My Croatian Shepherd mix likes to go out in the balcony and sleep there during the day. Right now we have 28 degrees Fahrenheit (-2 Celsius).
If he's outside, can I assume, it's ok for him?
It's my first dog and I'm nervous about him getting a cold.
No dog should be left outside in extreme weather for prolonged periods of time. However, some time outside is not bad, especially if the dog is choosing to go out. Your dog, given it’s breed, has a pretty good cold weather coat. If it’s raining or snowing and their coat gets wet, don’t let them stay out as long.
Essentially, just monitor your dog when they are out, and be sure they always have the option to come back in when they want or need to (like a dog door). Consider providing some bedding outside for the dog.
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Thank you, and yes, he always has the option to come back. : ) I'll just be careful to not let him go outside on the balcony if it's raining or snowing. – Sofia Dec 1 '20 at 10:57
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1I agree, if the dog can choose, it will make a responsible choice :) The dog of my parents (Bernese Mountain Dog) loves to lie outside when it starts snowing. He regularly leaves a dog shaped "shadow" on the ground. But a wet dog is not the best inside the house ;) – Allerleirauh Dec 2 '20 at 11:10
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@Sofia : The snow won't hurt him at all. If anything, you would be depriving him of a lot of joy by not letting him enjoy snow. From personal experience,my Husky is fine with snow till -40 'C. Below that and under strong wind, the snowflakes hurt like thousands of needles, but we're talking -50'C territory, which I am very sure is technically impossible in Croatia :-) – 3D Coder Dec 10 '20 at 6:06
Croatian Shepherd has an undercoat and a top coat, so it's fairly well protected against cold.
-2 °C is not a problem in itself for that kind of a coat. It's the wind-chill that causes dogs to freeze to death.
Snow itself is actually a warming layer, so it's fine.
Just don't let him stay outside for too long during blizzard and he will be fine.
From experience, neighbor's dog was surviving outside in his wooden den just fine until the blizzard hit at -25 °C. The wind-chill must have been below -35 °C. He froze to death that night. Note that it was -25 °C the whole week and he was fine. It's the wind-chill of the blizzard that killed him despite being around five years old and otherwise in good health.
