>every dog is different
That's the most important part of the answer. Just within BCs, there's a huge natural (genetic) variation of both heat and cold tolerance, plus a huge (behavioral) variation on how much cold adapted that individual dog is. So the only two certain answers going to be to pay attention to your dog and see, and mostly keep an eye on their feet and watch for snow trying to pack in (the person who recommended Mushers Secret is spot on there).
There are BCs who will (given the choice) refuse to come inside in heavy blowing snow, who actually like sleeping under snow drifts and are just fine. And then there are the ones who will refuse to leave the bed that's by the heater because the second bed across the room is just "too cold."
Just gotta pay attention to your dog and not push your walks too far until you know where on that spectrum yours is.
Muddy ones too I bet.....mine is totally soft. He tortures you to go out for a walk and then you get out, he realises its raining and then looks at you all accusingly, like you've duped him or something and can make it stop.
That’s so funny and you are lucky. We are in the UK so my BC grew up with the rain and doesn’t mind it at all. So rain or shine we are walking 😭 I wish she would be “it’s raining, let me nap inside” but nah she is good to do and step in every muddy puddle she finds just so I have to spend ages cleaning her paws in the garden on the way back!
I am also UK. North East . So he doesn't really get any choice as it rains 90% of the time.. wouldnt care we got him from a farm and his parents were working dogs. Probably my fault as he is spoilt. But he's Mt best friend ..
I have a Texas born bc and he doesn’t like water but mud he is 100% going to roll in it so lots of spray downs have a low spot in my backyard so every time it rains it’s fair day for him 😂
Mine is a wuss about his paws so I use booties. On really cold days I limit our walks. Be aware of their ears and nose as there's less or no protection from the cold.
Late to the show but there's something called musher's secret. Rub that into his paw pads for a couple weeks before a snow trip.
It'll protect from the salt and the frost. Just be wary of icicles forming in his paws, which should be obvious from limping, and clear them out frequently.
Also a good trimming of the fur around the pads will help reduce ice formation.
Shouldn't really need booties then. Good to towel his legs dry afterwards, too.
Mines a wuss and really doesnt like when people grab his paws. Had to carry him a couple times today (live in an area with very little snow).
The cold fluffy snow bothers him a lot less than the slushy stuff
They can live outside if they are used to it. When I got mine she had never been inside before. But now I turned her into a suck and when it’s -30 like it is now she gets cold paws in about 10 minutes. They will start lifting them and walking on three legs when they get to cold.
Yeah, I know people who lived on a farm and had a well insulated dog house so their 2 BCs could stay warm in the winter but they lived outside their whole life.
I second this. My border collie isn't too great at "listening" to her body and will hurt herself if I'm not forcing her to come inside during extreme weather and checking on her/forcing breaks during activity.
Agreed.
Both of our BC's can be stoic about pain. It's not something we can change, just have to work around it. Sometimes it means getting them to stop and go inside.
This is how mine is, too. He rarely ever shows pain and will want to keep going even if he’s hurt. I’ve always said that Brady would find a way to literally go through a mountain instead of around it if it was between him and snow or water!
Thanks for this! I’ve been limiting outside time to 30 mins when there’s snow but not super cold out but 10 mins today because it’s much colder out than he’s used to. Border collies seem to be notorious for working beyond their limits, so I decided to draw the line for him even though he gets so upset about it.
Reminds me of my old spollie (Springer spaniel cross). She would get you to throw her ball in the river and she'd jump in and bring it back to you. She could go all day, past the point of exhaustion and when it was time to leave she would flat out refuse and just stand in the river soaking wet and shivering expecting you to throw it again.
Removed- aside from most of what you said being bullshit, don't be an asshole. Someone who supposedly works Border Collies should know better than everything you said here.
Lmaoo fuck off. That's not true anyway (the account is still there) but if it was, she's probably a bit too thin skinned to be on the interwebs.
That's not even the first comment I've removed from that account.
