Moving to somewhere really cold

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Olimpia

Forums Novice
I just have a couple simple questions :)

I will be moving somehwere up north in the next coming months and the posible cities include Rochester, Cleveland, and Philadelphia. And seeing as I've lived in south Florida for the last 13 years, it's going to be a horrible move going to the cold suddenly.

My sheltie has always lived in Florida also, so although I know she has a coat made for the cold, I just wanted to know what precautions I should take if the weather gets reeally cold. Just the other day Rochester was hovering at around 0 degrees, and I feel like I should do something to help keep her toasty too. In Florida it really never goes below 40, so apart from a light raincoat to keep her dry, Mina doesn't own any clothing lol.

So:
1. What should I get for her? Doggie boots? A heavy sweater/coat?
2. When is the cold "too cold?
3. Anything else I should know about dogs and the cold? Again, I've never had the experience of living somewhere cold, so I don't know if there's stuff I don't know lol.

I can assure you that I will be walking around in about 17 layers of clothing! I want little Mina to be just as safe from the cold.

Thanks!
 
Welcome to the Great White North!

If you were going to be moving in the spring, I would say no problem. Your pup would gradually become acclimatized to winter through the falls months.

But since it sounds like you're moving while winter is still in full swing, then yes, you'll need to take steps.

The good news is that Sheltie coats are particuarly well adapted to northern climates...much better than southern, actually. If your Sheltie is full coated, then no need for doggie coats.

Boots might be necessary if there is alot of salt on the roads used for melting, otherwise, not really necessary.

How cold is too cold? When the pups start raising paws off the ground, then its definitely time to come in. It's about -15C here currently, and my pups were outside for a good 45 minutes before I decided (for them) that it was time to come in. In that 45 minute period, they were zooming around the backyard the whole time, keeping warm, I guess!

You want to examine their underpads from time to time. The dry, cold air will sometimes cause their pads to crack. You can actually use vaseline or regular lotion....the only problem is that the pups tend to lick it all off. I've not found a solution for that yet.

Hope this helps!
 
My sheltie hates the cold, lol. So she only goes outside to play, to do her business, and then she wants back in. My shelties are such "house" dogs, that they don't last very long outside at all.
 
BarbV said:
Welcome to the Great White North!

If you were going to be moving in the spring, I would say no problem. Your pup would gradually become acclimatized to winter through the falls months.

But since it sounds like you're moving while winter is still in full swing, then yes, you'll need to take steps.

The good news is that Sheltie coats are particuarly well adapted to northern climates...much better than southern, actually. If your Sheltie is full coated, then no need for doggie coats.

Boots might be necessary if there is alot of salt on the roads used for melting, otherwise, not really necessary.

How cold is too cold? When the pups start raising paws off the ground, then its definitely time to come in. It's about -15C here currently, and my pups were outside for a good 45 minutes before I decided (for them) that it was time to come in. In that 45 minute period, they were zooming around the backyard the whole time, keeping warm, I guess!

You want to examine their underpads from time to time. The dry, cold air will sometimes cause their pads to crack. You can actually use vaseline or regular lotion....the only problem is that the pups tend to lick it all off. I've not found a solution for that yet.

Hope this helps!
Click to expand...

All very good points. Remember to take it slow. introduce her to the outside and watch how she reacts to it. The paw lifting is a great sign of 'Hmm.. it's getting chilly..' Deja was born in Kentuky but arrived here in Alaska in June so it was warm and sunny. I will say that the first time she saw snow she went ape-poo over it and loved it. she would hang out all day long if I let her. Don't be surprised if your little girl does better than you think :)
 
Oh! one more thing.. spend time here on the forum. read what everyone posts. A lot can be gleaned just by following these threads. The poocicle one for instance is invaluable knowledge all cold weather dog owners should read!
 
Olimpia said:
I just have a couple simple questions :)

I will be moving somehwere up north in the next coming months and the posible cities include Rochester, Cleveland, and Philadelphia. And seeing as I've lived in south Florida for the last 13 years, it's going to be a horrible move going to the cold suddenly.

My sheltie has always lived in Florida also, so although I know she has a coat made for the cold, I just wanted to know what precautions I should take if the weather gets reeally cold. Just the other day Rochester was hovering at around 0 degrees, and I feel like I should do something to help keep her toasty too. In Florida it really never goes below 40, so apart from a light raincoat to keep her dry, Mina doesn't own any clothing lol.

So:
1. What should I get for her? Doggie boots? A heavy sweater/coat?
2. When is the cold "too cold?
3. Anything else I should know about dogs and the cold? Again, I've never had the experience of living somewhere cold, so I don't know if there's stuff I don't know lol.

I can assure you that I will be walking around in about 17 layers of clothing! I want little Mina to be just as safe from the cold.

Thanks!
Click to expand...


I'm jealous, have fun though!!
 
Great, thanks! I know that here when it's gotten "cold" (40-30*F) she still wants to go swimming and run around outside while we're sitting there shivering to death! It just makes me nervous since she's never really experienced snow and ice, even though I know full well she's built for it. So we'll see how she likes it lol.

Thanks for the advice!
 
Our Mally loves the cold weather over the heat. When it gets cold out he seems to get re-charged/more energy. We got Mally in July when it was hot.
His first time in the snow was in December, 2005 I beleive. Oh, my was he happy. Stuck his nose in the snow/came up with a white face, tail wagging.
I bet your sheltie will like the cold and snow overall better than the heat. Hope I am right. Also, I beleive over all shelties like the cold. I think the Shetland Islands are cold (where shelties originate)
 
Mally's Mom said:
Our Mally loves the cold weather over the heat. When it gets cold out he seems to get re-charged/more energy. We got Mally in July when it was hot.
His first time in the snow was in December, 2005 I beleive. Oh, my was he happy. Stuck his nose in the snow/came up with a white face, tail wagging.
I bet your sheltie will like the cold and snow overall better than the heat. Hope I am right. Also, I beleive over all shelties like the cold. I think the Shetland Islands are cold (where shelties originate)
Click to expand...

Our northerly latitudes mean our climate is usually cooler than mainland UK. Summer is generally from May to August, winter from October to March. Our summers average about 13C, occasionally climbing to 20C, with fresh to strong southerly winds. Being near water, we can suffer from coastal fog and mist during the warm times, closing the main airport for days at a time. In mid-summer, daylight is for almost 24 hours – yes, it hardly gets dark! However, winter is totally opposite. The daylight hours are much shorter then, about six hours in mid-winter, so the winters are very long and dark. The weather can be very changeable, going from dry and blustery at times to very wet and stormy, even hurricane force. Most rain falls in winter, and combined with very strong winds, can be horizontal! We don’t get much snow, maybe a few short periods, which may last a week, but the salt in the air soon disperses it. The local Council is very good at keeping the roads clear, so driving is rarely a problem, though obviously you have to take care. Average temperature then is approx. 3C, and it seldom goes below 0C.

taken from:
http://www.escapeartist.com/efam16/Shetland_Islands.html

What an amazing place! 13c = 55f, 20c = 60f... 0c = 32 (freezing) FYI. Hehe.. Sorry, had to look it up so thought others might not know either..
 
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