Setters/cold weather

[Gertie]

It looks like winter is here for real now and I have an ES that is about 4 months old that gets really cold running around outside in these temps (around freezing). I'm wondering if you setter people who live in colder areas utilize some sort of dog jacket (especially for pups) and/or dog boots? Ideally she'll grow more hair by next year and I won't have to worry about it but I just hate watching her shiver. Thoughts?

[Elkhunter]

I hunt with my buddy that has two setters, one sort of does not like the cold. His male is like a polar bear, loves the cold.

[Wenaha]

If your setters live inside the house, they don't develop the coat and metabolism for very cold weather, IMO. They will adapt to cold weather pretty quickly. I live in California, but hunt all over the West and some in Canada. The dogs sleep in the dog topper and do very well running and hunting in cold weather. They're setters, after all.

[mcbosco]

I had a big setter as a kid. Winter never bothered him at all but he was a traditional Ryman type and would get to 75lbs in the winter.

[Wildweeds]

It's below freezing here right now,I've got 10 year olds,a six year old,a 7 month old and 6 3 month old pups all living outside(pups have an outside access kennel off of my shed) not a one of em bothered by the cold.Hunted the older dogs last year in SD in 10 degree weather with a 30 mph wind and snow on the ground,not a one of em flinched at the duty at hand.

[Gertie]

She's definitely a house dog and she's pretty small (20 lbs). It sounds like she just needs to spend some more time outside acclimating. Actually took her for walk out by the river in the snow today and once she started running around she was fine.

[DonF]

My guy's get out quite a bit and the weather doesn't bother them much. Fisrst time they saw snow, they cane and asked to go out. Took them to the door and they hit the brakes before stepping out. Later that day the went out, now they love the snow. My boys were about four mos at that time.

[Setters4ever]

Ive got an almost 7 yr old, 3 yr old and a 7 month old. They all house dogs and love the snow when they go out. They do develope snow balls between there toes from the snow. So I do moniter that but let them inside to melt once I see they are trying to pull them off.

[gripper39]

Hunted my setter in SD during late dec 3 deg had no problems except the balls of snow hanging off his featherings.

[Grange]

My small field bred english setter, who is a house dog, is fine when out hunting in the cold weather. Snow balls on her feet are bigger issue than the cold.

[Gertie]

Looks like I can, once again, chalk it up to first time pup paranoia :roll:

[ezzy333]

My small field bred english setter, who is a house dog, is fine when out hunting in the cold weather. Snow balls on her feet are bigger issue than the cold.

Those snowballs can be a problem but if you can trim all of the hair between the toes and at least as high as the top of the pastern it should solve most of it and you can add some grease to the feet and that will help also.

Ezzy

[goldenpatch29]

In addition to the puppy coat, it could also be the nervous jitterbugs. Some dogs shiver or trimble when they are excited or pumped up. My last setter had the shivers every time we went hunting, and sometimes it was close to fifty degrees on certain days.

[Grange]

My small field bred english setter, who is a house dog, is fine when out hunting in the cold weather. Snow balls on her feet are bigger issue than the cold.

Those snowballs can be a problem but if you can trim all of the hair between the toes and at least as high as the top of the pastern it should solve most of it and you can add some grease to the feet and that will help also.

Ezzy

I do trim the fur and add Vaseline. It helps but it doesn't get rid of the issue.

[highcotton]

IMO cold and heat tolerance are genetic to a certain extent. Dogs that are bred for several generations for the grouse woods are likely to be cold tolerant. The dogs we breed here in the South are bred for heat tolerance.

[Gertie]

I was told by my vet not to use vaseline. Has petroleum in it that isn't good for them to ingest. There's some stuff called 'musher's secret' that is plant based and that's what she recommended that I use for that. As of now the hair between her digits isn't long enough to be a problem but I can definitely see this being something that we'll have to manage at some point. Should be interesting to trim her feet considering that she turns into a complete spaz when I trim her nails. I wonder if she remembers her dew claws being removed or something? Strange because so far that seems to be the only the thing she's afraid of.

[Ryman Gun Dog]

Gertie,
Mushers and Cowboy Magic will get the job done after you clip the hair form between the dogs pads, the Cowboy Magic works well on the entire dogs coat also, both to keep snow balls from forming and as a detangler for briars and such. Welcome to the wonderful world of Setters.
RGD/Dave

[Gertie]

Thanks Ryman! Having a blast so far and we haven't even gone hunting yet! Next year those chukars had better look out

[tahi193]

My setter pup is now 7 months old and she shivered and wouldn't stay outside for the first few days of cold weather but she has apparently become used to it now. I have to practically drag her back inside most days. I think they do become acclimated.

My dad's 4-year-old English Setter adores snow. It snowed on Christmas Day last year and he went crazy for it. He likes to put his whole face in it, eat it, roll around. It's fun to watch. One of my favorite photos is Reuben with his face in the snow on Christmas morning.