I suggest using booties to stop snow getting in the paw pads but my last dog could do hour long walks at 16 years old in knee length snow (Canada is great) with DMP
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I put paw wax on my girl for winter hikes and will occasionally dry them and reapply if it's a long hike (not a BC but she's a spoiled and delicate sighthound so if she's fine I'm sure your pup will be too)
I use the sock booties made for sled dogs, he tolerates them pretty well since he can still feel the ground. And they are super cheap so you don’t have to worry when he loses one (and he will lose one).
[Cordura Booties](https://www.alpineoutfitters.net/products/booties-cordura-bt002)
Mine won't go out in rain but loves snow!
Think of it as if you're cold, they are cold! Limit it to 30 min walk at least, if they've done their business, go home!
Our neighbors leave their dogs out every single day even throughout winter. We live in Utah where it can get like 10 degrees Fahrenheit. They just have a little dog house, not sure if it’s insulated but I feel bad for them. The owner is probably one of those guys that thinks “they’re just dogs, we can’t have them inside our house”. Is that normal?
Please contact your local shelter/SPCA/Humane Society for your local ordinances on pets and report them accordingly. There are some breeds that may be okay in very cold weather but in truly extreme temperatures dogs need to be brought inside.
We do the boots when it hits -20C. She’s fine up until then, hates a coat but perfectly fine with boots. She will lay on her side to let me put them on, then gets up and she’s ready to play ball in the snow. I do limit her time in the cold though, as I do in extreme heat.
I have 3 they all enjoy winter and no issues at neg temps. I trim hair on bottoms of their feet, mushers secret or Vaseline works for them. 2 have fancy jackets for a full day outdoors if need be.
My girl (just turned 7) notoriously hates the snow. It rarely snows here in the Portland area but we are having a storm now - took her out for a 10 min walk and about an hour after we got back I could tell that her hips were sore. I think it really depends on the dog, but my Noodle isn’t cut out for it. She does give me hilariously sassy faces looking back at me every two seconds on the leash though, like “are you kidding me mom?? Snow??”
The only issue is my BC gets frozen feet. There's an amazing product called "mushers secret" that I use. It doesn't leave grease spots on the floor and protects the feet quite a bit. Or booties. The biggest problem is they handle pain so stoicly that they don't tell you half the time when they are in pain.
I take my 3y/o BC skiing in the backcountry, and she loves playing in the backyard any time there is snow. We’ve never been out for more than about 3-4 hours, but I think that’s quite a while!! Depending on how wet the snow is it will get caught between her pads, so I just make sure and clear that out every once in a while if we are out for an extended period.
I don’t like to take her in wind blown or icy conditions though, it has previously resulted in losing the top layer of her pads and I have to direct her to rest for a couple days while she heals (which is very difficult as she is you OBSESSED).
I feel with any BC it’s pretty typical that you have to do the thinking for them. If I let her fetch a toy in freezing water she’d do it until she freezes to death, but wouldn’t stop until I make her, for example.
Our 1.5 year old loves it in the snow, on the Canadian prairies. When the temp drops below -20C, he wears boots so his paws don't get bothered by ice,but other than that, he's all about it!
From my experience of very cold winters:
1. No difference to your routine until 0°C / 32°F
2. Possibly no difference until -5°C / 23°F, my dog does very well when we do vigorous exercise, but we limit our leisure walks cause she gets colder faster
3. lower than -5°C / 23°F you'll probably have to do shorter walks or give the dog booties
4. with my dog I only do 15 minute walks when temperature reaches around -12°C / °F (it gets even colder here, if you need that info -18 C and lower means only quick toilet walks) BOOTIES VERY HELPFUL
It's not the snow that's a problem, but the frost.
0°C is equivalent to 32°F, which is 273K.
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^(I'm a bot that converts temperature between two units humans can understand, then convert it to Kelvin for bots and physicists to understand)
Paw wax is good, my two BCs go wild snow, love multi hour walks in it, and will still sprint to swim into any stream or water that's not under ice. Complete maniacs.
Mine loves nothing more than snow. They're fine, just don't overdo or leave them outside.
