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Winter will be early in my country this year. I have Labrador that is going to be one year old by then. And during extreme cold, temperature may fall below 10 degrees Celsius, but no snowing. I have marble flooring which gets really cold during winter. So, do I have to buy boots for my pooch?

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    I guess it depends what you are used to, but 10C isn't anything like "extremely cold" (unless you meant minus 10C, but in that case it is odd that you don't get any snow). (In Canada, +10C is nice weather for wearing sandals and shorts, not "cold!")
    – alephzero
    Oct 24, 2020 at 18:47
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    I'm not a dog expert, but the breed being named "Labrador" (after one of the northern provinces of Canada) is not a coincidence. Searching the Wikipedia page for "cold" gives you quotes such as "Labradors are powerful and indefatigable swimmers noted for their ability to tolerate the coldest of water for extended periods of time" and "The webbing between their toes can also serve as a "snowshoe" in colder climates and keep snow from balling up between their toes" - so I wouldn't worry about a floor that can get a little bit cold indoors...
    – rob74
    Oct 24, 2020 at 22:04
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    Too many people forget to take breed into account, @rob74 is 100% correct. I've had people get security for leaving my dog tied outside but her breed is built for cold weather. She loves the cold and snow!
    – FreeSoftwareServers
    Oct 25, 2020 at 0:18
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    10 degrees C may not be cold, but combininng with winds and other factor it becomes very cold. Yes it still doesn't snows. And I was talking about above 0 degrees Celsius. :P
    – user9339131
    Oct 25, 2020 at 3:58
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    @freesoftwareservers it is a difference if one could move and let the muscles warmth the body, or if one is tied and need to sit/lay/stand still and getting cold. Equal which breed, when you are a mammal and are not allowed to move, you will start freezing. So "tied" depends of the lash's length, to decide if it is tolerable in the cold or not.
    – Allerleirauh
    Oct 25, 2020 at 6:51

3 Answers 3

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Have you ever seen wolves hunt in the snow wearing their winter boots? 😉

So the short answer is: No, unless there's a specific medical condition you don't.

Make sure the dog has a warm place to stay in rather than stand/sit on the cold floor all the time and you should be fine.

Far more important, depending on where you live, is cleaning the paws from salt (water) from roads as that can cause irritation or other issues (e.g. when licked on). Ideally this should happen after every walk, just using some warm water should be enough.

You can also buy special wax or sprays to better seal/protect the paws, but that's really optional, especially if your dog is not working (e.g. sled pulling).

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    To be fair, wolves have much thicker fur than labs do.
    – Kat
    Oct 24, 2020 at 5:47
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    "This isn't used in nature" is not an entirely reliable indicator of whether something is needed. Nature is okay with danger, as long as it only sometimes causes injury, or if the injury doesn't prevent reproduction. Wild wolves don't see vets, but that isn't much of an argument against taking your dog to the vet.
    – Acccumulation
    Oct 24, 2020 at 19:39
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    The whole salt thing is very true, that's why I prefer to walk in the woods! Not always possible when you live in a concrete jungle, but wherever possible avoid roads 100% in winter.
    – FreeSoftwareServers
    Oct 25, 2020 at 0:16
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    Neanderthals didn't wear shoes either, does that mean humans don't need them?
    – quant
    Oct 25, 2020 at 6:51
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    @Kat Is that why the lab coat was invented?
    – dotancohen
    Oct 25, 2020 at 9:51
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Speaking of 10 'C (50 'F), last 3 weeks it's been around 52 'F (11 'C) in my house. I didn't turn on the heat yet, not until it drops below 48 'F (8 'C), as I am perfectly comfortable sleeping under my blanket at 9 'C.

I realize a Chukchi-bred Siberian husky's double coat is a bit tougher than Labrador's, but not that much, I'd guess.

That's 24/7, 7 days a week. About 7-8 months of the year. Remaining 4 months of the year, once it gets above 64 'F (18 'C), I run A/C to cool it down.

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A +10C air temperature can only be considered"extreme" if you live in sub-Saharan climate. But perhaps you are just trolling?

Afaik, lab has a nice thick coat and the webbing on his paws. From experience with my Husky I know that the webbing grows linearly with the temperature. When it dropped to -50F last winter, her paw fur was about 4 inch long and as thick as her tail. A sight to behold, indeed.

Anecdotally, in Montana, when it was around -30F air (-40F wind-chill, -40 F = -40C) I spent an hour in a doggie park with my Husky. Out of around 20 doggies, not a single one had any boots. There were at least 4-6 labs, happily hopping about, without any boots whatsoever. Perhaps nobody told them it was cold. But it was only -30F, not +10C, so there's that...

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    Not trolling. We live in house of marble flooring and it's unbearable to stand bare foot for long in winters for human that's why I was concerned for my Lab.
    – user9339131
    Nov 1, 2020 at 15:55
  • Marble floor is a different issue altogether. Unlike walking outside for up to 2 hours a day, dog is exposed 24/7 to the marble floor. I would hazard a guess that the Lab enjoys chilling out on the floor during summer and shoulder seasons, but would largely avoid it in winter. However, I would presume your doggie has a run of the house and can freely choose to chill on the couch or his bed or carpeted areas (if you have them)?
    – 3D Coder
    Nov 2, 2020 at 17:54

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