Winter dog care tips: how to keep your dog safe in the cold

When the temperature drops, not every dog handles it the same way. A Husky may happily flop down in a snowbank while a Greyhound or Chihuahua shivers at the front door. Keeping your dog safe in the cold depends mostly on their size, coat, age, and health.

These winter dog care tips cover which dogs are most sensitive to cold, at what temperature it becomes a risk, when a coat makes sense, how to recognize hypothermia, and the hazards that come with winter, like antifreeze and ice melt.

Which dogs feel the cold most

These dogs lose heat faster and need more protection:

• Small and toy breeds, like Chihuahuas, Yorkshire Terriers, and Miniature Pinschers. A small body has a lot of surface area relative to its volume, loses heat quickly, and sits close to cold, wet ground.
• Short-coated dogs with no undercoat, like Boxers, Dobermans, Dalmatians, and French Bulldogs.
• Sighthounds, like Greyhounds, Whippets, and Italian Greyhounds: they have very little body fat, thin skin, and short coats.
• Hairless breeds, like the Chinese Crested, the Xoloitzcuintli, and the Peruvian Inca Orchid.
• Puppies, who can’t regulate their body temperature well yet.
• Senior dogs, who have less muscle mass and often arthritis, which gets worse in the cold.
• Sick or thin dogs: those with heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, or hypothyroidism (which often causes cold intolerance), or dogs recovering from surgery.
• Dogs who were recently shaved.

At the other end of the spectrum are northern and mountain breeds, like Siberian Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes, Samoyeds, Saint Bernards, and Newfoundlands, whose dense undercoat insulates them very well. Even so, they still need a dry, wind-free shelter.

How cold is too cold for a dog?

Use this table as a general guide:

Wind, rain, and humidity make cold feel much worse, and a dog with a wet coat loses most of its ability to stay insulated. Activity matters too: a dog who’s running generates heat, but one who’s standing still cools off fast.

Your dog is cold if they shiver, hunch up and tuck their tail, lift their paws one at a time, slow down, refuse to keep walking, whine, or try to shelter between your legs. If your dog shivers indoors too, our guide on why your dog is shaking covers other possible causes.

Does my dog need a coat?

Yes, if your dog falls into one of the sensitive groups above, especially below about 45 °F (7 °C) or in rain and wind. A healthy dog with a dense double coat, like a German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, or Husky, usually doesn’t: their coat already protects them, and a jacket can make them overheat. The exception is senior or sick dogs of these breeds.

How to choose a good dog coat:

• It should run from the neck to the base of the tail and cover the chest and belly, especially for short-legged dogs like Dachshunds, whose bellies skim the snow and slush.
• It should fit snugly but not tightly: you should be able to slip two fingers under it, and it shouldn’t rub the armpits or get in the way of moving or doing their business.
• Waterproof if you live somewhere wet, and lined if it gets very cold. Knit sweaters only work on dry days.
• Reflective details, because it gets dark early in winter.
• Easy on and off, with Velcro or buckles, if your dog dislikes things going over their head.

Take the coat off once you’re back inside so your dog doesn’t overheat, and if it got wet, dry it before the next walk: a soaked coat chills more than no coat at all. Introduce it gradually, with treats.

Hypothermia in dogs: signs and what to do

Hypothermia happens when body temperature drops below normal (100.5–102.5 °F, or 38–39.2 °C). Below 98.6 °F (37 °C), it’s a real problem. It usually follows a long time out in the cold, a fall into water, or getting wet on a windy day, and it hits puppies, small dogs, seniors, and sick dogs first.

What to do while you reach your vet:

1. Move your dog somewhere warm and sheltered.
2. Dry them with towels if they’re wet.
3. Wrap them in blankets, ideally warmed first in the dryer or by a radiator.
4. Place bottles of warm (not hot) water wrapped in a towel against the chest, armpits, and groin, never directly on the skin.
5. Avoid intense heat: no hot water, no hair dryer on high, no electric heating pads. A hypothermic dog can’t move away from the heat source and burns easily. If you use a hair dryer, keep it on a warm setting and several inches away.

Severe cold can also cause frostbite on the ear tips, tail, scrotum, and toes. The skin looks pale, gray, or bluish and feels cold and hard; as it warms up, it turns red, swollen, and painful. Don’t rub it or apply direct heat: warm it slowly with lukewarm water and see your vet.

Antifreeze: winter’s sweet poison

Car antifreeze (engine coolant) usually contains ethylene glycol, a sweet-tasting substance that attracts dogs and is highly toxic: even a small amount can be fatal, especially for small dogs. You’ll find it in puddles in garages and parking lots, in leaks under cars, and in poorly sealed containers.