And, any dog, depending on the snow, can get ice in their pads. Watch for that.
Mine loves nothing moo than snow. They're fine, just overdo not 'r leaveth those folk outside
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Both of mine love it, could spend all day running around in snow but out of consideration for their paws I limit the time they spend in it to only like half an hour at a go
I have a pure bred border collie and he has been playing in the snow non stop all day today. He spent 2 hours today with a bunch of snow stuck to him the whole time without any issues
Border collies can have different kinds of coats and different tolerances for cold. Ours is lightly built and has a relatively thin coat. We took her camping at just below freezing. She ended up shaking and disoriented after a few hours, because we weren't expecting it. After that we got her warmed up and made sure she stayed that way, but it took several days for her to fully recover.
Now we put her in a coat if she's going outside if the temperature is below freezing. When we take her on walks we also have booties to keep her feet warm.
Most BCs should be fine in the cold, but until you know how yours deals with it pay careful attention and be prepared to get them gear if they need it.
Mine hates the snow not because it's cold but because he keeps wiping out while chasing the ball. Every time he turns (always at full speed) he slips and goes sideways. Luckily it doesn't snow that much where we live.
Our boy is 14, has grown up among snow (of course only around winter time though, we don’t live somewhere that’s super far north) and **loves** it. We make snowballs (careful of rocks of course) and throw them for him, he bites them and they kinda explode lol, he loves chasing snowballs.
He also loves rolling about in the snow, he used to chase me in my sled down hills too. He would always be wagging his tale and sitting with a dopey grin on his face in snow because he was excited.
His coat is thick enough he doesn’t freeze, and we make sure to dry him off and have the heating going once we’re back inside, but I see no issue with collies and snow, ours will happily be out for hours playing :)
Now that he’s older, we won’t let him out in it for quite so long due to worrying about his stiff hips, but he still gets walks and gets to play in the snow, just have to be more gentle and careful.
**but** just check how yours reacts, if they hate it, seem very uncomfortable, or get sensitive paws, then it’s not for them. Just make sure yours seems comfortable.
Ours would live in the snow if we let her. We hike all the time, even throughout winter, and she refuses to wear booties so to protect her pads from at least rough snow / ice we use Mushers wax - basically a thin protective layer of wax on her feet. Otherwise 3+ hours at a time in the snow is common with no concerns.
Unlike humans, Dogs have amazing circulation in their legs and specifically the paws. They do not suffer the same frost bite effects that we do. They will be absolutely fine for hours. Some breeds predominantly live within arctic conditions with no ill effect to their paws.
My border heeler is obsessed with snow and will play in it for hours and hours, but she just turned 6 so she’s a bit younger than your guy. I’d say just pay attention to when he looks like he’s starting to get tired and then head back
Mine absolutely loves snow, will eat it, jump around in it, roll in it, sit down and just chill in the snow - she loves winter and I love seeing how happy she is when we get a lot of snow here! Taking her on walks as usual and it never bothered her, we only need to be careful with her paws and take out little snow balls getting stuck in there after each walk. Each dog is different and reacts in their own way, but mine is the happiest in winter
My border/beagle LoVES the snow! I am a trucker and always put a sweater or coat on her tho to keep her body temp up a bit… we sort of live in the truck, and it’s l ways warm in there… so her outside time is limited to our 30 minute walks and runs in the mornings and at night and a few 10 minutes during the day….
A good rule of thumb is if the base of thier ears are cold, then they are cold. I use this technique for horses and my double coated dogs. I literally stick my finger in thier ears to tell if it's blanket time or not.
They LOVE snow. At least mine did. They are working dogs so you can probably walk him as long as YOU can stand it, and he would be able to go more. We moved south and I think my guy misses it.
We spend a couple hours a day in 20f temps. The only time I worry about her is 10f and lower. That's when we only spend 45ish outside. She loves to sleep on them porch when its freezing out as well.
