How Cold Before A Coat?

[Guest magiknat]

We've recently adopted a greyhound and was wondering how far to let the mercury drop before we put a coat on our big guy? What's the best way to decide if it is too cold to go out without a coat on?

[TheFullHouse]

Mine don't wear coats in the winter because to be honest the temperature where we live rarely goes below freezing. Mine have gone out and played in the snow for about 15 minutes with the temperatures in the 20's and been fine. If we were taking them for long walks, I might add a light jacket but nothing heavy. People on the board from places like Canada do put coats on their pups.

[Guest Scouts_mom]

Dogs differ in how much they feel the cold, but my rule of thumb is: if I want my ear muffs and gloves, it is time for the dog coats.

[Hubcitypam]

The only time mine don a coat it's well below freezing and/or there is a ton of snow and we have cabin fever and take a walk. A healthy adult greyhound doesn't need a coat when you don a sweater, contrary to popular belief. They don't need a coat for in and out potties in the back yard - believe me they have enough sense to do their business and come in from the cold.

 

In the U.S. the vast majority of greyhounds grow up outside on farms where it is 100+ in the summer and well below freezing in the winter. No coats. I wouldn't toss a dog that had been living in a house and lost its farm coat outside for hours on end, but a lot of people go way too far.

[Feisty49]

http://forum.greytal...ce#entry5073172

 

There are a lot of comments about the cold and dressing in the above topic. I do not judge by my reaction whether to put a coat on Annie Bella. I get cold in relatively warm temps and wear mittens, at least in the early morning when the air is at its coolest, about 6 months a year. My girl wouldn't need any covering at 40 degrees, unless it was really windy bringing a wind chill to 30 or lower, but I'm wrapped up tight! LOL IMO, you've got to get used to your dog. If she's shivering, she's too cold. If she's panting after a walk, she's too hot.

Edited July 5, 2012 by Feisty49

[Guest IrskasMom]

Awww you are having Wintertime while we are baking in this Heat. I usualy put a Coat on my Boy when it's below 40 closer to 30 Fahrenheit . No Coat for Pottybreaks in the Backyard.

[Guest magiknat]

The rescue group where Zac came from put them in coats at night when they were housed in kennels. He will be spending time outdoors during the day though. It never gets near freezing here at all, the coldest temps would be in the 50s F.

[OwnedBySummer]

50F and up wouldn't make me head for a coat. If she was going into the yard with me for a while and there was a wind, I would maybe consider a sweater (like the tummy warmers from Voyager K9). But I still probably wouldn't put one on at such a high temperature. I go with whether or not she is cold -- shivering? earsies cold? a foot held up because it's cold? Sometimes she'll sit in the snow when she's cold and not want to move. 50F is warm enough that there's no snow, no ice, no real cold. I'd have a sweater on hand just because -- but probably nothing heavy, a single layer of fleece should do you.

 

Edit: What exactly do you mean by "spending time outdoors"? Walks? Playing in the yard with you? Driving around in the car?

Edited July 6, 2012 by OwnedBySummer

[Guest magiknat]

Outside for a few hours hanging out in the yard. He doesn't seem cold at all, no shivering and his ears are nice and warm.

[EnzaFerrari]

What's this "cold" thing?

[KF_in_Georgia]

I've got a senior dog with some health issues. In the winter here, with inside temps of about 60F, he's cold. He'll wake me up if his covers come off. He gets a very light-weight coat (a light knit fabric), or one of my old t-shirts (with the excess fabric pulled up on his back and rubber-banded to keep it there--so he doesn't step on the hem of the shirt when he walks). He'll wear that inside the house and out. If I don't put it on him, I don't get any sleep because if I just put a blanket over him, the covers will come off. With a shirt, he can stand up, turn around, lie back down, and still feel "covered."

 

He was sleeping in his light coat and under a blanket when I went to the kitchen. He came to see what I was doing and wore his blanket. That's his sister's coated backside in the foreground of the photo.

 

His younger sister likes having a blanket tossed over her at night, and she'll stay contentedly under the blanket all night. Sometimes I've put a coat on her when it's chilly inside, but she doesn't seem to care. She doesn't get jackets or coats outside; she doesn't seem to want one.

 

The girl.

I'm outside Atlanta. Our outdoor temps last year barely dropped down to freezing.

Edited July 6, 2012 by KF_in_Georgia

[Hubcitypam]

Absolutely no need for a coat in the 50s if your dog seems fine - unless it makes you feel like a better adopter. That seems to happen.

[Houndtime]

The rule of thumb is usually, if you need a coat, your dog needs a coat. I don't coat my dogs if they are just going out in the yard for a quick pee and poop. When we walk, we coat them. I make coats and get orders in the summer from people who have older, frail dogs who get chilly in air conditioning. I make flannel or knit housecoats for indoor wear. Actually, in the colder states, some people prefer light fleece coats indoors. As the previous poster stated, if these dogs get cold, we don't sleep.