Poisoning happens in stages. In the first few hours, the dog seems drunk (wobbly and disoriented), vomits, and drinks and urinates a lot. Then they may seem to improve, but it’s a false recovery: one to three days later, severe kidney failure sets in, with lethargy, vomiting, little or no urine, seizures, or coma.

To prevent it:

• Store antifreeze tightly closed and out of reach.
• Clean up any spill right away with an absorbent material such as cat litter, then rinse with water.
• Check your car for leaks, and keep your dog from drinking out of puddles in garages and parking lots.
• If you top off your own coolant, choose a propylene glycol–based product, which is much less toxic.

Ice melt, snow, and ice

The salt spread on sidewalks and streets dries out and cracks paw pads, stings in any wound, and, if your dog licks it off, can cause vomiting and diarrhea; in large amounts it can lead to salt poisoning. When you get home, rinse your dog’s paws in lukewarm water and dry well between the toes. Our dog paw care guide has the full routine, including paw wax, boots, and how to prevent snowballs between the toes.

With snow and ice:

• Don’t let your dog eat a lot of snow: it can contain salt or chemicals or hide objects, and too much can upset their stomach.
• Keep your dog leashed near frozen lakes, ponds, and rivers. The ice can break under their weight. If your dog falls through, don’t go out after them: call 911.
• Watch for slips, especially with senior dogs or dogs with joint problems.

How to adjust walks in winter

Your dog still needs to get out in the cold, but adjust the routine:

• Shorter, more frequent walks for cold-sensitive dogs instead of one long one.
• Go out midday, when it’s sunnier and warmest.
• Keep your dog moving. Don’t leave them tied up outside a store or waiting in the car: in winter, a parked car cools down like a refrigerator.
• Make your dog visible with a light-up collar, reflective harness, or safety vest, since it gets dark early.
• Keep ID tags on and make sure the microchip registration is current. Snow and rain wash out familiar scent trails, and a frightened dog can get lost more easily. Our guide to dog microchipping explains how to keep the registry up to date.
• Dry your dog when you get home, especially the belly, paws, and ears: damp fur doesn’t insulate.

On stormy days, make up for shorter walks with sniffing games at home.

Winter care at home

• A bed raised off the floor, away from drafts and doors, with a blanket your dog can arrange as they like. Senior dogs with arthritis do much better on an orthopedic bed; our senior dog care guide has more ways to keep them comfortable.
• Screen off space heaters and fireplaces: dogs get too close and can burn themselves. Use heated beds or pads only if they’re made for pets and run at a low temperature.
• Fresh water at all times, even when it’s cold: indoor heat dries the air, and some dogs drink less than they need.
• Match food to activity. A dog who lives outdoors or exercises hard in the cold burns more energy and may need a bit more food; one who goes out less may gain weight on the same amount. Weigh your dog every few weeks and talk to your vet before changing portions.

If your dog lives outdoors, they need an insulated doghouse raised off the ground, just big enough to hold their body heat, with the door shielded from the wind and dry bedding that’s changed often. Check several times a day that the water hasn’t frozen. On freezing nights, the safest option is to bring your dog indoors or into an enclosed, sheltered space.

Frequently asked questions

Is it bad for my dog to eat snow?

A few mouthfuls of clean snow usually aren’t a problem. The risk is in the quantity and what’s in it: snow from sidewalks and roads can contain salt, antifreeze, or other chemicals, and snowbanks can hide sticks, rocks, or trash. Eating a lot can upset your dog’s stomach or chill them.

Can my dog sleep outside in winter?

A healthy adult northern or mountain breed who’s used to it may tolerate it with an insulated, dry, wind-protected doghouse. For small, short-coated, young, senior, or sick dogs, it isn’t appropriate: below freezing, they’re at risk of hypothermia. And any dog rests better close to their family.

Can dogs catch a cold from cold weather?

Cold alone doesn’t cause infections, but dogs can catch respiratory viruses and bacteria, which spread more easily when they spend time indoors with other dogs, like at daycare or boarding. Typical signs are coughing, sneezing, nasal discharge, and mild lethargy. See your vet if your dog won’t eat, has a fever, struggles to breathe, is a puppy or senior, or isn’t improving within a few days.

Should I bathe my dog less in winter?

You don’t need to change the frequency much, but you do need to change the approach: bathe your dog indoors in lukewarm water, and dry them down to the skin with a towel and a warm-setting dryer before they go outside. With double-coated breeds, drying completely can take a while. Our guide on how often to bathe a dog covers frequency by coat type.

Sources

• American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA): cold weather pet safety.
• ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: antifreeze (ethylene glycol) and ice melt poisoning.
• Merck Veterinary Manual: hypothermia, frostbite, and ethylene glycol poisoning in dogs.
• PDSA: caring for your dog in winter.