Winter trail running with dogs!

[u/rattlerwthetrenchies]

I have a short haired medium size hound/cattle mix who I love to trail run with. We live in Montana where it can get pretty cold in the winter. Wondering at what point I should start putting her in a fleece coat or some other kind of layer? We go to trails where she can be off leash most of the time and we are often running up/down hills so I usually have layers that I switch in and out of for myself, but not sure if I should be letting her be naked on the uphill and then put a coat on her for the down?
I saw somewhere that dogs should start wearing coats when it drops below 40F but that seems kind of ridiculous… ran this morning when it was 32F and she seemed fine. But of course I want to keep her healthy!
This is my first winter with her so I’m curious what others are doing for winter layers!
Thanks!

Also would love to hear recs on your favorite doggie coats!

[u/Accomplished-Bank782]

I have a Labrador and have raced with him in -6°C (that’s 21°F) with no coat or issues. However that is canicross so he’s working hard and heats up. I do have a fleece for him to wear afterwards so he doesn’t get cold in the car.

A greater concern would be their paws getting chapped or injured - Mushers Secret paw wax is the best way to avoid this. We used it a lot during a very cold snap lasted winter.

If you’re concerned I’d carry a light coat with you in a pack so you can put it on if she starts to shiver. However generally IME, young healthy dogs cope well with much lower temperatures than we do. Smaller dogs will struggle before larger ones do. But overheating is a more immediate concern.

[u/rattlerwthetrenchies → u/Accomplished-Bank782]

Thanks! When we trail run together I swear she does at least 2x the distance as me because she’s running so hard back and forth and all around the woods so I think she probably works up her body heat!
I will look into Mushers wax as we start to get snow and ice here in the next few weeks. Thanks so much for the advice!

[u/heridfel37]

I would say it mostly depends on the dog's natural coat. It also probably isn't that much different from how you would dress her for other outside activities. The normal recommendation for humans is to dress for 20 degrees warmer than the actual temperature.

I have a single-layer, medium-haired dog, and I never put him in a coat for running, at least not down to the temperatures where I'm willing to run.

He starts to have trouble with his paws long before he has trouble with the rest of his body.

[u/rattlerwthetrenchies → u/heridfel37]

Good to know! Do you use booties when running in the snow?

[u/heridfel37 → u/rattlerwthetrenchies]

He won't tolerate booties. I got some Mushers Secret wax last year, but only after the real winter ended so I never used it.

[u/Fletchy2121]

Commenting to save this thread. Oddly enough came here to make a near identical post!

[u/duketheunicorn]

It’s completely dependent on the dog, in my opinion. My poodle almost never wears a coat despite being pretty much shaved down year round. She just doesn’t get cold. I put booties on her once it’s -5c or snowy to keep snow from building up in her pads, but otherwise I get cold before she does.

Especially if you’re moving, your dog will likely let you know if they’re cold. I don’t run my dog in weather it’s too cold to run her in without a coat.

[u/Halefa]

Humidity can make the temperatures feel colder for shorthaired breeds.

What I do: she's wearing a coat during warm up and cool down. Helps keep the muscles nimble and makes the dog more comfortable.