As long as your dog has a soft bed to lie on, and as long as the room temperature remains above freezing, dogs are unlikely to get too cold. The dog will curl up and snuggle down, its own body heat sufficient for a good night's sleep.
As a general rule of thumb: at 45°F (7°C) and below, most dogs will dogs will start to become uncomfortable. at 32°F (0°C) and below, small, thin-coated, young, old and sick dogs should not be left outside for long. at 20°F (-7°C) and below, dogs become vulnerable to hypothermia and frostbite.
In the winter, 68 F to 72 F is comfortable for you and your dog. Don't set the thermostat lower than 60 F when you're gone. Give puppies, older dogs, small short-haired dogs and less healthy dogs a warm bed or an extra blanket on the couch.
Cold-Temperature Guidelines for Dogs
Once temperatures drop under 20 F, all pet parents need to be aware that their dogs could develop cold-associated health problems like hypothermia or frostbite when outside for extended periods of time.
Keep Your Dog Warm – Sleeping on a blanket instead of tile or a hardwood floor can provide your dog a source of warmth and comfort on a cold winter night. This is especially true if you don't sleep in the same room as your dog, or don't allow them on your living room furniture.
As a general guide, above seven degrees is considered safe for most breeds. If the weather drops to below zero, it is beginning to become unsafe for most dogs. Below minus 12 degrees, while unlikely in Australia, is considered life-threatening.
A dog's natural body temperature sits at around 38-39 degrees Celsius, so this is the temperature you should be aiming to keep them at.
Most healthy medium or large dogs with thick coats can take a 30-minute walk when temperatures are above 20°F. Small dogs or dogs with thin coats start to become uncomfortable in temperatures below 45°F. Consider limiting walks to 15 minutes for these dogs when temps fall below freezing.
Even if your dog has a thick, heavy coat, they might still feel chilly in the winter. Pets are just as likely to get frostbite (frozen skin and tissue) and hypothermia (low body temperature) as their owners. But it's easy to protect your pooch from the cold.
How it actually feels is important, which is why wind-chill should be included. At around 12 – 15 degrees most pets will probably be quite safe. At 10 degrees, you need to keep an eye on them as it can be potentially unsafe depending on their age, general health, and breed.
5 degrees Celsius: at this temperature, “cold averse” dogs may start to struggle. So, if your dog is particularly small, has a thin coat or spends most of their life snuggled up in a blanket, it may be time to give dog coats a go, reduce the length of your works, or even give the walks a miss.
It's generally safe in temperatures of up to 19°C (68°F) but be careful when the mercury rises above this. Even at temperatures as low as 20°C (70°F) dogs are at risk of heat stroke. Heat stroke in dogs is essentially a high temperature not caused by a fever.
Anything above 20C can cause your dog to become dehydrated and very hot very quickly. The hotter the temperature, the higher the risk to your dog. As the temperature increases, even by just 1C, the risk to your dog increases too. Any temperature over 25C is a definite NO when it comes to walking!
Dogs, like humans, take comfort in having a warm body next to them while they sleep, which is why they crawl into bed with us in the first place.
As temperatures drop, most dog owners are looking to keep their pets warm and cozy by buying them heated beds or pet heating pads. It's especially important to keep your dog warm and comfortable as he gets older or if he has health conditions that may affect his comfort levels.
Whether your dog is staying outside, sleeps indoors, or in a garage, it's important to keep them warm at night. For many, especially those of you with smaller dogs or dogs with thinner coats, keeping your dog warm at night is a must for not only their comfort, but also their wellbeing and general health.
Generally, your dog will feel uncomfortable in cold temperatures below 0°C. When the temperature reaches this point, don't allow your dog outside for long periods. Smaller dogs, as well as dogs with short coats, will feel the cold more sharply than larger dogs or breeds with thick coats.
If the tips of your pet's ears are warm, they're probably warm enough all over – the extremities tend to get cold first. Animals which are smaller, leaner, or animals with shorter coats will feel the cold much more acutely.
Dogs likely feel comforted when they can sleep close to their favorite humans, and similarly you might benefit from being close to your dog at night. A crate or dog bed somewhere in your bedroom is probably the perfect spot for your dog to sleep.
It turns out that your dog's adorable preference of sleeping under the covers or burrowing into blankets is a natural instinct, similar to that of moles and groundhogs, and it is present in most dogs. It comes from the fact that their ancestors were born and raised in dens, a mammal's sheltered home.
Experts in dog behavior believe that, in general, dogs do not like being embraced. However, every dog has a unique personality. Some may dislike hugs more strongly than others, and some may actually adore them. The closest thing our furry family members do to a hug is something referred to as 'standing over'.
As a general rule - yes! Dog blankets (or regular blankets, for that matter) are generally very safe for dogs because they can move around under them and will simply get out and move away if they feel uncomfortable. Even if they're asleep under the blanket, you generally don't have to worry.
On garage temperature and isolation
No pet should be kept in an uninsulated space. A well‑insulated and weathertight garage is the best option for your pet, whether it's in the cold weather of winter — keep the interior temperature at or over 50℉ (10℃) — or the summer's burning heat.