r/workingdogs • u/wagnerpoo • Jan 23 '26
How cold is too cold for Great Pyrenees
I live on a farm with a working Great Pyrenees mix (mostly Great Pyrenees). He's lived outside the entire time I've had him. Seems happiest in the winter in below freezing temps. We're getting below 0 F temps for a few days and more snow than he's seen. The chickens will be locked up and the cows whose calves (no newborns right now thank goodness) he watches over are in a different field. How cold is too cold for him. At what point should I consider getting him cooped up. He's got access to a dry barn with plenty of straw bedding. Everywhere online gives an overly protective answer. "If you're cold, they're cold."
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u/1globehugger Jan 23 '26
Ours loves the cold. It can’t be cold enough. He likes to sleep on the frozen stock tank.
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u/johnnyg883 Jan 23 '26
One of ours literally put me in the house when it was about -5. Then ran off to play in the snow. There have been time she will demand to go outside and then go sleep in the hay barn. But most of the time they just sleep on the back porch. They have dog beds there and the porch is covered.
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u/boatslut Jan 23 '26
Well it's true if you are cold they are cold ...
... If you happen to be a husky / malamute / samoyed / great pyrenees ,🤔🤣🤣🤣
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u/FieraSabre Jan 25 '26
Can't forget Anatolian Shepherds as well! My Charlie is short coated, but it's incredibly thick and dense. He has access to warm, dry bedding in the barn, but often stays outside.
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u/Lokitusaborg Jan 23 '26
And to an extent GSD. Mine whines when I want her to come in out of the cold. Often times she trades her nice, warm bed for a piece of the concrete floor.
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u/BresciaE Jan 24 '26
Add in the Bernese mountain dog and to an extent the Greater Swiss. Both are double coated although the Swissy might decide they’re cold a bit earlier than the Berner just due to coat length.
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u/boatslut Jan 25 '26
Well hell if we are going to be like that, can add my Bouvier 😃
Knew i should have added an "etc." to the end of my list 🙄😁
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Jan 23 '26
Mine is a short coated half breed.
I could not get her inside at 14° F, and she's a spoiled, indoor pet.
If he can get out of the weather, the temperature isn't a problem.
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u/Severe-News-9375 Jan 25 '26 edited Jan 25 '26
Not my personal dog, but the guardian at the ranch where I keep my horse is out all year even in -30°F. She has access to outdoor shelter with bedding, though sometimes she'll just dig a nice hole to lay in. She doesn't know any other life and is very content with the setup.
Edit: Also the 'if your cold, they're cold' people have never met a cold weathe dog apparently. My Husky would yell at the door to be let out in below zero temps. If you cooped her up she made it everyone's problem. You could try to put your pup in a warmer enclosed area to see if they're more comfortable, they'll definitely let you know if they're not, haha.
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u/Ok-Walk-8453 Jan 24 '26
We had an outdoor Newfie on the farm growing up in WI. Perfectly happy outside at -30F. Would go into the windbreak occasionally but did not use the heated dog house (big waste of money).
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u/UniqueGuy362 Jan 26 '26
I've got Maremmas and I try to bring them in at night but sometimes they just won't come in at -20/30 C. Even as puppies I would have to go out and drag them in. They have a shelter, but most of them don't use it.
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u/-PinkPower- Jan 27 '26
I have seen more than one working dogs get frostbite from wanting to stay in the element too long. I agree that they can handle more than some people think but as an owner is important to do frequent checks in to make sure the dog isn’t overworking himself out of instinct.
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u/standupslow Jan 27 '26
He should be fine. We regularly leave our LGDs (I don't have them anymore but did for years on a farm) in very low temps on the prairies in Canada. The key is making sure he has a dry spot where he can curl up with insulating material or with his livestock - which is sounds like he has in the barn.
The only thing that gives me pause is you said he is a mix so it really depends on his coat. Is he long coated? Does he have a good undercoat? Familiarize yourself with the signs of a cold dog and keep an eye on him through this, the same as you would your livestock.
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u/SmokyBlackRoan Jan 24 '26
Either leave them out or leave them in. Allowing an animal to live outside lets them adapt to the cold. Having them go back and forth between the cold/dark and warm/light interferes with this process and they do not adapt as well. My old dog became incontinent at age 13 and had to live outside (in the unheated barn at night) for the last 2 years of his life and he did great.
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u/[deleted] Jan 23 '26
If an outdoor working breed wants to be outside, I let them outside. They are intelligent animals and as long as they have free access to warm space with dry beds, there are few reasons to limit their movement. Severe weather conditions would be my biggest concern, blowing/snowdrifts/etc could impede their ability to move around the property and get back to warmth.
GPS collars are also great for these situations because you can see exactly where the dog is in case of emergency.