It's COLD! Any tips for warm corgi feets and faces?
I'm originally from the coast of Virginia. It simply doesn't get cold there! Sometimes it's 30 or so, and very rarely is it in the 20's. It might snow once a year, and even then it doesn't stick. Compare that to where I'm living now: the Appalachian mountains. :| The high is around 20 in the winter, and we might get 10" of snow this weekend! WOW. I'm obviously very excited. But, as excited as I am, I was walking to class today and my face almost fell off. It seriously felt like I had been injected with novacaine. Then I got to thinking... I have to walk Waffle in this weather next year! LOL, CRAP. How do you all around the Great Lakes do it?! This weather is crazy. I've read so much about booties for corgies, but are booties necessary when there's no snow on the ground? I really don't want to buy or make him wear boots. What about their faces... do you know if they get as cold as mine? Haha. I know when it's COLD I don't want to be out for long--for both of our sakes. But, do you skimp on the walks? :[ I want him to be as happy and healthy in the winter as he will be in the summer. Also, what's the deal with long paw hair--why's paw hair gotta be short?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Beth on
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I'm in PA and we get very cold weather in winter. Mine love the cold. I was out yesterday and it was about 20 with a wind-chill of around zero and I was numb but they were skipping and playing and bouncing, and Jack argued like nobody's business when he realized we were cutting our walk short because WE were cold. My personal experience is anything in the double digits (10 or above) your Corgi will be fine with a half-hour walk or so. Colder than that you need to watch; if they start shifting weight from one foot to the other constantly it can mean their paws are cold.
Paw hair depends on the dog. Jack's does not need to be trimmed, Maddies' is long enough to braid if you let it go! LOL Get some cheap hair scissors and give them an occasional trim if they are long but not every dog will need that.
But overall, your comfort will be harder to maintain than the dogs. Imagine if you were wrapped in fur literally from head to toe; I'll bet you'd be toasty too! I invested in some long underwear, a heavy scarf and hat, and a very big LL Bean down coat; I look like the Michelin man when I go out but the dogs are happy.
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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on
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So how cold is it where you live now??? If it's above zero and you keep on moving corgis can easily be out half an hour...they prefer the cold. It was -6 here this am and the still were out 10 min. If we have extreme -30+ windchills mine go out to go potty and are in within 5 mn. Corgis love cold and so if you bundle up and they're not getting tons of snow between their pads (the long hair collects more snow thus colder feet faster, can you imagine being out site with no shoes and then a 1/2 inch of snow between each toe?) a brisk 20 min walk will warm you both up. I try to be careful not to wimp out as they will also learn this (as in rain also) there's no reason a short walk will hurt them BUT do know the temps! I can't afford boots for all mine and by the time I'd get 1/2 of them on the other 1/2 would probably have pulled theirs off!
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Permalink Reply by Sam Tsang on
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Right now It's -7F windchill here in Toronto. We have no snow and my corgis are not wearing booties.
If there's wet snow and salt on the ground, then booties is a must. Water can sip between the paw pads and refreezes, yes it can be painful.
Forget about the el-cheapo booties on the market, most of them fall off due to poor design. The most important thing on a set of booties are the straps. There are rubber balloon disposable booties as well, they work great, just keep them dry.
Dogs have fewer sweat glands than human and they are located along the base of their feet. Eventhough my corgis have lived in Florida all their lives, they do just fine in the Canadian winter. I still walk them rain or snow for 45-60 mins daily. Adequate exercise outside will prevent them from acting out indoor.
I think the more important thing is to keep yourself warm. This is what I wear in the cold and I don't feel a thing when I'm outside.
1. Dry max / cool max long sleeve base layer, you can get the cheap $11 C9 one from Target, body hugging and moisture wicking is the key.
2. A polar fleece neck gaiter, pull it up to cover your nose if necessary.
3. a fleece beannie
4. a pair of lined leather gloves or windstopper gloves
5. a pair of base layer tights, or you can wear a pair of track pants underneath a pair of jeans.
