It is COLD outside!

It is too cold outside for small breed dogs! It is too cold outside for any size dog when the temperatures drop below freezing. Your Pet is a member of your family, so bring your pet inside. They will love you for it!

There are a lot of animals that live outdoors all year round. The mice dig tunnels, the chipmunks hibernate. A fox hunts for different kinds of food to eat in winter months to keep warm. But, when you got a “pet” you made him/her a member of your family. So your “pet” should be treated like you would treat any member of your family.

A dog is social by nature and does best with an active life as a member of a family unit. Being alone is an unnatural condition for dogs. They have the need to socialize. No pet dog or cat should be left outdoors indefinitely in below-freezing weather. Know your pet’s limits.

Historically, dogs roamed at will on the farm and could find places to 'nest' at night or to rest where it was dry and warm -- in stables, barns or sheds -- where sufficient bedding was available or the dog could burrow in stored hay or straw. Modern dogs depend on their owners to provide necessary and proper shelter. Acclimate your pet to the outdoors during mild weather so his coat and body adapt to seasonal temperature changes. His coat will become thick enough to withstand even very cold temperatures provided his shelter is dry and wind tight.

Dogs may have fur coats, but they are not immune to the cold any more than a person wearing a coat would be if he or she were to sit outside on the frozen ground all day. Many dogs, including short-haired breeds such as pointers and pit bulls, young or elderly dogs, and small dogs such as Chihuahuas, dachshunds, and beagles, are even less able to handle the cold than humans are.

Read this great article about keeping your dog safe in cold weather