Q: Can we keep our Labrador outside for the winter?
We have an 8-month-old lab puppy who we keep outside in the yard but it's getting colder, and I'm worried about her. We live in midwest. I know some other families that keep their dogs (huskies and labs) outside because they are originally from a cold climate and they are built for cold weather. Do you think we can keep her outside for the winter if we buy her a dog house and keep it insulated?
Photo Credit: Renaud Camus/Flickr CC
Answers and Views:
Answer by I
Well, I'm sure the dog will be ok, but there is such a thing as too cold. If you know it's going to freeze, then I would bring the dog in. Your dog will grow winter fur, but it won't protect it from the bitter cold.
Answer by Hafiz
Hii…I have bought a labrador puppy. ..she has been kept outside..weather is fine in my place.
We have a garden, a pool, and a big backyard…we take her for a walk in the morning and evening she plays in the pool….In spite of all these I feel her dull at times frankly speaking..its bcoz they like to be with us all the time…they are very sociable animals…they love to be with the
pack ….but due to some reasons, we can keep her only outside. ..so I have decided to buy her a companion…so that she gets accompanied the whole time..hopefully, it works..
Answer by Russell Noble
I have a flap in my garage wall leading directly into her large pen (inside the garage) with her bed in it where she can get in and out as much as she likes. When we are in the house during the day she can come and go in the house as she likes but sleeps out there every night. its cold but she's fine.
Answer by Alexandra W.
Why own a dog if you’re just going to keep them outside? Unless you own a farm, even then your dog shouldn’t live or sleep outside with that sort of temperature. Just give your dog away to someone who actually will love them.
Answer by P-Dog
The Labradors I have ever owned loved to be outside more than inside. Unless it is extremely cold and there is no shelter for them, I believe they are fine outside. But what is most important is that you are still giving him or her the attention they need. I think sometimes when it is cold outside, humans don’t go outside and then they are left lonely and that is sadder than them being outside. So if you don’t want to go outside to be with your Labrador then bring the dog in to be with you. That is my suggestion!
Answer by I Love Labradors
Please please please everyone do research before making this kind of decision for your dog. What is too cold for you may just be the right temperature for your dog. What is comfortable for you may actually be uncomfortable for your dog. Dogs are not humans and should never be thought of in human terms. You are only going to hurt them if you do!
That being said, I grew up in Minnesota. It gets very cold here. I have had labradors all my life and they can survive very frigid temps. My dogs were never allowed in the house. We had a barn and the dogs had free access to the hay mow to be able to come and go as they pleased. They would sleep in the hay, usually in the early part of the day because they liked to be awake at night. They loved playing in the snow even when the temps were below zero. They would sometimes even sleep outside the barn! They loved it.
Best selling weather-resistant Dog Houses on Amazon (#ad)
This Dog Paw Balm will protect your dog's paws in winter.
Labradors are from, funnily enough, an area of northern Canada that goes by the same name. They were bred by fishermen to be able to withstand the frigid temps of the Labrador Sea which, essentially, is just an extension of the northern Atlantic Ocean. The dogs actually jumped into the water to retrieve objects and fish for their owners.
To argue that a Labrador cannot withstand temperatures lower than freezing is ridiculous. They can, and they do, and they enjoy it. If you keep them locked up in your house with the furnace cranked high they won’t be able to develop a proper winter coat. But if you leave them outside with a well-insulated dog house and plenty of food and water they will be perfectly fine.
Answer by K
Why would you do this to your dog?? Yes, it's an animal but dogs nowadays have been living with humans for generations and generations and are not like other animals anymore. They NEED human companionship all the time.
Dogs actually prefer to spend time with humans over other dogs (this is proven through recent research) because we have bred them to be companions. They should never be left outside alone for long periods of time. Please don't do this.
Know better? Give your own answer to this question!
We use cookies to offer you a better browsing experience, analyze site traffic, personalize content and ads.
