# Dog cold at night?



## hbark (Oct 22, 2008)

OK now I _know_ this probably falls into the category of dumb question but I promised my wife I'd ask on this forum since everyone is so helpful on here!

Anyway just a couple of weeks ago we adopted our new dog. She's got short smooth hair. So far at night, she sleeps in her crate in our bedroom with no complaints or whining or anything like that at all.

However my wife thinks that she may be too cold (and it's not even winter yet!). While we're under the blankets, she's not. We got a nice sheepskin-like pad for the crate, and we put an old sleeping bag over most of the crate to help keep it covered. We do turn our heat way down like to 55 at night.

Anyway -- it seems to me that this is fine for the dog, it's not a big deal? What do you think? 

I know that many of you have the dogs with you on or even in your bed -- we wouldn't mind if eventually she slept on the bed but not yet. So far, she's real good and not coming up on the furniture or bed until we "invite" her.

I'm also thinking that eventually I would replace the crate in our bedroom with a simple dog bed, too.

Sorry for the rambling .... but again, I'd appreciate your thoughts -- in the short period of time I've been on this site, I've gotten lots of helpful advice!


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

hbark said:


> OK now I _know_ this probably falls into the category of dumb question but I promised my wife I'd ask on this forum since everyone is so helpful on here!
> 
> Anyway just a couple of weeks ago we adopted our new dog. She's got short smooth hair. So far at night, she sleeps in her crate in our bedroom with no complaints or whining or anything like that at all.
> 
> ...


Google dog heating pads as they have different sizes made chew proof that can be put on crate floor and work great and the electric cord has a chew proof protector around it. usually they are used for outside dog houses but at least it's an option. I really don't think you need anything but not my decision.


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## novagir18 (Dec 10, 2007)

I thought the same thing when I first brought my puppy home too! The crate bars were so cold, I couldn't fathom how he wasn't freezing in there. So (for my own piece of mind)..I covered the crate with a towel (only at night) and I have a space heater I put about 8 feet away and oscillate. Make sure, if you do something like that, it isn't too close (so he doesn't get too hot) and not directly on him all night. Remember that dogs have coats buit in...and tons of them sleep outside without any problems; granted not puppies but you get the idea.


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## SpiritSong (May 24, 2008)

I think dogs can get cold at night. My dog always sleeps in my bed. One night when the nights were beginning to get cool, she came upstairs after hanging out late with my husband in front of the TV, got on the bed, lay for a moment, and then left to go sleep downstairs on the couch. I was shocked. My husband told me she was probably cold and had decided to go back to her warm spot on the couch. So I set up an old comforter on my bed so that it forms a nice round bed for her with sides, and she sleeps in the middle of it every night. It probably feels like a nice little den for her, plus it helps her hold her body heat in.

If your dog isn't waking up during the night, she is probably fine. If she starts waking up and seems cold, you may want to try giving her a blanket of some kind so she can curl up in it and make her own den (if the sheepskin mat doesn't work that way).


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## Kyllobernese (Feb 5, 2008)

Susie (my Bernese cross) sleeps outside in her dog house all summer, her choice. She lets me know when it gets too cold and will ask to be let in the house when winter comes and it gets below freezing outside. She does not spend all her time outside but gets to come inside during the day but gets too warm and wants back out.


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## hbark (Oct 22, 2008)

Thanks everyone for your replies and thoughts.


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## Don152 (Jan 31, 2008)

I once heard that if the dogs ears are not cold the dog is not.. cool ears were ok, but maybe not cold ears. Mine has done very well in even 25 degrees in some shelter.


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## Lonewolfblue (Oct 28, 2007)

Actually, 55 really isn't that cold for a dog. I don't have my heat on here and it get's colder than that (like in the 40's) and my dogs are just fine, and Chloe sleeps on the bed for a while, then goes to the master bathroom and sleeps on the linoleum floor. And Betty has a blanket in her crate, but she pushes it to the front or back and sleeps on the plastic tray that is in the crate. And Nell sleeps anywhere, lol.


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