tell me about their cold tolerance

[prospective owner]

since they have such short hair, it seams to me that they would get pretty cold pretty quick.

then i got here and found that seems to be exactly the case, RRs are not cold tolerant, need covers and or little boots and just dont seem to particularly like being outside when its cold (from what ive read here anyway)


but...
on many websites that seem to simplify breeds to give you a basic overview they seem to be rated pretty high in cold tolerance.
here is one:
http://www.petfinder.com/dog-breeds/Rhodesian-Ridgeback
and another:
http://animal.discovery.com/breedselector/dogprofile.do?id=1370
(while not rated the highest, they seem equal to heat and rated 3 out of 5 or 4 out of 6)

can someone explain this to me, or did i just get the wrong impression somewhere along the way?

[Jenn09]

Our 5 month old just went through her first Canadian winter.  She did NOt like the cold.  We bought her a coat.  She would stay outside and play in the snow for about 30 minutes with her coat when it was fairly mild with no wind (and there was another dog or kids tobaganning).  However, if there was wind it was a struggle to even get her out the door. 

[caro]

Check out Nana's photographs of doing obedience outside in the Russian winter.  Her bitch has a coat on, but she seems to be quite happy.  Then Elizabeth posted in the last few days a photo of her young dog retrieving out of water in Minnesota where I doubt very much the water has warmed up much.  Also Asta has posted from time to time pictures of her dogs running along the lake in Chicago during the winter and they don't wear coats.

I think they get used to the cold as long as they keep moving.  Mine loved the snow we had in Virginia this winter, but only for about 30 minutes and only as long as they could keep running. 

I don't think they are any more cold intolerant than any other dog with a short coat.  Don't hunters with GSPs in the winter have to put coats on their dogs?

Caroline

[CA in TO]

My experience is that they prefer the same the same sort of weather that most people do. If I would take heat precautions -- a hat or other shade, bring water for myself then it is a day when they'll seek shade after about a half hour of "sunning" themselves. Mine will seek shade before I do. I use them as a reminder to myself in summer. 
On a day when I would bundle up just to run to the car in the driveway to grab something that I forgot, then they will want their coats.
Having said that, they will go out to play in the snow without coats but if going for a walk I put their coats on if it is below freezing.

[Rosebud]

 

My girl thinks I am punishing her if I make her go out in the snow just to potty. My boy loves to chase snowflakes and snowballs.

Each RR is different and one thing that I have learned about this breed is most of them will react to most everything the way you react to it. I hate the cold..I will bundle up in summer blankets in the summer...yet I love to play in the snow and have snowball fights.

[Bear_Hunter]

Odin lives in NORTHERN Ontario.. We have cold arse winters here.  He was a pup when I bought him home and shivered at first, but by the end of winter he was outside in -25c running around in the snow, eating it, and having a ball.  It was hard to get him back inside.

[prospective owner]

obviously the short hair and lack of thick undercoat has an effect, but it sounds like socialization to cold and snow also plays an important role.

thanks for all the input

[caro]

I think they do well if they keep moving.  The problems arise when they have to stand around in the cold.
Caroline

[Shanahan]

I am laughing about RR's being similar to us when it comes to weather....because in my house our 5mo old Ridgeback waits to see if i will go out before he goes out! If i wont walk out the door.....then neither will he! It's hysterical and i cant even blame him because usually we are both coming from the same place......the couch. Everything i was told about this breed is dead on. From the intuition to the fear phases to the need for creature comfort. I can watch him all day long when i'm bored, very sneaky, very smart, very sweet and very stubborn. That being said.....because he is a puppy, i did put a jacket on him under 30 degrees....but it almost seemed like a luxury for him more than a neccessity. Although he did want to leave the dogpark (which he loves) after an hour or so. German shepherds they are not.

[CA in TO]

Our first dog, Molly would not go out in the rain. She would literally sit at the back door needing to go out and cry.
I swore that this would not happen with Sara. When she was a wee puppy I put the leash on after every meal and went out with her in whatever weather was happening to ensure that she did not think that weather was a reason not to go out.
Some days I wish I had not done that. She is willing to go for walks in the park whatever the weather. Well almost.... extreme wind is where she draws the line.

[Shango_Amaan]

It's funny to read about RR's that hate the rain as my boy loves it, the bigger the storm the more fun it is to play in it.....I literally have to drag him in from a thunderstorm, not that there's any complaints coming into a worm house. 

[coblake]

I live in Palmer, Alaska.  My RR loves to play in the snow and seems to do well in temps down to about 20F.  Right now the daytime temps are in the low 40's and she'll play with the neighbor dog all day or we take her hiking in the mountains all day with no problems.  Any colder than that say 10F to about -20F she goes out to do her business and comes right back to the door, just like when it's raining, lol.

[C.Major]

Does anyone have suggestions for jackets?

[CA in TO]

Does anyone have suggestions for jackets?

Check this post for coat suggestions:
http://rr-forum.com/forum/index.php/topic,3083.0.html

[C.Major]

Check this post for coat suggestions:
http://rr-forum.com/forum/index.php/topic,3083.0.html

Thanks.

[Vince]

Here's Kona's.....

http://rr-forum.com/forum/index.php/topic,7097.0.html