Winter Safety: When Is It too Cold To Walk Your Dog?

Hands  up who else totally dismissed the weather man as always being wrong and  woke up to a bit of a shock yesterday to everything smothered in white?   Least to say, the hounds were not impressed!

It’s  always one of two responses we see in hounds.  One being total  suspicion, tip toeing around and only being outside long enough to go to  the toilet before rushing back indoors to the safety of their bed and  blanket to be tucked back in against the offensive weather…or two, oh my  god this is the best thing in the world!  It’s zoomie time, let’s  gooooooooo!

Ours are very much in  camp number one and we’ve been bumming around indoors in our collective  (not matching) pyjamas for the last 24 hours!  Though we did brave the  -2 degrees this morning for a short walk, though once they’d done their  business, they frog marched us all the way home like they were running  from a dragon.

Then we offended  them on a level that only hound owners will appreciate when we dared to  clean their paws of the grit after getting in the door.

Though  as much as we would love to hibernate through the rest of winter, we do  have to rug up warm and brave the coming months while wishing for  Spring to arrive as soon as possible.

While  we await those warmer days, there are things we should be thinking  about to ensure our hounds safety. Winter comes with its own set of  worries for hound owners; walking in the dark, bad weather, flooding,  snow, ice, salt and antifreeze just to name a few!

No  two dogs are the same when it comes to their preferences in walking or  otherwise adventuring out in the cold.  Though there is a fairly  accurate generalisation that greyhounds like to avoid walking in any  form of poor weather!
This, in part, is likely  because greyhounds and other short, coated sighthounds feel the cold  much more sensitively than other breeds. It can be a real struggle for  them to cope with the winter weather, so it is important that you take  the appropriate measures!

One of  the easiest things you can do is to have an appropriately fitted coat  for them. There are numerous coat styles available to suit all the  seasons, weathers, and preferences, but you need to make sure they are a  sighthound coat.

You won’t be  able to walk into the average pet shop and find one.  Due to their body  shape and length, it is incredibly rare to find any ‘normal dog’ coat to  fit them and any coat you might pick up at Pets At Home is likely to  only reach half way down their backs and make them look utterly  ridiculous…and if your greyhounds bum is hanging out the back of the  coat, it’s not going to do anything to keep them warm!  

Your  best bet is going online and finding greyhound coat suppliers or  makers. There are countless crafters out there who make wonderful  made-to-measure coats for long dogs!

If you’re looking for suggestions, check out some of our follower recommendations here:
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Should  you be concerned for their feet both from the cold and the exposure to  gritting salt, if you think they will tolerate them, you can get little  dog booties! Hunny Boots or Therapaw Boots are particularly good for  sighthounds!

Don’t forget to make  sure you’re visible!  It is dark as hell in the mornings and afternoons  now, which us Brits complain about every year as if we don’t know it’s  coming!

A head, chest or hand  torch for you, and a simple collar/harness light or high-visibility  overlay on the dog’s coat (if they don’t have hi-vis features already on  their coat) can greatly improve your visibility to cars and other  walkers, especially if you live in an area without streetlights or the  lights aren’t on at your walking times.

Avoid  using a long line when walking in the dark as it is impossible to  properly monitor your hounds, and snow coverage can hide a lot of  dangers such as bodies of ice-covered water, fallen branches or barbed  wire fences. It only takes one squirrel or rabbit to have your dog off  running and they, and you, won’t be able to see the danger coming before  it’s too late.
It's the same for flooding. It's hard to gauge how deep the water is, or what lurks below the surface.

For  the same reason, don’t take the attractive snowy scenery as an excuse  to venture off into new walking areas. Keep to what you know and only  well traversed paths while keeping your hound on the lead!

Staying  on the lead during particularly cold weather is also important beyond  this. Running around in the cold can initially heat up your dog and they  may start panting, but their temperature can drop very rapidly  following a temperature spike, leaving them very cold and at risk.  This  holds more of a risk for older hounds or those with underlying health  conditions.

Snow also hides  things like dropped human foods and other items, dead animals and other  thins that your hound should not be picking up and eating.  Just this  morning one of our hounds picked something up after snuffling around in  the snow, it was dark, we don’t know what it is but thankfully we were  quick enough to wrestle it out of her mouth and throw it into the  bushes.  The last thing you want is an impromptu trip to the emergency  vet because your hound ate something potentially dangerous in the dark  and you have no idea what it was!

When  you get in from your chilly walks, make sure to wipe your hounds’ feet.  If they’ve been walking on gritted paths or roads, there is a chance  they could ingest it when they lick their paws clean post-walk. Gritting  salt is not only an irritant for their skin, but also toxic when  ingested.  Though be prepared for tragic side eye and total judgement  for daring to do so.

There is  also a greater chance of your hounds encountering anti-freeze or  rat-bait in the winter months, both of which can be fatal. If you’re  concerned as to whether they’ve ingested any of the above three items,  contact your vet immediately!

If  you are inclined, swap them out of their coat into some jimjams to keep  them warm indoors, prevent a sharp body temperature drop…and save on  the heating bill! Putting on a little paw balm can also help keep their  toe beans in good condition and prevent cracking.

Though this is all assuming you’re taking your dog out at all!

You  might check the weather before setting out, realise a storm or  tragically cold weather is blowing through (like it is this week!) and  think better of it!

There are  also other considerations to take into account such as your hounds age  and medical condition. Winter can be particularly difficult for dogs  with arthritis, so shortening your walks or abandoning them altogether  may be appropriate depending on the weather.

While  British weather can be unpredictable, we are lucky in that it very  rarely gets so cold that everything comes to a grinding halt. Though for  those up north, it can be a different story!

While  different sized breeds and coat types can cope with varying cold  temperatures, greyhounds really shouldn’t be outdoors in temperatures  beyond -4/-5. Even then, you’re pushing it. Any colder than that runs  the risk of frostbite and hypothermia if out in it for long periods,  particularly if it involves a lot of running around (even though that  sounds odd!)

If the temperatures are below zero, keep your walks short and on routes you are well familiarised with.

If  you must go outside in unsafe temperatures, for instance you live in a  flat and you need to get your dog out for toilet breaks, make sure to  keep them frequent, but brief, and make sure to look for signs that your  dog is struggling with the cold such as shivering, hunching, and  shifting weight between their paws to lift them up.

Thankfully,  greyhounds don’t ‘need’ a lot of exercise to maintain their fitness,  even though they enjoy it. So, if they must miss a few walks because of  the weather, the world won’t end…but they can get a little bored!

If  you (or the dog) stick your head out the front door and decide against  venturing out; provide them with some other forms of stimulation such as  using your usual walking times to play with them or provide additional  enrichment!
Though be careful! You don’t want your  hound getting fat! Make sure to adapt your dog’s food intake to account  for the lack of exercise!

How do  you and your hounds fare during the Winter months? Does your area tend  to get off lightly or are you going to be spending a lot of time indoors  with your hound for the next couple of months? Drop a comment below on  what accommodations you make to ensure your hounds safety over Winter!