Cold Weather Advice

[Emily1123]

Hi all!

My partner and I are approaching our first winter with our almost 11 month old Newf/Husky mix. We are in Montreal so it gets quite cold. We are in an apartment so we have been walking him about 45 minutes in morning and about an hour in afternoon and just a quick ten/fifteen minutes before bed. He seems to have been loving the weather lately and we know he will love when there is more snow on the ground but we are a bit worried about exercise in the cold cold winter days. Any other cold-weather dwellers have suggestions on what temps start to be too cold and ideas for exercise! (or recommend any gear?) We have been told he doesn't need boots for the salt.

Emily

 

[Jeannie]

I would not be too concerned. Your dog is bred for colder weather. He will enjoy the winter and not want to come inside.

Only words of advise would be to use your head, if it is a blizzard then I'd think twice. Watch for snow pack in the paws. You can spray Pam cooking spray or use Vaseline in the paws. You can also purchase special salve for the paws. No matter what if you are in a lot of salt wipe them off when you get back.

 

[Brandie&Maggie]

Like Jeannie said, just be smart. Be cautious walking him on ice as it can get slippery and they can get hurt. If the snow is sticky/packed, they can get ice balls in between the pads of the feet that are painful, so check those throughout the walk and pull them out ASAP.

Be sure to keep the fur on the feet trimmed well to make snow removal easier. We also keep the furnishings shorter in the winter for the same reason. When we come in, I found the easiest thing was to have a bucket of warm water to dip the feet/legs in to melt the snow and remove any salt.

Walking/running through snow can be more exercise than a regular walk, so you may not have to be out as long.

For you, invest in some Yak Tracks for icy weather if you don't have them already. They can easily pull you off your feet, even if they don't mean to. I speak from experience with a broken wrist last January.

 

[CathyC.]

canadian here. you will succumb to the cold long before you newf. even in your parka and toque. your challenge will be waiting on the bank while your newf decides to take a leisurely dip in the ice encrusted waters as though it were a balmy day mid summer!

salt water is really great for newf skin and coat but who knows what is mixed up in road salt. we use a cream or wax on obi's paws if we are walking on sidewalks and we do have to pause during walks sometimes to get rid of ice buildup in the pads. enjoy the winter with your newf!

 

[Emily1123]

Thanks guys! This is the first winter I am looking forward to! (At least for now ahaha)