[greyhead]

How low a temp is comfortable depends also on humidity and wind. Here in Seattle my seniors wear coats at about 60 if it's damp and/or there's a chilly breeze. In dry Wyoming, that probably wouldn't have been necessary. And we keep the house at 70 in the winter and 73 in summer. But to me being cold is just miserable, so I have no problem keeping the hounds toasty too! But not all hounds and their people agree on what "cold" and "hot" are. So feeling their ears and belly, as well as seeing how tightly they curl up when lying down, are good indications of their comfort levels.

[FountainLady]

Normally there would be little need for a coat for a young healthy greyhound at 50 degrees.

 

But if there is a strong wind and/or rain, then it could feel much colder. You might want a light weight fleece or a light raincoat if you plan on spending a lot of time out walking with him/her in the weather. But just for quick potty breaks outdoors, you really wouldn't need a coat.

[cleptogrey]

watch your dog, if dandruff is popping up and they feel cold to your finger tips then it probably needs a coat. a damp and windy day can be chillier than a dry cold and from my experiences. if you are walking at a brisk pace even when it's cold(below 25degrees F) you only need a light coat. but if it's a windy dark/damp 25 yes a good warm coat. i take my dogs out for long walks no matter what. mine have every weight coat- and they seem to need a light polar fleece coat, which covers their chest at night while sleeping since our house is kept cool- around 55 deg.F at night. for turn-outs and playing in the snow during the winter, it's in and out w/o anything on. especially for playing, they love to cool down in the snow. home owner's dogs seem to tolerate the cold better than apartment dwellers, the heat is always pumped up in an apt. in the ny area.

 

i have coats from sueshappytails.com and voyager- sue's are warmer and have a better chest panel. but i doubt if you will be going out in single didget #s or experiencing the wicked fridgid air blown off the hudson river at riverside park in nyc.now that's a cold spot!

[Guest Liz_in_PA]

I have one dog with bunny fur who never needs a coat. The other dog simply has her color painted on with no actual fur. She wears a t-shirt or hoodie all winter inside. I like my sleep. It usually works fine for going outside too. If it's cold enough that bunny fur dog needs a coat--well, he doesn't get it because I don't want to be outside in those temps.

[Guest Wpgkeith]

How sad for you... you'll never know the joy of buying multiple coats and in varying levels of heaviness.

 

As mentioned... if it is damp or windy, 10c (50f) can be pretty cold. Generally speaking, we put fleeces on around 6c (44f).

 

Different dogs, different reactions. Riley is pretty resilient to the cold, Brogan less so. She often starts wearing a light fleece PJ for sleeping in during our winter nights...that way, everyone sleeps through the night.

 

Here's hoping you have a wonderfully long relationship with you new pup!... you know, pics would help us decide just how much coat he will need.

 

K

[greytpups]

I put a light fleece coat on for 10C, especially if it's windy and we're going for a long walk. My rule of thumb is "gloves", if I need them, then I put a coat on the pups. Of course it they start to pant, coats come off.

 

If it's 8C without a wind, I wouldn't put a coat on for short walks. Generally, I also consider the wind chill.

[Guest zombrie]

As you've seen, you'll get various opinions. I personally don't put a coat on mine unless it's below 40F (and usually I end up taking it off for walks because she gets too hot!)

Edited July 6, 2012 by zombrie

[Guest 2GreytsMom]

Mine are fine for potty breaks no matter the temp. If they're going for a walk or a run around the yard & it's damp & windy then under 50, they wear a fleece jacket. You can tell when they're cold by the shivering. It's a learning curve with your own hound to see at what temp they get cold. Now, wet weather? That's another whole thing! Mine HATE the rain whether it's warm or cold - got to put the raincoat on or they don't want to go out to potty & will hold it so long it makes me wonder how they do it! lol

They don't really like the snow much either but they tolerate it better than rain!

[Jerilyn]

If he’s not acting cold (asking to go back in, shivering, ears cold, etc) odds are he’s fine.

I live where it gets very cold and Lila hates wearing clothes, but she does just fine. If it is in the single digits (Fahrenheit) we don’t go walking and she is fine running out for potty in the yard. Even when temperatures are in the teens, she’s fine without a coat. Maybe she just “runs hot”.

 

I guess my point is that every dog is different, after a while you will be able to see when he is comfortable or not.

[EnzaFerrari]

I find when I need gloves, Enza needs a coat. Often she will start panting like crazy so the coat comes off so it really does depend on the dog and weather.

 

(I cannot wait for coat weather)

[Guest Wpgkeith]

I find when I need gloves, Enza needs a coat. Often she will start panting like crazy so the coat comes off so it really does depend on the dog and weather.

 

(I cannot wait for coat weather)

Hush yo' mouth! Once the 100f days stop and the endless winter of 2012-13 starts, you'll long for the summer days again.

 

K

Edited July 6, 2012 by Wpgkeith

[Yamaha_gurl]

Also note your dogs color, black dogs in the sun usually stay warmer than lighter ones.