Cold weather

kazie

kazie

Forums Regular
Luna NEVER wants to come in the house! Temperatures here in Utah are in the single or negative digits and still she barks, whines, cries and scratches at the door to be let out. She would stay outside from dawn to well after dark if I would let her. I'm running out of ways to keep her entertained. I've used food puzzles, nose training, find it commands, hide and seek, a billion treats a day and 24/7 training sessions. At some point, I need to at least make the bed and do the dishes. It's just too cold for me to take her on our usual extended hikes and walks. In fact, there is so much snow, we can't even access our usual trails. Suggestions?
 
Fillion is outside on the patio as I type this. Its 34 degrees and dark. The second I open the dog door flap in the morning out he goes. He will come in of his own accord in about an hour.
Is Luna safe outside? As in fenced yard, porch or patio to lay on with no snow, etc? I guess I figure my dog isn't stupid and will come in when he gets cold enough...they were bred for inclement weather. Years ago, before the coyotes began terrorizing our neighborhood, Koko wanted to sleep outside in the cold. Back then I could leave the dog door open for them at night and not worry. But if you don't have a secure area, then you are winter screwed the way we are down here in AZ during the summer.
 
My last boy Riley was a big Sheltie (roughly 19” and 44 pounds) and he loved being outside laying on the snow surveying his territory! However with the extreme cold we get (currently-30 outside) I’d never let him stay out for long!
How about a treadmill? I have a regular (not a dog one) treadmill and I’ve trained my 2 older dogs to use it, in fact my 5 year old boy Finnie LOVES the treadmill. I never let them use it unsupervised but it can be a great way to expend energy during the colder winter months. There are lots of videos on how to get them used to a treadmill. What I basically did was I’d start them standing on it (turned off) on a leash and I’d straddle them with each foot off the belt. Then I’d turn it on and lower the speed to a VERY slow walk. I’d give lots of encouragement and as the dog got used to it I’d turn up the speed to a pace that was appropriate for the dog (not too fast or too slow…you can tell by where their front paws are hitting). I also position the treadmill against a wall so they can’t jump off the other side. As they become accustomed to it I step off but stay close (I usually have a chair close by). Finnie loves it so much he’ll walk with me on it lol…the only way I can keep him off is to shut the door:lol:.
 
Margi said:
Fillion is outside on the patio as I type this. Its 34 degrees and dark. The second I open the dog door flap in the morning out he goes. He will come in of his own accord in about an hour.
Is Luna safe outside? As in fenced yard, porch or patio to lay on with no snow, etc? I guess I figure my dog isn't stupid and will come in when he gets cold enough...they were bred for inclement weather. Years ago, before the coyotes began terrorizing our neighborhood, Koko wanted to sleep outside in the cold. Back then I could leave the dog door open for them at night and not worry. But if you don't have a secure area, then you are winter screwed the way we are down here in AZ during the summer.
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It is minus 11 degrees here right now. Sunny but COLD! Luna is confined to my three acres with an electric fence line she would NEVER cross and my front porch is covered so she can sit right next to the front door if she chooses. She mostly chooses to sit on top of the four feet of snow covering my entire property this winter. Crazy dog! (And crazy winter!)
 
Piper's mom said:
My last boy Riley was a big Sheltie (roughly 19” and 44 pounds) and he loved being outside laying on the snow surveying his territory! However with the extreme cold we get (currently-30 outside) I’d never let him stay out for long!
How about a treadmill? I have a regular (not a dog one) treadmill and I’ve trained my 2 older dogs to use it, in fact my 5 year old boy Finnie LOVES the treadmill. I never let them use it unsupervised but it can be a great way to expend energy during the colder winter months. There are lots of videos on how to get them used to a treadmill. What I basically did was I’d start them standing on it (turned off) on a leash and I’d straddle them with each foot off the belt. Then I’d turn it on and lower the speed to a VERY slow walk. I’d give lots of encouragement and as the dog got used to it I’d turn up the speed to a pace that was appropriate for the dog (not too fast or too slow…you can tell by where their front paws are hitting). I also position the treadmill against a wall so they can’t jump off the other side. As they become accustomed to it I step off but stay close (I usually have a chair close by). Finnie loves it so much he’ll walk with me on it lol…the only way I can keep him off is to shut the door:lol:.
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Surveying her territory is exactly what Luna wants to do! She decided early on she was "in charge" of everything on our property including the horses. She watches them constantly. She can't actually get to the pastures because she has an electric fence, but she is convinced if she barks and they just happen to move at the same time, she has herded them! I LOVE shelties so much!
 
kazie said:
Surveying her territory is exactly what Luna wants to do! She decided early on she was "in charge" of everything on our property including the horses. She watches them constantly. She can't actually get to the pastures because she has an electric fence, but she is convinced if she barks and they just happen to move at the same time, she has herded them! I LOVE shelties so much!
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That’s so sweet!
My former obedience trainer had 2 horses and if they were in the front pasture when we arrived Piper would bark and bark at them! I’d just say look at the horses and he’d get so mad at them!
One day we were leaving and the horses were out front. Rather than leave I walked over to the fence with Piper (on leash) to see his reaction up close. I picked him up (he’s a small Sheltie at 13 3/4”) and waited as one of the horses approached us. The horse came right up to the fence and reached her head over to sniff Piper. I had to stop myself from laughing hysterically because when the horse was sniffing him he turned his head the opposite way…kinda like if I can’t see you, you can’t see me :ROFLMAO:.
Tough guy:lol:
 
Our shelites have always loved the outside times in the winter-- we are headed for 44 below zero wind chills this week and they will stay out as long as they want in a fenced in yard but I do worry about the paw pads at those temps but they are on snow so the temp of the snow will not be too severe... we had a big tree limb come down and it damaged the gate abit and I will try to fix it tomorrow so the opening is smaller-- I worry about coyotes as well-- our fence is 5 feet tall so that helps. Shelties that are winter acclimated have very dense undercoats-- ours are looking like rag a muffins and scruffy now but it keeps them dry in the rain and warm in the winter-- as long as they are not forced to stay out longer than they want I think they are sensible enuf to come in when they are cold-- for those of you who have to be there with them to walk them -- you have my sympathies.. I will not be taking mine for a walk this weekend- nay I will be by the woodstove napping and dreaming of spring...shelties sleeping at my feet or on the couch with me as the fire crackles away in the wood stove....
 
It was wind chill 20 F below here last night and shelties did not spend much time outside, no play zoomies just business then inside- zoomies in the house tho cause we always have to have zoomies. The plastic flap on the doggy door was so stiff that it was hard to move open or closed so we had to make sure they could come in when they wanted.. warmer days ahead tho so back to the ice rink outside..
 
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