6. keep your feet dry and warm with a pair of gore-tex shoes / boots.
7. finally a good 700 down filled jacket with a down hood.
This is me in my gear watching a night car rally in Bancroft, Ontario, Canada
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Permalink Reply by John Wolff on
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#1 and #5. Skin-tight synthetic or wool layer to trap dry air next to skin.
Lycra runner's tights and a polypropylene longsleeve shirt have been my base layer in the wet Cascade mountains for 30 years.
A circular NECK SCARF -- a removable turtleneck -- is worth its weight in gold, literally. Most jackets have TERRIBLE collars that don't seal around your neck.
NO COTTON unless you like being wet. Backpacking, I don't even wear cotton underpants; I wear a nylon Speedo swimsuit.
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John do you have any waterproof windproof pants recommendation for a civilian look? I wear my gore-tex pants with thinsulate lined any day, but my wife refuse the backpacker / guy look and insist on the more fashionable jeans for herself :(
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Permalink Reply by Nanmar on
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I have a nice black Pearl Izumi pair.- stylish and warm enough for taking my corgi out in the Tahoe snow for an hour long romp. I got them for long snowshoe treks in the back country. Lightweight and warm.
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Permalink Reply by Kimberlie on
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where i live it gets to -30 or colder degress celcius. My corgi can outlast me in the cold when i am bundled up, any day. I have never needed to use boots or anything, she is only 14 weeks, and i actually have to pick her up and out of playing in the snow to just get her in side, when i pick her up and put my hand on her belly it is still warm after swimming in snow for 30 min. and when i say swim i mean she is pouncing in snow fields where the snow sometime taller than she is. they produce heat like crazy. mind if your a dog is just standing still for a while it may get a little cold but nothing a little movement can't fix.
It is nerve racking at first but you will get use to it when you see that they don't even notice the cold. My girl get two 30 min walks and one 15-20 min walk and a bunch of pee brakes (still in house braking mode).
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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on
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I like down jackets! The corgis love the cold and roll in the snow even if it is in the single digits. I reduce the walk time when it is 15 or below but never have tried booties. It would be quite an experience trying to get them on Sparty anyway. Izzy has paw hair but nothing ever sticks to it so so I do not worry much about it. You just have to watch the salt, it can hurt their feet and is not good to eat. I think the humidity in Virginia would bother me a lot more than the month or so of cold we get here in Michigan. I guess that makes me an "official" northerner!
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Permalink Reply by Rachael & Waffle on
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Thanks for your replies, everyone. I guess even a small layer of fur would keep their faces from falling off like mine does. I definitely need to get a face cover... if I had waited a day before making this discussion, most of these questions would be answered! lol. Virginia Beach (where Waffle is now) just got around a foot of snow and hopefully I'll have pics of him having a blast. He didn't have problems with his feets, or his face, or his ears... haha.
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You want short pad hair if you have smooth floors; it covers the pads like a furniture glide.
Check for snow/ice collecting between the toes/pads.
It does not get very cold here in the Cascade Mountains, but we have snow almost year round up high. Our dogs sometiems get sore pads from abrasion on the soft tender skin between the pads. Loose snow or sand does this. After 2-3 days at the beach, they were done with it. 1 or 2 days hiking on sandy roads, or running fast in snow to keep up with nordic skiers. Maybe they'd get used to it if they did it often enough.
You might try Musher's Secret, never tried it.
I carry Pawz booties, medium (blue), but just for emergency.
Combing the coat might help; I've never tried a furminator but I fear it might remove too much undercoat. Just a regular comb.
These are outdoor dogs.
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Permalink Reply by Abbea and Vivi on
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Hehe I feel lucky in the wintertime since I live in Arizona. The coldest it gets where I live is in the lower 40's upper 30's F and that's still only just before dawn. Although, when summer comes around... Well, I don't feel so lucky. 120 degree weather is not fun. :(
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At least it isn't humid! I'd take 120 dry heat over 90 at 100% humidity any day.
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