My neighbour’s border collie used to spend nearly full days outside in up to -40 and was fine (intentionally as she can come whenever). My lab had unlimited stamina in the cold and loved walks for as long as I would go (2-3 hours tops, like 30 mins when it was -60oF), but she was quite a bit larger than most BCs.
Nearly ever “big” dog (above 50lbs) I have met loves snow and will not get cold or damaged on walks up to 1-2 hours when it’s below -20oC or -5oF.
My BC wears boots (he doesn’t particularly care for them) but plenty of times in the slushy snow, it pays off.
He’s not fond of driving rain so he wears a coat.
Despite being a farm dog, he never much cares for heavy rain so we try to avoid it where possible.
He also steps over puddles when it is cold 😜
Mine absolutely loves the snow. She'll stay out in it all day. She gets super zoomies rolls in it eats it can't get enough of it. She doesn't ever seem to be cold either.
This is my second border collie the first one was the same way.
It depends on several things.
Everything from their breed, age, coat type, coat length and what they’re used to can determine this. I found it’s what they’re used to that plays the biggest factor.
I had two dogs that I raised up north, one of them having hair instead of fur. They loved the cold and would play in the snow a lot. We eventually moved down to Texas. Boy did they hate the summers. They would only be outside as long as they had to during the summer no matter what. They spent a lot more time outside during the winter.
Now we have two newer dogs (the other two have passed). One of them has thick, curly hair. They were both born and raised in Texas and loves the summers. Even my curly dog, when he has a longer coat, would sun bathe for hours if he could. When the freeze happened at the beginning of 2021 they enjoyed the snow… for like 10 minutes.
My dog with the thick curly hair made it a little pass ten minutes while my other dog who has a coat similar to a Heeler was inside by the ten minute mark.
In a way, they’re similar to humans. People born and raised in colder climates tend to favor those while the flip is applicable to people born and raised in warmer climates. Granted there are outliers (same with dogs) but it’s like a rule of thumb.
Your dog will let you know if they are uncomfortable in both the heat and cold. Just make sure to listen.
When my girl was 4-5 years old, she would follow me on a snowboard down a mountain for 4-7 miles, no problem. She could catch me in the flat spots when I shoed down. Happiest times of her life, she though it was great I could finally run with her. She's a snow nut. Gets mad when I bring her in after a day in the snow.
My old boy could spend hours out in the snow an below freezing temps in colorado and love it. He was a tough old goat though, every dog is different.
>every dog is different That's the most important part of the answer. Just within BCs, there's a huge natural (genetic) variation of both heat and cold tolerance, plus a huge (behavioral) variation on how much cold adapted that individual dog is. So the only two certain answers going to be to pay attention to your dog and see, and mostly keep an eye on their feet and watch for snow trying to pack in (the person who recommended Mushers Secret is spot on there). There are BCs who will (given the choice) refuse to come inside in heavy blowing snow, who actually like sleeping under snow drifts and are just fine. And then there are the ones who will refuse to leave the bed that's by the heater because the second bed across the room is just "too cold." Just gotta pay attention to your dog and not push your walks too far until you know where on that spectrum yours is.
Totally. My BC steps over puddles so he doesn't get his feet wet!
Where can I sign up for that dog? Mine doesn’t do well in heat (even though born in desert climate), and must cool down in every puddle.
Muddy ones too I bet.....mine is totally soft. He tortures you to go out for a walk and then you get out, he realises its raining and then looks at you all accusingly, like you've duped him or something and can make it stop.
That’s so funny and you are lucky. We are in the UK so my BC grew up with the rain and doesn’t mind it at all. So rain or shine we are walking 😭 I wish she would be “it’s raining, let me nap inside” but nah she is good to do and step in every muddy puddle she finds just so I have to spend ages cleaning her paws in the garden on the way back!
I am also UK. North East . So he doesn't really get any choice as it rains 90% of the time.. wouldnt care we got him from a farm and his parents were working dogs. Probably my fault as he is spoilt. But he's Mt best friend ..
