Dogs and cold weather

It amazes me when people feel badly for a stout dog, such as Husky or Malamute, who is “stuck” outside in the cold. Particularly if the dog spends most of it’s time outside anyway. To anthropomorphize our pets doesn’t help them or us. To apply only human emotions and thoughts towards our interactions with our animals deeply inhibits our understanding of the animal and our ability to help it reach it’s potential. If you’ve ever seen Caesar Millan’s Dog Whisperer, than you’ve undoubtedly seen an owner who treats their dog like a human child, and therefore can’t control it, because the dog actually wants to be treated like a dog. The same principles can apply to dogs and cold weather.

However, there must be balance. Dogs can get frostbite or even die from exposure to cold weather. Canines such as foxes and wolves understand fully how to survive in such harsh conditions without our help. They build dens to get out of the weather, they eat different types of prey, they develop thicker coats, and instinctively know how and when to adapt in order to survive. Our domesticated dogs however have lost much of that knowledge and rely on us to fill in the gaps.  Here is a great common sense "to do" list, from a vet, regarding how we as humans can help our dogs survive and thrive during cold weather:
The cold weather "to do" list for humans regarding their dog

All dogs are different
All dogs are different, much like people, and some naturally have a higher tolerance for colder weather than others. Here are several factors which affect a dog’s ability to withstand colder temperatures.

• The Breed: Large northern breeds such as Alaskan Malamutes or Siberian Huskies, have physiological differences that allow them to withstand cold much better than say, a Chihuahua. 
  
  
• Their coat: A well groomed coat is an amazing insulator. Mats reduce it’s effectiveness and the longer and thicker the coat, the better the insulation.  Look how this dogs retains heat versus the :  Human face or a terrier or a puppy
  
• Their age: A puppy has not developed enough muscle and fatty layers, nor have they developed their full coat. Elderly dogs lack the energy reserves to cope with the cold. Healthy adult dogs however can cope with cold much better.
  
  
• The amount of time they spend outside, particularly in the fall: One of the primary reasons wolves and foxes can survive the winter is that the natural rhythms of the seasons have instructed their bodies to put on extra fatty layers and build up a thicker coat in preparation for the cold. Domesticated dogs that spend most of their time indoors did not have the opportunity to receive these instructions from mother nature.
  
  
• Their food: Again wolves and foxes prepare their energy reserves for the oncoming winter by eating more. Be cautions of overfeeding if your dog is not getting plenty of daily exercise, but by all means give them a bit more food during the colder months. Additionally maintain a nutritious and well-balanced diet for your dog, and foods with a bit more fat content are certainly acceptable.
  
  

Check this out!

In addition, they do have some very interesting distinct physical differences than us humans, in order to be able to walk about in the ice and snow more easily.

Read my post about dogs physical difference