Too cold for dogs to potty outside

With the wind chill factor, it has been 35 degrees below 0 here where we live. The dogs are having trouble tolerating this cold, and don't want to pee outside. Zoey will be 6 months old soon, and she has been peeing in the family room quite a bit. She was fully trained prior to this cold weather. When I tell her "let's go outside " like I ususally do, she looks at me like yea right lady!!!!! I have a section of patio and grass cleared off for them, but they still lift their feet up like the cold is burning their pads. Anyone else that lives in the COLD have this problem? They also dilly dally around wanting to eat the ice/snow, so they wind up being outside in the cold longer than the normal time it takes to go. I always have them on lead when we go out even though my yard is fenced. HELP!!!

The only thing I can suggest is to buy a set of muttluk boots and a coat for her. Otherwise, perhaps set up an x-pen either just outside the door (or just inside the door with newpaper/potty pads) for her to go on.

Honestly, I wouldn't expect a puppy to potty outside at 35 below. That is extremely cold!!!

Sorry - can't help. I live just north of Chicago and my dogs have no problem going out. The three older ones go out, do their business and come right back in. Oz, on the other hand, doesn't seem to mind the cold. I've actually had to call him in a few times because it's dangerously cold outside. Sorry you're going through this. Especially when you think Zoey had the housetraining thing down pretty pat. I know some people use Muttluks on their dogs feet. Maybe that would help. Having four dogs, I can't imagine putting 16 little booties on each time they all went out. My life would revolve around putting them on, taking them off, putting them on, etc. Luckily, my guys are troopers when it comes to the cold.

Just saw Cathy's post recommending mutluks also.

The idea of putting boots on them is a good one, but I think they would pee all over the floor by the time I got them on the 2 of them. It would be such a hassle. If I decided to let her pee in a certain part of the kitchen during the winter, wouldn't that be a hard habit to break come spring?

I sure think it would. Maybe pee pads in a garage instead? Then at least she wouldn't be let into the garage after it warms up to continue the habit. If it were me, I'd bundle them up in a big coat, take her out as quickly as possible and hightail it back inside. Maybe some rugs or astroturf from the steps to the desired area? Housetraining is just too challenging the way it is without adding more complexities, IMO.

:xfngr: it will warm up soon! We've got 19 degrees here tonight and that is way cold for Tennessee, but clearly nothing like what you are experiencing. We're a bunch of wimps in the cold, though!

Max doesn't like to go out when it's cold and windy. He's only 3 months old and doesn't have much coat so I'm not surprised. Normally he is at the point where he will ask to go out and I will just let him out and watch him but if it is extremely cold I will carry him out, put him down and tell him to go. Also when it's really windy I let him go on a snowy but protected part of the deck instead of off the deck where he usually goes. Mindy doesn't stay out too long either in this really cold weather but it doesn't seem to bother their feet. Unless it's really cold Mindy still wants to go for her daily walks. I do try to keep the hair on Mindy's pads cut short so she doesn't have to deal with ice balls. She hates her jacket and Max is growing so fast that he'd need a new one each week even if I had a hope of wrestling one on him so we just hurry.

.......and I was complaining about how cold it was on our doggie walk tonight.....it is 58 degrees here....BRRRRRR.....

Our dogs always go out in the winter weather, they just don't like windy days.

I find that when there's a very high wind chill, they're back in a flash.

Last year, when Rosie was still a pup, she often pooped indoors....ahhh, but that seems to have stopped, thank Heavens!

If I were you, I'd carry them out and just stand there, they won't mess about in cold weather.......and please remember, that at 6 months, she's just a baby and not reliably potty trained.....even if you were having good luck before the winter temps plummeted.

It sure is a cold year so far.....can't wait for spring!! lol

We've had terribly cold weather and WIND here, so I feel your pain! Holly is 9 months old, but still doesn't love pottying in the freezing cold. When it is particularly freezing out I put her coat on carry her out to a shoveled area that's somewhat protected from the wind. I have a high value treat in my pocket which she gets immediately after she potties. Holly is less likely to potty when on lead, so if your yard is fenced perhaps you could not use the leash.

We had a period of freezing rain, so I put potty pads in the garage, right by the door that goes to the back yard. I did the same potty routine when taking her to the potty pads. She used those in really bad weather, which was nice. Anything to keep her from thinking the house is her potty area!

Good luck and try to stay warm! Oh, and remember -- this too shall pass

I can't advise re cold - but perhaps you could set up an x-pen indoors and cover it with pee pads - and put the puppy there for toilet? It's not cold here - not by your standards - but we've had a lot of rain and Alanna is tiny as well as newly clipped. I find that she at least can distinguish between being inside generally, and being in her pen - she rarely pees when she's 'free' but often does in the pen. She's 15 weeks.

I can't even imagine -35! (Hang on - what's that in centegrade?)

I live in the northern Chicago suburbs and although it wasn't too cold today these last few days have been FREEZING! Miles just goes out, does his business and comes back inside, but I have to call Truman in - he loves the snow and cold and runs around like a madman. Even in these bitter cold days he seems fine, although I don't let him stay out very long. The boys are outside right now playing and having a great time.

I wouldn't encourage going to the bathroom in the kitchen. We got Truman last February when he was 12 weeks old, so he got used to going outside in cold very quickly. I think it actually made housetraining easier Do you go outside with her? Maybe that would help? Good luck, I'm sure it's frustrating since she was pretty much housebroken before winter :flwr: