We have all seen the warnings on Facebook about bringing your dogs inside when it is very cold outside. These posts started a few years ago as a reminder to people who had outdoor dogs that the weather was getting too cold and they should come inside.
However, it seems to have morphed in the past few years. When those posts started, it would usually be during those weeks when the temps drop to the single digits or even negatives. But now…people post things about bringing dogs inside when it drops below forty.
People have started going to the other extreme, such as calling the police if they see a dog outside when it is cold out. I have a bunch of friends who post things about how they will report people or they will take a dog away from the owner if they see it outside when it is this cold (around thirty). I always see this line “if it’s too cold for you, it’s too cold for them.”
I hate to break it to people, but dogs are not people. They are better adapted for the elements. They have fur. Seriously, they do. Well most of them. I do not want to get into a huge thing about canine evolution (it is fascinating by the way, I highly suggest reading about it), nor will I waste your time explaining the domestication process. Just trust me when I say, dogs are pretty tough. Well most of them.
I mean, look at this little goofball.
Samson spends the majority of his time indoors. Look how comfy he is curled up. However, when we go outside, he loves the snow. In fact, he runs around and rolls in it. He has his limits though. When it gets to the low teens, he goes out to the bathroom and then wants to come back in, but from about 20 to 75 degrees…he wants to be out there playing. Then the warmer it gets, he starts to slow down a bit.
Obviously not every dog is the same. Through artificial selection, we have bred some of that cold weather toughness out of them. My brother’s dog (a miniature pinscher) does not like the cold weather. Jackson is miserable outside when the temperature drops below 50.
I recently heard of someone who owns a couple of huskies. Siberian huskies. You know, those dogs that pull dogsleds and live in the Arctic. The ones that basically the closest to wolves. Wolves, those canines that live outside and never worry about the cold. Anyways, this person said that they have a large yard and the huskies stay outside. They can come inside and she said they do at night when it is cold, but for the most part she cannot get them inside. And yet, every winter she has to explain this to the police because her neighbors report her.
I do need to clarify here that I do believe you should bring them inside when it is extremely cold, like those dangerous temperatures of single digits or less. And obviously you need to know your dog. A chihuahua probably does not need to spend a ton of time outside in the snow. A St. Bernard? Yeah, they can probably handle it.
Maybe the point of this post is to actually speak to the dog’s owner before calling the cops. And think about the breed before you go being a hero.
