Cross Breeds

German Shepherds and cold tolerance?

Thanks all for replying in advance. I appreciate your help. So, my question is simple....I live in a cold place (Northern NH), and am the owner of several Alaskan Malamutes. A few months ago my family and I adopted a pure-bred GSD, and this is my first winter with the breed.... My Mals do spend the nights, all winter, outdoors. They have dog houses, and make snow dens when the heavy stuff comes in. They make a ton of noise when brought in, and while I realize some object to this, I would reply that the Mals were bred to live alongside alongside indigenous Alaskan natives. They are very happy to be outside....so, my question is this. How cold is too cold to have the GSD stay out there with them? Lately it has been getting into the teens at night, and I have been bringing her inside for the past several months. My limit has been anything below about 40 degrees to bring her in. The problem is that my wife does not like the dog in the house overnight, and I have been bringing the dog in despite this. So, am I being over protective? How cold is too cold for this breed? Thank you again...

Public Comments

1. Arthritis and hip desplasia are common in this breed, cold can often make the dog uncomfortable, I would not recommend keeping a GSD out in the cold for extended periods of times as they are not meant for that like malamutes are
2. If the dog does not have proper shelter from the cold then any cold is too cold, however German Shepherd have double coats and can handle the cold if you have a good insulated dogs house that he will stay in. They are a resilient breed.
3. German Shepard's are not made to be outside under freezing temps for long periods. While they have a double coat it is not as thick as your Mals. anything under 32 with no sun should be a 4 hour limit. That is unless he has a heated den or you are going to put a coat on a GS.
4. Depends on if she is working line or show line, a working line is bred to sleep out with the sheep during German winters, not quite as cold as NH winters but still they can survive a night that hovers near freezing(wouldn't leave one out if it was freezing at sundown and only going to get colder) a show line tends to have less tolerance for cold due to joint issues common to the breed Its better to be safe than sorry, if your wife is worried about the dog roaming the house at night perhaps a crate for inside?
5. Yeah, thats not a breed that will tolerate extreme cold comfortably. But if his being inside is causing serious problems, consider some sort of heat device inside a doghouse in the garage or some other sheltered place. A doghouse in the garage in itself would probably be enough, but he will almost certainly develop arthritis in his rear hips later on, and cold will only cause him to suffer. ** Do you have a vestibule or sheltered porch you could put a doghouse in? I've seen dogs sleep on low heat electric blankets before. Never done it, mine sleep inside, but I'm a real softy with my pets. An electric blanket or near an oil heater. Thermal heat might be the best solution. ** Your final solution is to put the dog inside at night and put your wife out with the Alaskan Malamutes.
6. If the dog's coat is in good condition and has a good body weight she should fair well in about 35-25 degrees in limited exposure as german shepherds have a medium double coat. If the dog has a dog house stuff it with hay or straw for the dog can cover up. Also if she's out and about outside you can always slip on a dog sweater or a coat when walking or playing. I recommend the Casual Canine Ripstop Blanket Dog Coat as it has buckles and harnesses for a secure adjustable fit and the Fashion Pet thermal hoodie as it has draw stings for a custom fit(can be bought at Ebay or Amazon). Outdoor dogs naturally put on a little weight during cold months so make sure you give plenty food for a healthy weight gain. If your dogs have kennels there are kennel roofs(lucky dog, shelterlogic) and kennel sides(lucky dog) that will shelter your dogs from the elements - can purchase at Amazon or Ebay
7. Your pets need to be brought inside. Yes, a traditional working bred Mal should do fine outside with shelter, but your likely came from a backyard breeder and are pets. Pets belong inside. GSD's are family dogs. Had you used a decent breeder or legit rescue service, they would have never let you leave with the dog if leaving it outside to rot was even an option. if your wife doesn't like the dogs inside, give them to purebred rescue and let them have a home with a responsible and loving family. http://www.gsdca.org will put you in touch with GSD rescue http://www.alaskanmalamute.org/wiki/default.aspx will put you in touch with Malamute rescue
8. Why have a dog if it is just going to be a lawn ornament? Bring your dog inside or give it up to a family who can properly care for it. Your dog is a pet, not a working herding dog on a farm or anything. It should not be left outside all day and night to do nothing but sit around and freeze.