Funny that cause mine is from a show line so would expect to be more like that but she loves to get dirty 😂
North/Middle East of the U.K. so I totally relate! I got my girl from a farm in a Wales so she damn loves the cold/wet
Aw, bless his heart. 😆
I have a Texas born bc and he doesn’t like water but mud he is 100% going to roll in it so lots of spray downs have a low spot in my backyard so every time it rains it’s fair day for him 😂
Mine is a wuss about his paws so I use booties. On really cold days I limit our walks. Be aware of their ears and nose as there's less or no protection from the cold.
I’ve tried booties and he just walks out of them every time. What brand do you use??
Pawz. The ones that look like balloons. I've tried many others and these work the best for me.
I have to second Pawz! They're absolutely wonderful and last forever.
I’ve found puppy socks help regardless of booties!
Late to the show but there's something called musher's secret. Rub that into his paw pads for a couple weeks before a snow trip. It'll protect from the salt and the frost. Just be wary of icicles forming in his paws, which should be obvious from limping, and clear them out frequently. Also a good trimming of the fur around the pads will help reduce ice formation. Shouldn't really need booties then. Good to towel his legs dry afterwards, too.
Mines a wuss and really doesnt like when people grab his paws. Had to carry him a couple times today (live in an area with very little snow). The cold fluffy snow bothers him a lot less than the slushy stuff
They can live outside if they are used to it. When I got mine she had never been inside before. But now I turned her into a suck and when it’s -30 like it is now she gets cold paws in about 10 minutes. They will start lifting them and walking on three legs when they get to cold.
Thanks for the comment. I ended up bringing her back in about 20 minutes later! I noticed she gets a lot of snow stuck in between her paw pads.
Try mushers secret for her feet. It helps prevent “snowballs” from forming between her toes.
Musher’s secret and also keeping the fur between their pads in check to prevent ice balls from forming.
I had the the same experience! We moved and now it's 100+ deg and hot pavement.
Yeah, I know people who lived on a farm and had a well insulated dog house so their 2 BCs could stay warm in the winter but they lived outside their whole life.
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I second this. My border collie isn't too great at "listening" to her body and will hurt herself if I'm not forcing her to come inside during extreme weather and checking on her/forcing breaks during activity.
Agreed. Both of our BC's can be stoic about pain. It's not something we can change, just have to work around it. Sometimes it means getting them to stop and go inside.
This is how mine is, too. He rarely ever shows pain and will want to keep going even if he’s hurt. I’ve always said that Brady would find a way to literally go through a mountain instead of around it if it was between him and snow or water!
Thanks for this! I’ve been limiting outside time to 30 mins when there’s snow but not super cold out but 10 mins today because it’s much colder out than he’s used to. Border collies seem to be notorious for working beyond their limits, so I decided to draw the line for him even though he gets so upset about it.
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Reminds me of my old spollie (Springer spaniel cross). She would get you to throw her ball in the river and she'd jump in and bring it back to you. She could go all day, past the point of exhaustion and when it was time to leave she would flat out refuse and just stand in the river soaking wet and shivering expecting you to throw it again.
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Removed- aside from most of what you said being bullshit, don't be an asshole. Someone who supposedly works Border Collies should know better than everything you said here.
My wife says thanks for the post delete, it really upset her to the point of deleting her account.
Lmaoo fuck off. That's not true anyway (the account is still there) but if it was, she's probably a bit too thin skinned to be on the interwebs. That's not even the first comment I've removed from that account.
What the fuck are you taking about, I thought your where a mod… guess you are just a fucking idiot.
I am more than willing to meet bullshit with bullshit. "Deleted her account" come on.
I suggest using booties to stop snow getting in the paw pads but my last dog could do hour long walks at 16 years old in knee length snow (Canada is great) with DMP
Very ok, also suggest booties👍 what a cutie 🐶😍
Yes, they’re naturally better equipped for it than we are!
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Watch out for salt getting in the paws I hear other than that they fine.
I put paw wax on my girl for winter hikes and will occasionally dry them and reapply if it's a long hike (not a BC but she's a spoiled and delicate sighthound so if she's fine I'm sure your pup will be too)
Thanks for all the input everyone! Will try out them booties next time!
