Can you walk your dog in the snow and when is it too cold?
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Brits have been warned to ‘stay inside’ amid a cold snap sweeping the UK this week, and pet owners need to keep an eye on the temperature. Large part of the country saw snowfall overnight, with roads and pavements across the UK covered in the white stuff this morning.
![[Golden retriever puppy wearing pink sweater playing in the fresh snow]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/GettyImages-631148203.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=509)
While walking your dog in the cold is generally okay, snow may make it uncomfortable for them, and you’ll need to take some extra precautions if venturing out in the chilliest areas. Here’s everything you need to know. ‘If it’s around -5℃ or below, it’s best to keep them indoors or take very short trips outside,’ Lorna Winter, co-founder of puppy training app Zigzag, tells Metro.
‘If you need a hat and scarf to be standing outside, it’s likely your pup will be cold too. If they’re moving around then the exercise might be keeping them warm, but pavements are cold and puppies are close to it so feel the cold.’. Of course, we’ve all seen snaps of Huskies happily bounding through the snow in Lapland, but it turns out some breeds of dog feel the cold more than others.
‘Breeds that are better at tolerating the cold (often because they have thicker fur, a double coat or a heavier frame) include Newfoundlands, Siberian Huskies, Tibetan Mastiffs and Norwegian Elkhounds,’ explains Lorna, who’s also a director of the UK Dog Behaviour and Training Charter.
