# How cold is too cold for a dog to be outdoors? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 14, 2005, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-a-dog-to-be-outdoors/284739 "2005-01-14T17:28:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-a-dog-to-be-outdoors/284739/21 "2005-01-15T17:57:09Z")
Obviously it depends on the dog! An indoor greyhound or chihuahua needs a sweater to go out in what I think of as “normal” winter cold snaps (around freezing). My indoor double-coated Westie is okay in freezing temperatures, but he sure dosen’t like them. An outdoor frigid-weather working sled dog wouldn’t even notice the cold. Here when it gets below freezing they tell us to take our pets and our plants indoors, but I’ve never in my life seen temperatures even think about approaching the ones you’re talking about. Obviously, 40 below is not okay to leave an indoor dog out unprotected. I guess the real question is, how warm does the dog have to be able to make the doghouse to make it safe? ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-a-dog-to-be-outdoors/284739/22 "2005-01-15T18:22:10Z")
I advocate doggie doors. Lets the dog go out when they need to, and inside to be comfy. They’re great. IMHO, dogs really shouldn’t be left at home all day inside or outside. A doggie door really removes stress on the dogs owner as well. Our Rozee (a Border Collie too) gets walked every day, at other times, she can do as she wishes, even at 3am. Baring that, you can buy ‘dog warmers’ it’s like a heavy duty heating pad. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-a-dog-to-be-outdoors/284739/23 "2005-01-15T19:08:20Z")
> [@alice\_in\_wonderland](#): > > 1. Mom and dad are either a 4 hour plane ride + a 3 hour drive, or a 14 hour drive away. I’m not heading out there for a day to dog sit. > > 2. Dusty has a crate that he stays in at night. However, putting him in there for **MORE** than eight hours isn’t a very good idea. > > 3. As I’m pretty sure I mentioned in the OP - mom and dad have decided not to go, and my question pertains to dogs in general, using Dusty as an example. > > However, if you folks would like to continue answering questions that I didn’t ask, or offering solutions to problems that don’t exist, please do so. > > For anyone else - **how cold is too cold for a dog to be left out with the aforementioned conditions**? In that case you’re in the wrong forum. There is no specific answer to your non-specific question, which I bolded in the above quote. Maybe MPSIMS? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-a-dog-to-be-outdoors/284739/24 "2005-01-15T19:18:01Z")
Canadian dopers, unless you’re talking 40 below zero, please do us all a favo **u** r and specify which temperature scale you’re reporting. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-a-dog-to-be-outdoors/284739/25 "2005-01-15T19:27:34Z")
> [@grienspace](#): > > Canadian dopers, unless you’re talking 40 below zero, please do us all a favo **u** r and specify which temperature scale you’re reporting. When it hits -40, the scales are equal, hence there is no need to specify. Mods, please close this thread, if you would be so kind. Nobody seems to want to actually answer the question and instead are discussing ways to leave dogs home alone, which has nothing to do with what I was asking. Cheers. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-a-dog-to-be-outdoors/284739/26 "2005-01-15T19:36:13Z")
> [@alice\_in\_wonderland](#): > > When it hits -40, the scales are equal, hence there is no need to specify. But only at -40[sup]o[/sup] are they equal. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-a-dog-to-be-outdoors/284739/27 "2005-01-15T19:44:17Z")
> [@alice\_in\_wonderland](#): > > When it hits -40, the scales are equal, hence there is no need to specify. > > Mods, please close this thread, if you would be so kind. Nobody seems to want to actually answer the question and instead are discussing ways to leave dogs home alone, which has nothing to do with what I was asking. > > Cheers. Sled dogs, -60 or colder C _or_ F, I guess. Minuature hairless chihuahuas, oh about +80F or so. Surely no colder. Hope that helps. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-a-dog-to-be-outdoors/284739/28 "2005-01-15T19:44:56Z")
> [@alice\_in\_wonderland](#): > > Mods, please close this thread, if you would be so kind. Done. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-a-dog-to-be-outdoors/284739.md?page=1)