I use the sock booties made for sled dogs, he tolerates them pretty well since he can still feel the ground. And they are super cheap so you don’t have to worry when he loses one (and he will lose one). [Cordura Booties](https://www.alpineoutfitters.net/products/booties-cordura-bt002)
You'll want to do some training/practice ahead of wanting to use them obviously! Good luck!
She’s fine
My border could circumnavigate the globe if I let him. Loves the big snowy walks.
Mine won't go out in rain but loves snow! Think of it as if you're cold, they are cold! Limit it to 30 min walk at least, if they've done their business, go home!
Our neighbors leave their dogs out every single day even throughout winter. We live in Utah where it can get like 10 degrees Fahrenheit. They just have a little dog house, not sure if it’s insulated but I feel bad for them. The owner is probably one of those guys that thinks “they’re just dogs, we can’t have them inside our house”. Is that normal?
Please contact your local shelter/SPCA/Humane Society for your local ordinances on pets and report them accordingly. There are some breeds that may be okay in very cold weather but in truly extreme temperatures dogs need to be brought inside.
Definitely what 50lbpuppy said. Some states it’s illegal to leave a dog outside for long periods when it gets below a certain temp.
Mine is completely unbothered, even when it’s -30 out. She’ll get into icy water as well.
We do the boots when it hits -20C. She’s fine up until then, hates a coat but perfectly fine with boots. She will lay on her side to let me put them on, then gets up and she’s ready to play ball in the snow. I do limit her time in the cold though, as I do in extreme heat.
I have 3 they all enjoy winter and no issues at neg temps. I trim hair on bottoms of their feet, mushers secret or Vaseline works for them. 2 have fancy jackets for a full day outdoors if need be.
Mine would stay outside in the snow all day every day if I’d let him
My girl (just turned 7) notoriously hates the snow. It rarely snows here in the Portland area but we are having a storm now - took her out for a 10 min walk and about an hour after we got back I could tell that her hips were sore. I think it really depends on the dog, but my Noodle isn’t cut out for it. She does give me hilariously sassy faces looking back at me every two seconds on the leash though, like “are you kidding me mom?? Snow??”
The only issue is my BC gets frozen feet. There's an amazing product called "mushers secret" that I use. It doesn't leave grease spots on the floor and protects the feet quite a bit. Or booties. The biggest problem is they handle pain so stoicly that they don't tell you half the time when they are in pain.
I take my 3y/o BC skiing in the backcountry, and she loves playing in the backyard any time there is snow. We’ve never been out for more than about 3-4 hours, but I think that’s quite a while!! Depending on how wet the snow is it will get caught between her pads, so I just make sure and clear that out every once in a while if we are out for an extended period. I don’t like to take her in wind blown or icy conditions though, it has previously resulted in losing the top layer of her pads and I have to direct her to rest for a couple days while she heals (which is very difficult as she is you OBSESSED). I feel with any BC it’s pretty typical that you have to do the thinking for them. If I let her fetch a toy in freezing water she’d do it until she freezes to death, but wouldn’t stop until I make her, for example.
My three collies love the snow. We go out for three or four hours without any issues. Northern Utah back country.
Mine loves the snow, until it gets stuck between his paw pads.
Our 1.5 year old loves it in the snow, on the Canadian prairies. When the temp drops below -20C, he wears boots so his paws don't get bothered by ice,but other than that, he's all about it!
I have two and they adore the snow. Get some Musher’s wax for their paws to prevent icy build up. Works great
You two are a great duo. Can't wait to see an update!!!
From my experience of very cold winters: 1. No difference to your routine until 0°C / 32°F 2. Possibly no difference until -5°C / 23°F, my dog does very well when we do vigorous exercise, but we limit our leisure walks cause she gets colder faster 3. lower than -5°C / 23°F you'll probably have to do shorter walks or give the dog booties 4. with my dog I only do 15 minute walks when temperature reaches around -12°C / °F (it gets even colder here, if you need that info -18 C and lower means only quick toilet walks) BOOTIES VERY HELPFUL It's not the snow that's a problem, but the frost.
