# Cold weather worry



## Chili-mom (Sep 7, 2008)

We will problably move to NJ one of these days because thats where my husband would rather be. I was wondering about the cold. What happens if the heat goes out because of a storm? How do you keep your chi warm if that happens? Is it bad to take them running around town with you when its cold, like in and out of the car and warm buildings? And does a LC take cold weather better than a SC?


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## Maleighchi (Jan 6, 2008)

I live in the northern midwest and my chis go outside in the middle of winter no problem. (Well, at least Willow did, the others haven't seen snow yet.) I take 'em out, they go potty, and they come back in. All goes pretty well.


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## mychiisqueen (Jan 3, 2008)

I live in Ontario Canada. we get harsh cold weather.. I dress Emma in warm clothes and we aren't out for more than the time it takes her to go pees and come back in. Last year my boyfriend refused to dress her to take her out until she fell over in the snow on her side and laid there. Now he dresses her up to go out too..


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## canadiandawn (Jan 11, 2006)

mychiisqueen said:


> I live in Ontario Canada. we get harsh cold weather.. I dress Emma in warm clothes and we aren't out for more than the time it takes her to go pees and come back in. Last year my boyfriend refused to dress her to take her out until she fell over in the snow on her side and laid there. Now he dresses her up to go out too..


Not funny but that made me laugh. I'm in Canada as well and we get very cold winters. I dress my girls in sweaters and boots to go out for their pees. We usually shovel a spot in the backyard as well because if they go out without boots, it hurts them to get snow between their toes. Shiver has a metal plate in her shoulder from a surgery a few years ago and she stiffens up very quickly when it's cold so I watch her very carefully.


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## mychiisqueen (Jan 3, 2008)

Yeah its funny to think about it but it scared the crap out of him he came running in with her up his coat and sweater on his belly to get her warm and he was panicking at me to help. She's kind of a drama queen though and will do it just for attention sometimes. She laid down yesterday on her side in the pen and whimpered and whined and when i bent over her thinking she stepped on something and her paw was hurt she started tail wagging and licking my face and wanting to play.. lil brat gets her way by calling wolf all the time..

We also dig a pathway out in the backyard and a huge area for her to roam in to find pee spots.. Im always more concerned about shoveling her a path way out then i am to my car..


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## Chili-mom (Sep 7, 2008)

Thanks for your replies. I guess as long as you put a sweeter on they will be okay. Do they need sweeters in the house as well? Say if you keep the house at 68 degrees F? Do SC need more protection than LC? Sorry so many question in one post.


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## BellaLina's Mom (Mar 16, 2007)

Bella and Lina have sweaters, light coats, and heavier "down" winter coats with a hood for our 30-minute walks outside as the weather gets colder. My rule of thumb is this: If I need a sweater to walk the girls outside, they will wear a sweater. If I need a coat to walk the girls outside, they will wear their coats. When the weather drops down in the 40's, the girls will wear their heavier "down" coats with hoods to protect their head and ears. Once the weather is near freezing (32 degrees F), we stop taking walks outside. 

My chis have a tendency to fall out of their sweaters, especially when they're playing and running. Then they get all tangled up with their sweaters, which is not safe when my husband and I are not home. Therefore, they don't wear sweaters inside our home.

We keep our home at 68 degrees F in the winter. We have warm blankets, quilts, or comforters on our sofas and in their dog beds and kennels. Bella and Lina love burying themselves under these blankets all the time - to keep warm and to satisfy their nesting den instincts. They also love to be held inside my robe or my husband's robe first thing in the morning while we're making breakfast (spoiled little chis).

Both short coat and long coat chis get cold very easily because chis are so small. Long coat chis
need the same warmth protection as short coat chis in cold weather (my late second chi was a long coat).


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## canadiandawn (Jan 11, 2006)

I keep the sweaters on my girls full time in the winter but I should mention that this can dry out their skin and they become pretty flaky. You can get some oils for them if that happens though.


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## Krista (Dec 29, 2005)

^ I keep sweaters on Yoshi as well in the winter, it's still so cold even inside. I have noticed that sometimes her skin gets dry in the winter I had no idea that might be why.


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