky and malamute stay out in a blizzard and let the snow the cover them over and when I go out to check on them, they pop their heads up and it almost looks as if they are saying, "What, you want us to come in? Are you crazy?".

I have to literally drag my dogs inside during the winter months. I guess that's one advantage to living in Upstate, NY.

My icon is our Malamute, Gabrielle in last year's Valentine's day storm. She was happy as a pig in you know what that day. The Husky was off doing his own thing.

Answer 5

I have to fight with my Malamute to get him in in the winter as well. It all depends on your location. If she has been living in cold temps year round for some time now, she is accustomed to it. Also these dogs are meant to be outside, at least you have some shelter for her. My Mal actually makes himself a little snow den in the winter and covers up in it when I let him. I personally wouldnt worry unless you hit below zero. Remember these are the dogs that run the iditarod for christ sake!! Also they have very thick fur~nice insulation. Have her keep coming in and going as she pleases and maybe she will decide to stay in the house herself.

Mine are inside dogs but today is cold here in WI and my Mal didnt want to come in. When the first snow hits I will have an even tougher time as he thinks then its time to play!

Answer 6

I have a husky of 8 months. before we got him he used to be outside with the rest of the pack, and the breeder would bring them inside her garage when she thought it would be too cold, and ever since we got him, he's been an inside dog and he seems to have adapted to it...i guess if you're trying to make him/her get used to coming around the house, what you can do is like one night have her sleep inside and another night sleep outside, but mainly you should make the decision for the dog, that way he/she knows you're the boss

Answer 7

she's probably too hot inside the house and is more comfortable outside.

My parents have a musky mix that its outside 24-7. Sissiy loves it outside. When they bring her in, she paces and fusses and wants back out. Mom only brings her in if it gets in the negatives, definantly anything below -10, with or without windchill factor. If its calling for an ice storm, or sleet, or 3 feet or snow or anything severe like that, Sissy comes in for the nite too. Sissy always pesters her the next morning to put her right back outside!

I used to have a Husky mix who likes to stay outside alot. She wasnt an outside dog, but she just enjoyed laying in the snow. So I'd put her out on a tie out for a she'd stay out there for hours at a time.. eventually she would bark and want back in for abit. She would only be in maybe an hour and would be wanting right back outside!

She was inside at nite.. but during the day, that was the routine.

Answer 8

We had a part husky who stayed outdoors. We felt sorry for him and would bring him inside, but he would just pace back and forth and pant until we let him back outside. In the worst weather he would sleep outside his house and the snow would cover him so we could hardly see him sometimes. His name was Rascal and he lived to a ripe old age!

Answer 9

I had a sibierian husky who loved to be outside, even in the snow and rain. Make sure to offer her a chance to come inside but if she is happy let her be. I always made mine stay in at night because of wild animals, skunks, coyotes etc. She will let you know if she wants to be inside. They are a little crazy, it's just there breed............

Answer 10

I had a husky and he wanted to stay outside even in the coldest weather he had an insulated dog house but would spend most of his time laying outside of it. I would look out when we were having a storm and wouldn't see him so i would call his name and he would pop his head up out of the snow. he preferred laying out in the storm instead of being in his dog house. they are a northern breed and prefer being outside.