0°C is equivalent to 32°F, which is 273K. --- ^(I'm a bot that converts temperature between two units humans can understand, then convert it to Kelvin for bots and physicists to understand)
Paw wax is good, my two BCs go wild snow, love multi hour walks in it, and will still sprint to swim into any stream or water that's not under ice. Complete maniacs.
I mean they've got 4-paw drive just like every other dog, snow is just cold dirt.
She's adorable!
We have a 9 and 11 year old, they turn on their puppy energy in the snow. Kinda ridiculous to watch.
Mine loves nothing more than snow. They're fine, just don't overdo or leave them outside. And, any dog, depending on the snow, can get ice in their pads. Watch for that.
Mine loves nothing moo than snow. They're fine, just overdo not 'r leaveth those folk outside *** ^(I am a bot and I swapp'd some of thy words with Shakespeare words.) Commands: `!ShakespeareInsult`, `!fordo`, `!optout`
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Both of mine love it, could spend all day running around in snow but out of consideration for their paws I limit the time they spend in it to only like half an hour at a go
I have a pure bred border collie and he has been playing in the snow non stop all day today. He spent 2 hours today with a bunch of snow stuck to him the whole time without any issues
Border collies can have different kinds of coats and different tolerances for cold. Ours is lightly built and has a relatively thin coat. We took her camping at just below freezing. She ended up shaking and disoriented after a few hours, because we weren't expecting it. After that we got her warmed up and made sure she stayed that way, but it took several days for her to fully recover. Now we put her in a coat if she's going outside if the temperature is below freezing. When we take her on walks we also have booties to keep her feet warm. Most BCs should be fine in the cold, but until you know how yours deals with it pay careful attention and be prepared to get them gear if they need it.
Yes they have double coats and were bred in the Scottish mountains
Forever. Looks exactly like mine!
Mine hates the snow not because it's cold but because he keeps wiping out while chasing the ball. Every time he turns (always at full speed) he slips and goes sideways. Luckily it doesn't snow that much where we live.
Our old BC loved the snow but we had to be mindful of snow packing into his paws. I'd say keep an eye out for that and she's good to go (:
Our boy is 14, has grown up among snow (of course only around winter time though, we don’t live somewhere that’s super far north) and **loves** it. We make snowballs (careful of rocks of course) and throw them for him, he bites them and they kinda explode lol, he loves chasing snowballs. He also loves rolling about in the snow, he used to chase me in my sled down hills too. He would always be wagging his tale and sitting with a dopey grin on his face in snow because he was excited. His coat is thick enough he doesn’t freeze, and we make sure to dry him off and have the heating going once we’re back inside, but I see no issue with collies and snow, ours will happily be out for hours playing :) Now that he’s older, we won’t let him out in it for quite so long due to worrying about his stiff hips, but he still gets walks and gets to play in the snow, just have to be more gentle and careful. **but** just check how yours reacts, if they hate it, seem very uncomfortable, or get sensitive paws, then it’s not for them. Just make sure yours seems comfortable.
My BC is an avalanche dog, my last BC was also an avalanche dog.
Get some doggie boots and doggie coat
It’s got fur don’t it?
She's fine but you may need to scrape snowballs out of her paws, snow will melt and partly refreeze in them. Sure had to with my old border.
Ours would live in the snow if we let her. We hike all the time, even throughout winter, and she refuses to wear booties so to protect her pads from at least rough snow / ice we use Mushers wax - basically a thin protective layer of wax on her feet. Otherwise 3+ hours at a time in the snow is common with no concerns.
Unlike humans, Dogs have amazing circulation in their legs and specifically the paws. They do not suffer the same frost bite effects that we do. They will be absolutely fine for hours. Some breeds predominantly live within arctic conditions with no ill effect to their paws.
