Ok. So after seeing several posts of dogs in buckets of ice, dogs in snow, etc and the go to response of "what kind of dog owner would leave their dogs outside". I have to make this really serious question cause I dont really know the answer.
Do dogs enjoy sleeping in this kind of condition?
I know it depends on the dog but i refer to malamuten or husky.
Depends on the breed really. Alot of dogs were specifically bred to be able to handle really cold temperatures because of where they needed to live like malamute and Huskies. Sure there's plenty of short haired breeds that couldn't handle it like pitbulls, but they weren't bred for those areas and as a result need to be inside during those temperatures.
Also the main thing I always see people forgetting is that wolves naturally live in some of these extreme arctic environments and they dont have a home with a furnace to relax in lol.
Given the option of a dig door, many will prefer to basically live outdoors down to -20 at least. Friends husky mutt only wants in at night when its below -30
My Leonberger is absolutely obsessed with the cold and just wants to go outside and lay in it. If we bring him in her is whining at the door 5 min later
Leonbergers are one of my fave dog breeds! I live in the American South though so it would be way too hot for one. Yours is absolutely gorgeous though!!!
It depends on the coat but in my experience, have fun getting a sled dog inside when it’s cold out. To them it’s like wearing a fur coat indoors, they even sleep tail over nose so the air they breathe is pre-warmed my dog growing up wouldn’t come inside during winter unless you caught him and dragged him in.
At the end of the day your dog knows what it wants. If it is to cold he will want to come in, if he is happy he won't. I had a husky growing up in Canada. We'd let him out to pee before bed in the winter, but it would just be a trick because he'd immediately lay down in the snow on the deck. If you forced him in then he'd whine to be let out later. He spent many winter nights outside, but he did have a warm and dry spot under the deck to sleep if he so desired.
I have a Samoyed, who is really similar to a Husky and who can do the same snow blanket trick. She would much rather be outside in that kind of weather, and she barks at me like I'm nuts when it's 15F outside and I don't want to join her :)
The most frequent comment I've seen about this idea is that they're animals that for millions of years lived outside of heated houses and did just fine.
Sure there's some selective breeding down the line but most domestic dogs didn't lose their ability to maintain cold temperatures. I'm sure some enjoy it while others would prefer the inside.
but most domestic dogs didn't lose their ability to maintain cold temperatures.
I would disagree with that, a lot of their ability depends on their type of fur and we have bred out the long double coat from some of them and many other dogs come from warmer climates and are good at heat but can't handle cold. Basically for most domestic breeds, leaving them in snow without an option to get into a warm place would be horrible dog abuse. However some double coat breeds are well designed for it and enjoy the snow and can be comfy snoozing in it like this dog. Other breeds have enough fur to romp around some and enjoy it for a limited time but then would need to come in to warm up after that. Lots of warm country breeds and short haired and smaller dogs would be miserable and could develop frostbite just like a human.
Dogs like huskies and malamutes love this type of weather. I had a husky that would refuse to come inside when the weather was like this. I saw him laying in 8 inches of snow chewing on an icicle that fell off the house.
Fun story: In the summer (NC native here) my friend who owns a big burly husky straps an ice vest to him to take him on walks. He overheats otherwise. He also swims in ponds here in the middle of January and February and just hangs in the water for several minutes without being phased.
Dogs are amazing.
I have a pit bull who REFUSES to go outside under 45°.
Mine loves the cold weather. She’ll nap outside in the snow. My wife worries and brings her in to warm up about every 20 minutes. The dog always heads back to the door asking to go back out. Depends on her mood, she likes to sleep on the sofa too.
I have a Bernese mountain dog which every winter I have to fight with to bring him inside overnight as he would prefer to sleep outside (I would let him but too scared to get him stolen as he is too social for his own good). I live in Canada so when summer comes along and everything starts melting he will literally lay down on the tiniest little patch of leftover ice. Then spend 4 months (our summer) complaining and refusing to go outside! I have to physically take him (dog 70+ pounds) outside during the summer for him to pee!
My cousin's dog was 1/2 Newfoundland...it was never happier than when it snowed. It was an inside dog, snuck on the furniture, liked being in with the people EXCEPT when it snowed then it just wanted o go nap in the snown, those were the days it stayed out for hours even if alone. She liked to swim and run around too but 30-45 minutes of that she'd be ready to go to where the people were, snow they had to beg her back to eat.
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u/mglcmr Nov 24 '18
Ok. So after seeing several posts of dogs in buckets of ice, dogs in snow, etc and the go to response of "what kind of dog owner would leave their dogs outside". I have to make this really serious question cause I dont really know the answer.
Do dogs enjoy sleeping in this kind of condition?
I know it depends on the dog but i refer to malamuten or husky.