Do you let your dog(s) play outside in freezing or near-freezing temperatures?

[Lacinda]

My dog hates the snow and rain. If it gets too cold she refuses to go out for a walk. It's hard enough to get her to go out potty.

[motherofmolly]

my belgian malinois loved the snow and cold. he would run around and play in it. now the lab is hit and miss with it. if it is really cold, i have him inside. but if it isnt freezing he wants to stay outside in the kennel all day. it has been warmer this week and he wants to stay outside even at night...but i have been brining him in just for my peace of mind.

[Inlovewithnight]

I own a rough-coat collie. He absolutely loves the cold and the snow. My husband plows a area for him in the snow and my collie climbs up on the pile of snow. I do time him when he is outside in the cold, only fifteen minutes and back inside. I'm sure he well insulted with all that Collie fur.

[greenfrog57]

My dog is spoiled - she refuses to go out if it's too cold - or will run out - use the restroom and is ready to come right back in.

That's my Sally. She makes a funny low woowoowoowoowoowoo sound and rubs her back on the wall when it's to cold and she has to go (I think it means, "Please warm it up out there before I go out"!)

My Sammy doesn't even seem to notice the snow. LOL

[Troop1379]

I voted no just cause mine are spoiled and the tard is not fenced in. i would try it if the yard was fenced in. I really don't think they would stay out very long cause they are so spoiled

[abond0017]

I voted yes but it is really yes and no.
My dachshund is so close to the ground that if there is snow, he starts shivering within 10 minutes and his leg hairs are covered with little snow balls (so pathetic looking).
So if it's just cold...I put sweaters on them and let them go. If it is snowing...outings are cut very short.

[kval07]

I let my dogs play out for as long as they want. When they are ready to come in, Chester paws at the door. They are cooped up all day while I'm at work, so I won't deny them stuff they love. They have Mushers Secret on their paws at all times and I'll send them out in sweaters and sweatshirts which help cover their bellies a bit. Snow doesn't stick to Roscoe but Chester is another story. I'll lay a towel on the ground and when he comes in he'll stand on it and I'll comb all the snow out of his fur.

[KmmCo]

My dog grows the double coat in the winter ( and sheds a ton this time of year!) so he is designed for the cold weather. I worry more about keeping him cool in the summer. We are very outdoorsy in the winter and I figure if we humans can camp and sleep outside in the winter, it sure doesn't hurt the dogs to be out. We do have a doggie door on our house that we live in now, but at our old house the dogs just stayed out - they slept in straw in an insulated dog house that we built. We had to get a heated water bowl though, because otherwise it froze in the winter.

[cdadabo]

When our Lab was alive (he passed away last September) he LOVED the snow! He loved being outside in the snow playing in it with our boys. We now have a Jack Russel Terrier and she's just the same -- she loves the snow, but likes have a sweater or coat on to keep her warm. Her fur is very thin so she gets cold easy, and I have to watch her paw pad closely, too. They tend to dry out and even cracked last year. BTW, thank you for the Musher's Secret tip, KVA107!