Do Golden Retrievers Get Cold at Night?

Of all the dog's breeds out there, Golden Retrievers are no doubt the perfect family dog. These are the most gentle and kind dogs and have a deep-rooted desire to please their owners. Retrievers are funny, intelligent, patient, and eager to please, and require a lot of love, and obedience training that makes it attractive for pet lovers. Therefore, it is one of the most famous dog breeds worldwide to keep as a pet. 

You know that different dog breeds have different temperature needs. Therefore, if you live in a cold climate and have a Golden Retriever at home, you should think about whether the temperature is suitable for your puppy or not. 

What are the cold symptoms in golden retrievers, and how to prevent them from the cold weather?

If you are also wondering, "Do golden retrievers get cold at night?" The answer is, yes. Golden Retrievers get cold at night in winter. Most vets say that don't keep your dogs outside if the temperature drops below 20F (-6.7℃) as it can hurt them. However, they can easily survive climate between 45F and 90F.

Keep reading the article, and we will tell you more about the temperature range of Golden Retrievers. Furthermore, we will provide you symptoms if your Golden Retriever is getting cold and ten incredible ways to protect them. We hope you'll get a lot of quality information about Golden Retrievers by the end of this article!

Let’s go straight to the topic!

Can Golden Retrievers Survive in Cold Weather?

Golden Retrievers can easily survive in a cold climate due to their lustrous double layer coats, which provide ample warmth during the cold season. Their long fur keeps them warm in very low temperatures. So, they can easily tolerate the cold weather between 45F and 90F. Further, they can also resist temperatures less than 45F but living in such frigid weather for long can be harmful to your puppy.

If you go out with your golden Retriever in frosty weather, it will survive the harsh conditions and enjoy every moment outside the house. He will enjoy the chill, walk on snowy roads alongside you, and do his usual activities like playing games, catching treats, and running around. No doubt, Golden Retriever is among the dog breeds that can survive extreme weather.

However, when the temperature falls below the limits mentioned above, it can become challenging for them to survive and resume usual activities in such frozen weather. 

Staying in such harsh weather for a long time can cause various harmful effects on your dogs, including frostbite and hypothermia. Therefore, we recommend taking some precautionary measures to protect your lovely pet from the breaching cold weather in winter. 

Symptoms of Cold in Golden Retrievers

Golden Retriever is an adorable pet that does everything to please the owner. If you take him outside in icy conditions, he will still try to behave normally. Your golden puppy might not mind the inconvenience. 

Therefore, you should pay special attention to your dog's health in cold weather and assess his health time by time. Here, we will show you a few symptoms of cold in Golden Retrievers.

• Sneezing
• Coughing
• Nasal congestion and discharge
• Difficulty in breathing
• Runny or congested nose
• Mild fever
• General lethargy
• Limping, shivering, and shaking
• Excessive Barking
• Shelter seeking
• Paw lifting off the ground
• Tucked tail and hunched posture
• Watery eyes

If your Retriever is facing all these symptoms, you should immediately call your veterans for advice or take the measures given in the section below to prevent your dog from cold. In addition, if you notice a change in your pup's appetite, fever, or diarrhea, it can also be a symptom of cold in your pet. 

How to Keep a Golden Retriever Warm in winter?

Many pet owners consider Golden Retriever an outside dog because they have double-coated fur to keep them warm. However, sometimes it becomes too cold for them to handle. In such a situation, keeping your Golden Retriever warm is really a challenging task. 

However, you should follow the instructions below to keep your dog healthy all winter long.

1. Insulated Dog House

You should make an insulated doghouse for your dog as it spends a lot of its time in the house. An insulated doghouse has a unique characteristic: it keeps the cold out in the winter and expels the heat out in the summer. 

Therefore, if you choose the perfect dog house for your Golden Retriever, you can protect it from severe weather. Further, we will also recommend you spread the insulation material on the floor, so your dog doesn't lose heat via the floor.

2. Brush Your Golden Retriever Regularly

Most Retrievers spend much time playing outside. Therefore, sometimes, mud accumulates in their fur. The important news is that dirty hair doesn't provide proper insulation. Although your Golden pup has a double fur layer, it doesn't receive many benefits from fur in the cold. 

Therefore, we advise you to brush your Golden Retriever regularly. It will increase their beauty and improve their insulation against the cold weather.

3. Prevention from Rain/Water

The golden retrievers lose their resistivity to cold winds if their fur is wet. Therefore, we recommend you protect your puppy from snow and rain in the cold climate. You can do it by providing shelter to your dog in the rain. However, if your pup has been out in snow or rain, you should instantly clean its fur with a clean towel and don't allow it to enter the house until it is thoroughly dry and clean.

4. Prevent from Salt and Chemicals

Snow contains a lot of salt and other chemicals. Whenever your dog goes out in the snow, all these chemicals stick to his paws. The worst part is that dogs ingest these salts by licking their paws. These salts and chemicals cause skin irritation and reduce dog's resistance against colds. Therefore, you should clean your dog's paws every time he goes outside.

5. Limit the Outside Playtime

You should prove yourself a responsible owner and limit the outside playtime of your dog as your limit for your kids. As we have already discussed, dogs can survive the cold weather, but staying out a long time can cause diseases like frostbite and produce many other health-related concerns. 

Further, chemicals in snow and wet fur reduce the insulation of dogs against the cold weather. Besides, you should never allow your pet to go outside alone. Instead, you should always go with him and assess his condition at different intervals.

6. Never Shave the Golden Hair in Winter

The double-coated fur of golden retrievers protects them from harsh weather. Therefore, you should never shave a puppy's hair in the winter. It will expose your dog's lethal parts to cold wind, and there are chances that Retrievers will get cold in a few days. 

7. Don't Leave your Retriever alone in the car

Many people leave their pets in the car when they go outside for shopping or other things. Most cars are not adequately insulated, and become cold like a refrigerator in the winter. Though there is cold out, dogs keep walking that maintains their heat and keep them warm enough to survive.

8. Consume Proper Nutrition

If your Retriever gets inactive in the winter, you should focus on his diet. The reason is that dogs' bodies burn more calories in the low temperature than in the average temperature. Therefore, you should slightly increase the pup’s food in the winter. We know that you must be worried about the added waistline of the dog that can be harmful. Therefore, you should find a CenterPoint where your pup gets much energy to fulfill body demands and doesn't get added waistline. 

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9. Dress Your Golden Retriever

Warm dressing can significantly benefit your dog in surviving the frosty winters. Although they have double-coated fur, a fur jacket offers an additional layer of protection against cold. Further, salts and chemicals in snow can harm your dog. Therefore, it would be better if you buy high-quality booties for your dog. 

Especially if your dog is old, there are high chances that it doesn't have much immunity against the cold and chemicals. Therefore, this dressing will be a blessing for them to survive the cold.  

10. Hydration

Improper hydration is an excellent cause of inactiveness and other diseases in dogs during the winter. Dog owners take care of hydration in the summer. However, some dog owners don't provide sufficient water to their dogs in the winter. They think that their pet is not as thirsty as in summers. Their point of view might be valid but proper hydration is compulsory for dogs' health in the winter. Ensure that your dog is adequately hydrated to resist the diseases and build an immune system to cope with freezing weather in the winter.

Conclusion

Dogs are like a child to owners, and Golden Retrievers have a special place in the owners' hearts due to their smartness and funny nature. Therefore, every owner wants to protect them from cold and other diseases. 

To help you in this regard, we have mentioned above the suitable and extreme temperature for Golden Retriever. Besides, we have also listed ten ways to prevent your Golden pet from the cold that you can see above in the article.