# How do you know if your hav is cold?



## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

There have been many cold nights lately where I am tucked under the blankets at night. I always have a blanket on top of my bed for my dog. Sometimes it feels so cold in the room and I always wonder if my dog is cold or not. Should I assume if he's cold he will get under the blanket? He's never been a dog to get under the covers.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Not sure... Kodi is quick to snuggle in if he's chilly!


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

he's probably alright. I've tried throwing a blanket over Molly at times, and two minutes later she's crawling from underneath it. If they curl up they might be a bit more cold but our room goes down to 65 at night and Molly is laying stretched out so I assume she's not cold.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

davetgabby said:


> he's probably alright. I've tried throwing a blanket over Molly at times, and two minutes later she's crawling from underneath it. If they curl up they might be a bit more cold but our room goes down to 65 at night and Molly is laying stretched out so I assume she's not cold.


Kodi is a heat seeking missle. He burrows way down under the covers, even when I have the electric blanket on high. I'll here him panting down there, and he STILL stays for a long time. Then suddenly, when he cant STAND it anymore, he comes SHOOTING out from under the covers and stretches out on top, with his belly exposed to cool off. Nut!!!ound:


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

krandall said:


> Kodi is a heat seeking missle. He burrows way down under the covers, even when I have the electric blanket on high. I'll here him panting down there, and he STILL stays for a long time. Then suddenly, when he cant STAND it anymore, he comes SHOOTING out from under the covers and stretches out on top, with his belly exposed to cool off. Nut!!!ound:


yeah electric blankets. Gwen has her side on round the clock ,. and if she leaves and Molly moves in, two minutes later Molly will be panting and comes back over to my side. There's no getting rid of Molly from my side. :frusty:


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## FancyNancy (Oct 7, 2009)

Molly is a girl who knows a good man when she sees one!


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## Momo means Peach (Jun 7, 2011)

My two dogs go out in 20 degree weather, without clothing, and seem unfazed. If you put a blanket on them, they will usually jump out from under. So, I'm guessing unless they are shivering or curled up tight, they are good to go.


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## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

Django is always curled up tight like a pretzel all the time but he alwayls has blankets right next to him. I guess if he's cold, he will snuggle underneath.


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

I touch their noses. Fred runs warm so his nose doesn't get cold very often. Scuds nose can get as cold as ice, so I will put a sweater on him then. Bella is always cold and shivers without a sweater and coat over it. She wears both sweater and coat inside!


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## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

I always thought a dog was suppose to have a cold nose? Django would NEVER wear a coat or sweater regardless of how cold he was. He hates them and It's a bummer cuz I have a bin full of both! He always wears a coat if we go for a walk and it's very cold outside.

He sometimes buries his head and body behind the pillow on the sofa but i don't think that's because he's cold. Maybe he just wants some peace and quiet!


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

I think this is a great question! Laila and Lily sleep in crates, and our room is about 60 at night so I do worry about them. Neither one makes a peep, and both have beds with sides and I have a blanket over their crates. But I still worry....Will they whine or cry if they are cold?? 

Lexi and Logan are in bed with us so I don't worry about them, as they will snuggle next to us if they get chilly.


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## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

Django sometimes sleeps right up against me. I always thought it was because he just wanted to snuggle not because he's cold. Hmmm.


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

Fred has never really had a cold nose. He is healthy but has always had a warmer nose than scuds and Bella. He runs on the warm side anyway. It's when I see him curled up like a sardine that makes me touch his nose. At this moment his nose is usually cold. That's when the sweater goes on. I know an ice cold nose is not normal for him. I can also tell when scuds is cold because he curls up and buries his face him his fur. Bella just shivers which is a dead give away


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## sprorchid (Mar 30, 2010)

noses are supposed to be cold. several vets have told me that. BUT just b/c their nose is warm, doesn't mean anything either, although if their nose is always warm, that could mean something.

My first dog, unbenounced to me, was from a BYB, and she was inbred at least a couple of generations, had kidney failure at the cellular level, something you only read about in textbooks. anyway, toward the end of her short life, her nose was always warm.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

lfung5 said:


> Fred has never really had a cold nose. He is healthy but has always had a warmer nose than scuds and Bella. He runs on the warm side anyway. It's when I see him curled up like a sardine that makes me touch his nose. At this moment his nose is usually cold. That's when the sweater goes on. I know an ice cold nose is not normal for him. I can also tell when scuds is cold because he curls up and buries his face him his fur. Bella just shivers which is a dead give away


yeah Linda I'd be cold at your house too., when you keep it at 50 degrees lol.