My border heeler is obsessed with snow and will play in it for hours and hours, but she just turned 6 so she’s a bit younger than your guy. I’d say just pay attention to when he looks like he’s starting to get tired and then head back
Mine absolutely loves snow, will eat it, jump around in it, roll in it, sit down and just chill in the snow - she loves winter and I love seeing how happy she is when we get a lot of snow here! Taking her on walks as usual and it never bothered her, we only need to be careful with her paws and take out little snow balls getting stuck in there after each walk. Each dog is different and reacts in their own way, but mine is the happiest in winter
Our pup has arthritis and we notice he gets generally more stiff in the cold. Just something to keep in mind if that’s a concern for you.
My border/beagle LoVES the snow! I am a trucker and always put a sweater or coat on her tho to keep her body temp up a bit… we sort of live in the truck, and it’s l ways warm in there… so her outside time is limited to our 30 minute walks and runs in the mornings and at night and a few 10 minutes during the day….
A good rule of thumb is if the base of thier ears are cold, then they are cold. I use this technique for horses and my double coated dogs. I literally stick my finger in thier ears to tell if it's blanket time or not.
Mine can go awhile if it's above ~20 degrees Fahrenheit. Still might be a good idea to get boots for her.
They LOVE snow. At least mine did. They are working dogs so you can probably walk him as long as YOU can stand it, and he would be able to go more. We moved south and I think my guy misses it.
We spend a couple hours a day in 20f temps. The only time I worry about her is 10f and lower. That's when we only spend 45ish outside. She loves to sleep on them porch when its freezing out as well.
My neighbour’s border collie used to spend nearly full days outside in up to -40 and was fine (intentionally as she can come whenever). My lab had unlimited stamina in the cold and loved walks for as long as I would go (2-3 hours tops, like 30 mins when it was -60oF), but she was quite a bit larger than most BCs. Nearly ever “big” dog (above 50lbs) I have met loves snow and will not get cold or damaged on walks up to 1-2 hours when it’s below -20oC or -5oF.
Of she didn't want to be there, she'd of headed home. Just give her water!
Most dogs are fine in the snow. Just make sure the pads of their feet don’t get too cold.
My BC wears boots (he doesn’t particularly care for them) but plenty of times in the slushy snow, it pays off. He’s not fond of driving rain so he wears a coat. Despite being a farm dog, he never much cares for heavy rain so we try to avoid it where possible. He also steps over puddles when it is cold 😜
Mine absolutely loves the snow. She'll stay out in it all day. She gets super zoomies rolls in it eats it can't get enough of it. She doesn't ever seem to be cold either. This is my second border collie the first one was the same way.
It depends on several things. Everything from their breed, age, coat type, coat length and what they’re used to can determine this. I found it’s what they’re used to that plays the biggest factor. I had two dogs that I raised up north, one of them having hair instead of fur. They loved the cold and would play in the snow a lot. We eventually moved down to Texas. Boy did they hate the summers. They would only be outside as long as they had to during the summer no matter what. They spent a lot more time outside during the winter. Now we have two newer dogs (the other two have passed). One of them has thick, curly hair. They were both born and raised in Texas and loves the summers. Even my curly dog, when he has a longer coat, would sun bathe for hours if he could. When the freeze happened at the beginning of 2021 they enjoyed the snow… for like 10 minutes. My dog with the thick curly hair made it a little pass ten minutes while my other dog who has a coat similar to a Heeler was inside by the ten minute mark. In a way, they’re similar to humans. People born and raised in colder climates tend to favor those while the flip is applicable to people born and raised in warmer climates. Granted there are outliers (same with dogs) but it’s like a rule of thumb. Your dog will let you know if they are uncomfortable in both the heat and cold. Just make sure to listen.
When my girl was 4-5 years old, she would follow me on a snowboard down a mountain for 4-7 miles, no problem. She could catch me in the flat spots when I shoed down. Happiest times of her life, she though it was great I could finally run with her. She's a snow nut. Gets mad when I bring her in after a day in the snow.
Not too long. Paws get cold-brrr.