Hello, again!

I am sorry it has been a while since I last posted. We have been busy around here getting things cleaned up from our last litter, yes still!, and making sure Molly is happy and healthy as her next breeding approaches. Making sure your labrador gets plenty of exercise in winter can be challenging, but at least Molly doesn’t mind the snow! In fact, she puts me to shame. I find the cold keeps me from jogging far easier than it does her.

So, are you wondering how cold is too cold for your dog? Well, keep in mind that there are a number of factors to consider, including what type of “cold” (damp, wind, cloud cover etc.) and the size and age of your dog factor in. TIDBIT: Interestingly enough, especially for our Kindred Pup families, yellow (or light) coated animals don’t attract as much sunlight as darker animals, and don’t stay as warm as their darker-coated counterparts. (Per petmd.com – linked to below.)

In general though, for our sturdy labrador, temperatures higher than 20 degrees are thought safe, at least for short periods. Of course, please keep an eye on your pup, watching for illness and other cold-inducing ailments. Did you know dogs can get frostbite?

For more information on the risks of weather for your dog, I found this article helpful.

Another option, of course, is to make sure your dog gets proper exercise indoors. While we don’t have to try too hard to make that happen, our Molly is generally chasing one of my five boys around with ball in mouth, begging to play, I know it can be trying with a pent-up pup indoors!

I’m sharing this article, although I’ve not personally tried everything on the list. My favorite? Run them up and down the stairs – we do this regularly! A surprise to me? Run your dog on a treadmill. Has anyone reading this actually done that? Leave me a comment if you have!

For fun though we had to put it into Facebook, and apparently it’s a thing! Check out this funny video if you’d like a laugh. (I do not own the video; just thought it was cute!)

**Please do your own research and consult a veterinarian with any questions you may have. I am only passing on the information as I have studied it.**