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My Winter Statement: No I Won’t Bring My Dogs Inside This Winter.

I allow my dogs to be outside in the winter if they want to be, I don’t LEAVE them outside……….. there’s a big difference.

As I’m sitting here today looking out my sliding glass door, the weather outside, dare I say it, looks ironically frightful.

It doesn’t just look frightful, it feels frightful when you’re outside in it.

Lucky for us, and I say that with deep sincerity, a slow-moving lake effect snow band has set up over our house and it plans on dropping a few more inches on us before it moves to Pennsylvania and an Alberta clipper moves in.

The temperature gauge is reading 18°F with a real feel temperature of 7°F.

Baby, it’s cold outside.

Well, it’s cold outside for me.

But it’s perfect outside for Sherman and Leroy.

In fact, this is the time of year when people are shouting, “Bring your pets inside!”

I’m thinking to myself, I’m trying but they’re ignoring me!

Or “Put a coat on your dog!”

But my dogs have a blanket of white heavy snow on them and they’re perfectly content with that.

The picture that’s been floating around social media of a dog curled up covered in snow is a daily occurrence for my dogs.

My dogs don’t want to stay inside this time of the year, they want to be outside as much as they possibly can and if they do come inside they want to go back outside a few minutes later.

Leroy would sleep outside all night and try to eat all the snow if I would let him but I don’t let him because if he comes inside he’ll sleep on the couch and that makes me comfortable.

That’s how winter goes with a Newf and cold weather.

They only come inside because it makes their owner feel more comfortable.

Their double-coat is designed to protect them from icy waters and is up to the challenge of being outside in the cold.

This breed searches for the cold.

In fact, Newfies are one of the only breeds that can withstand icy cold waters because of their coat. 

They love it and they choose to be in it any day over being inside but I make them come inside because I’ve made them into Newfie weenies.

A typical snowy 20-degree day usually goes something like this:

Leroy and Sherman go outside after breakfast. I check on them 10 minutes later and when I ask them to come inside they look at me like I’m crazy.

Check back on them 20 minutes later, and Leroy won’t even acknowledge my presence but Sherman decides to come in because he doesn’t want me to be lonely.

Go back in a bit to check on Leroy and he still has selective hearing and Sherman wants to go back out.

Back again and Sherman comes in and I sternly tell Leroy it’s time to come in NOW because I’m getting tired of going downstairs and I have to concentrate for longer than 20 minutes. He reluctantly comes in, I give him a hug and tell him he needs to come in and warm up or his bones are going to get cold.

He gives a big sigh of disgust and lies on the couch for 10 minutes and then pesters me until I let him out again.

We will do this all day long in the winter.

Am I breaking any laws by allowing my dogs to be outside in cold temperatures?

No. Is it cruel?

I guess that depends on who you ask.

Every winter when I post pictures of the dogs outside covered in snow I get people who shout” Bring those dogs inside!”

It’s usually someone who’s not familiar with the breed and I do my best to cut them some slack but this just goes to show how brainwashed people can get.

Here’s my winter statement on that:

“No, I will not bring my dogs inside this winter. My dogs live for this weather and it makes them extremely happy to be out in it. They spend the entire summer inside the house because it’s too hot for them to be outside. The least I can do for them is to let them enjoy it as much as they possibly can.”

Now, with that being said, I have to take the time and say……..

Owners of dogs that thrive in colder climates still need to take responsibility for their dog and know when it’s too cold to leave their dog outside for long periods of time.

Check out: How Cold Is Too Cold For A Newfoundland

How cold is too cold for a Newfoundland? I would have to say that is all dependent on the individual dog.

According to Pet MD, “When temperatures fall below 32°F, owners of small breed dogs, dogs with thin coats, and/or very young, old, or sick dogs should pay close attention to their pet’s well-being.

Once temperatures drop under 20°F, all owners need to be aware that their dogs could potentially develop cold-associated health problems like hypothermia and frostbite.”

Things to take into account when determining how cold is too cold for your dog is the health of the dog, windchill, precipitation, and access to shelter.

Signs that it might be too cold out for a dog is shivering, being anxious, seems disoriented, lifting their paws. 

Sherman and Leroy have always had a protective patio to go under which allows them to stay outside longer than if they didn’t have that area.

They have water available at all times and they are checked on regularly and I have never, ever seen them shiver.

We know that unfortunately, some dogs are left outside against their will without shelter and we do not agree with that. Nor do we agree with dogs that are tethered outside all year round, however, we do not agree that every dog outside in the winter is in harm’s way

Many Newfoundland owners have said that they are often visited by the police or dog warden in the winter because their neighbors have called and reported them and I believe it. 

On the one hand, it’s good that people are paying attention more but on the other hand, it’s quite sad that Newfie owners have to live in fear that they will be reported for animal abuse when in fact the abuse would be not allowing them to enjoy the winter months. 

My dogs won’t be abused and if an officer gets called I will invite them in to meet the dogs and assess their living conditions. 

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Brytani

Friday 5th of March 2021

Funny I stumbled across this. I feel lile this could've been written for my lab. Hes an all weather dog as I put it and loves the snow as much as sun. Surprisingly, my Newf cant handle it as well as my lab. Or doesn't want to. Hes spent nearly all winter inside. He missed the memo on this being the perfect season for him.

Susanna

Friday 18th of December 2020

Hi Jen, I found this through your Instagram Story - and had to leave a comment. I am so glad I am not alone. I grew up with Newfies and have always had a newfie - no other dog for me. I am surrounded with dog people. Most of my friends have dogs. But no one has a newfie. And they simply do not get that newfies are a little different. I have been told that I cannot leave my dog out in the cold when all my newfie wants to do is sleep in the snow. I have seen newfies disappear in the falling snow - they simply don't move for hours and when you look for them they are totally covered. And they think that is the best about winter. I have been told that I should not let my dog go into the water when it has less than 10 degrees Celcius - how am I supposed to do that when all my dog wants to do on one of our winter hikes is run to the next mountain creek, take a bath and come back with ice cubes dangling from his fur and my dog smiling all over his face. We have not seen much snow yet this year - I think Fellow is waiting for it every day.

Thanks for this post, Susanna

alex

Wednesday 19th of February 2020

I´ve seen huskies with coats on in winter in non freezing conditions... My neighbor had a husky mix that didnt want to sleep indoors in Wisconsin after he was about 4 months old. The dog would sleep outdoors in the middle of the yard even though he had a shelter.

Chelsea

Monday 7th of January 2019

I can’t keep my Newfie inside - she pants and whines to go out... I live in Steamboat, Colorado and let her stay outside overnight otherwise she wakes me up about 5 times to go outside. They love the cold!

GROOVY GOLDENDOODLES

Monday 18th of December 2017

I used to get dirty looks from folks with Leo when we lived in VA.

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