[Sraholiv]

i was just in the blissful phase on the arrival of our little toy poodle Winnie (whose name might change) when suddenly it hit me.

How am i supposed to walk her in the middle of winter ?!?!

her 2nd vacc is next week so she can go on her first walk in two weeks from now but given weather, i’m not sure if she’ll even want to step out.
i really want to take her out though as it’s crucial she is socialised. does anyone have anything they do for their toy poodles when winter comes around ?

fyi right now in england, 11 degrees c is the warmest it gets :/ (that’s 52 f for poodles living in the states)

 

[FloofyPoodle]

11 ˚C sounds blissfully warm compared to when both my dogs came home... It got down to -5 ˚C where we were at! We really didn't do too much different, although we did use a sweater when they went outside and cleared out a path in the snow for them to potty in. Fortunately the roads were cleared (most of the time), and we walked as normal, albeit for shorter lengths of time and trying to do our longest walks at midday when the sun was out to warm things up a little.

 

[kontiki]

I live in the UP of Michigan 11C = about 52F, practically a heat wave here 9 months of the year. My poodle is a Spoo, so definitely not tiny, but we walk ( and he runs) in winter without him wearing a coat (which he hates) at about -10F (approx - 23C). Tiny poodles and other 'pocket' dogs up here do too, mostly wearing coats. Don't think your dog likes the same temperatures you do

 

[fjm]

She will manage fine in an average British winter. You can do a lot of socialisation carrying her, sitting on a bench and watching the world go by, quick visits to shops like Pets At Home, once they are open, etc, etc. Assuming you have a car a comfy crate, towels to dry her off, and a warm hot water bottle will ensure she doesn't get chilled after a walk.

I would choose a designated toilet spot close to the house, somewhere not too muddy and that you can easily clear in the unlikely event of lots of snow. Then just carry on as usual - short puppy walks (15-20 minutes is usual for young pups), brief trips out to toilet, fun play outside when the weather is OK. Mine never much minded the cold, but hate rain and sleet and hail - on really wet days we skip walks and play rainy day games indoors instead. They loved deep snow as puppies but are less keen as old ladies - bit like their human!

 

[kontiki]

They loved deep snow as puppies but are less keen as old ladies - bit like their human!

HaHa, isn't that the truth, says me at 74!

 

[Dechi]

fyi right now in england, 11 degrees c is the warmest it gets :/ (that’s 52 f for poodles living in the states)

11C is still perfect for walking a toy poodle. I would say unless there is a carpet of snow on the ground, or it is -10C or less, you can walk your toy poodle. Just put a coat on if you think your dog is cold (and keep the hair longer in winter).

Here in Canada I don‘t walk my dogs between december and april. Way too cold, snow everywhere up to their chest, no sidewalks where I live. Much too dangerous to walk two little dogs in winter. I think England has a cooler winter so you might be able to enjoy walking longer.

 

[Sraholiv]

hello, thank you all for your replies. i didn’t know they could withstand such temperatures 😳😳
the reason i was worried is because she shivers/trembles inside and stops when we put a blanket over her or hug her. if she can walk outside, why is she trembling inside ? would i need to take her to the vets for this ?

 

[fjm]

Very young pups are not able to maintain their body temperature - this improves as they get older. But I think they as they get older they also need the experience of different temperatures - if she has been used only to centrally heated spaces outdoors may come as a shock. I would start taking her out for very short trips as soon as possible, keeping her moving to help her keep warm, and making sure she is dried as soon as she comes back in. Trembling is quite possibly nerves as much as feeling chilled, but hypothermia is certainly something to watch for - unlikely in brief forays into UK temperatures, though.

 

[Dechi]

hello, thank you all for your replies. i didn’t know they could withstand such temperatures 😳😳
the reason i was worried is because she shivers/trembles inside and stops when we put a blanket over her or hug her. if she can walk outside, why is she trembling inside ? would i need to take her to the vets for this ?

How old is your puppy and how much does he weigh? How long ago did you get him ? What’s the temperature inside the house ?

 

[that_poodle_noodle]

I just wanted to add to this - we’ve had no problems with the cold (Noodle is an 8 month old toy poodle and although she shivers a bit if we have to stand outside, she keeps warm when walking) but I’d advise getting a little raincoat if you can. For us at least, it’s getting harder to find a dry time of day to get out and if nothing else, a raincoat makes drying her off when we get back so much easier!

 

[twyla]

This morning was 32f girls were in their sweat shirts Lenny was in his winter wooly suit as he is only 6 1/2 pounds, toy dogs don not retain their body well. I have walked them until the weather gets to about 18f with winter coats under that it's to cold for me.