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

LOL! 62 Dave


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

sprorchid said:


> noses are supposed to be cold. several vets have told me that. BUT just b/c their nose is warm, doesn't mean anything either, although if their nose is always warm, that could mean something.
> 
> My first dog, unbenounced to me, was from a BYB, and she was inbred at least a couple of generations, had kidney failure at the cellular level, something you only read about in textbooks. anyway, toward the end of her short life, her nose was always warm.


Yikes! You had me worried so i just checked his nose. It is damp and cool, but not super cold. I guess his nose gets warm when he is hot. He runs so hot and is normally warm when my other 2 are comfortable. He hates the heat. and runs for shade in the summer. Bella is the opposite and with sunbathe in 100 degree weather. She loves to sun herself


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## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

So does a really cold nose mean he's cold?


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

I'm not sure now. I know Fred's nose is not normally freezing, so when it gets that cold I feel he is cold. Scuds and Bella's noses are always cold. When I feel they are extra cold is when I put their sweaters on.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

littlebuddy said:


> So does a really cold nose mean he's cold?


nope it means nothing really, they fluctuate but no real meaning. The only real indicator is shivering.


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## Becky Chittenden (Feb 4, 2009)

I'd freeze at your house. I keep my house at 76 all year and right now I'm a bit cold, getting ready to put my pjs on and warm bathrobe. My dogs all seem comfortable. I agree, if a dog is cold, it'll shiver.


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

davetgabby said:


> nope it means nothing really, they fluctuate but no real meaning. The only real indicator is shivering.


You mean I wasted hundreds of dollars on sweaters because their noses were my gauge?! LOL


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

Haha, Linda! That makes me think of my mom insisting that I wore a sweater when I was young, even though I didn't want to. You know, "A sweater is what you wear when your mother is cold." :suspicious:


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

But.... if a dog is in a crate at night and shivering - I can't see it. Will they whimper or cry?


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## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

When you talk about your dog curling up when they are cold, is this what you mean?


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

littlebuddy said:


> When you talk about your dog curling up when they are cold, is this what you mean?


yep, generally it 's an indicator but not always. Sled dogs curl up into a "C" in a snowbank. If they're stetched out they're usually not cold.


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## sandypaws (Aug 8, 2012)

Tyler lays curled up in his bed in the winter, all snuggled up, and stretched out on his tummy on the wood floors in the summer. I've never seen him shiver though and in the summer we refer to his position as "cooling his jets".


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## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

Django is either always curled up or stretched out but i have never seen him shake. I sometimes throw the blanket on him and he manages to get out from under it. I always thought his C was the cat in him.


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

lfung5 said:


> You mean I wasted hundreds of dollars on sweaters because their noses were my gauge?! LOL


Aw, c'mon. You know you'd keep buying those gorgeous garbs for your little fashion plates. I was thinking about you the past few days and thinking I should get in touch with the custom sweater/coat lady. Looks like a cold winter coming.


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## sprorchid (Mar 30, 2010)

My second dog Cosmo, all white, LOVED to sun bath. every day at about 11am (roommate told me), he'd walk out to the deck and lay out in the sun. He taught my other female anatolian, Kara how to sun bath. She still does it to this day.

I wouldn't take a nose temp as a sole indicator of anything.


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

LOL. Too many funny comments on my sweater buying!!! They are hard to resist, especially her new ones!

I don't think a dog will whine or cry when they are cold. My guys will just shiver. Bella shivers if the temperature drops under 70 degrees! 

Laurie, if you keep you bedroom at 60, I think Laila could use a sweater. She is so skinny and small. Sometimes, I can't see them shiver, but if I touch their legs, I can feel it. 

I read if a dog is cold, they will often curl up like the picture above and tuck their nose into their fur.


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## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

On the few occasions that he is actually cold at night, Ceylon will burrow under the covers. Mostly he prefers to be on top of the covers, even when it's chilly enough in the room to make me shiver if I am not burrowed under lol. I guess I figure two things: 1) dogs are generally more resilient than us frail humans, and 2) Cey, at least, will either a) do something about it, or b) let me know, if it really is too cold for him .


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