UKH

Evening

Walking in the lakes tomorrow with a long haired, fit 7 year old collie.

Forecast is good for the morning which is when I’ll be there but minus 2 and windy on the summits.

We did this shortish route in December with no probs, and she seemed happy fetching a ball all the way around.

Do you take a coat for this sort of dog in these conditions?

ta

Dave

We would for our working cockers.

I never put a coat on my lab which has done some big and cold winter hills (in his youth, he's old now). The only time he was ever cold was when he got wet and we stopped. For a long haired collie in cold conditions I wouldn't have thought a coat would be needed unless it was truly minging. 

We would have the coat with us just in case,  but he probably wouldn't need it (7yr old springer).

Thanks all

Shes up a hill in all weathers at night and is fine(1800 ft).

Ive got a bothy for stops if needed, other than that it will be straight up and over High Street.

I will get one now she’s knocking on a bit though. Doubt she will like it 

Ours likes it if it's really wet or windy is very strong. We usually take it out and see what he does. If he comes over to stick his head in it, we put it on him. If he looks uninterested we tend not to. However, in order for them to know that they like it in foul weather, you have to take them in the foul weather and let them feel the difference!

We stick a drying coat on him when we get home or after a bath (for the benefit of our house, not his benefit!) as he takes hours to dry. So he is used to wearing something and doesn't really bother if you put it on him and he doesn't need it. 

We're on Collie dog number three. All have done long days in the hills in winter. They've never worn a coat whilst on the hill but do once stopped for the night in bothy or tent. I always carry a towel to dry the dog.

I’d carry the coat as a “just in case”, same as you’d carry extra layers for yourself. If your dog gets a bit shivery, stick it on.

Yes. Sounds like a good idea. Have a look at equafleece.co.uk for various coats that are easy to move around in.

Take an old fleece/pile with you to wrap them up with if you stop at the bothy. If they're wet, that will be when they get cold. 

Was out with a collie a few weeks back and he was happy as Larry in the drizzle and wind and general ming but was shivering in the pub and appreciated my hoodie. 

I've had a long haired collie since moving to the Alps 13 winters ago and in that time he's been out with me in all weathers down to -25. I'd say it's only the last few years (he's 13 now) that the cold has bothered him and it's usually just a case of him wanting to go back to the car early, but with a coat on he will be happier to be out for longer. 

It's not just temperature though. He's (and me too) happier in -8 on a sunny, crisp day than +4 in the damp and rain. 

In winter around me the collies never wear coats and it's often between -10 & -20. I have a border terrier, so comparatively tiny, and she wears one when it's below -10 and windy. So most likely no need, I'm always surprised when I'm back in the UK and see dogs panting away with coats on in +5.

I would take a coat, but then I have a princessy greyhound who only likes an ambient temperature between 20 and 21 degrees. Everything else is either too hot or too cold. He doesn't like water or mud either. No body fat though.

Thanks everyone.

We had quite a minging walk up High Street this morning, very cold, damp and windy.

The dog was not bothered at all and just fetched her ball.

I tried to put an old helly fibre pile on her at the top, but she tried to bury it in the snow.

Really glad that I missed the opportunity to camp by Small Water last night. It really wasn’t sheltered from the southweaterlies.

We sat at the shelter at the top of Nan Bield, and you could actually see the wind coming up from Gatesgarth, then smashing down onto the tarn causing waves to spread out in a circle.

Collie is now fed and by the fire.

I've walked quite a few dogs up the tops of Munros. So far none have worn a jaiket. Memorably, our medium sized mongrel summited Ben Vorlich in minus temps and then found a flowing spring amongst the nevé with a plunge pool which she happily jumped into and enjoyed. Dogs are harder than us. 

Some good answers/replies.

1st dog, a collie/retriever cross.  Never wore any kind of coat, summer or winter and was quite happy at -7c in winter.

2nd dog = collie/unidentified cross.   Did get cold but he was a rescue dog on not particularly fit at first.  Bought him a coat as he'd get shivering when wet in bad weather

Current dog.  Border Collie.  Seems immune to cold weather.   I've never, ever seen any of the farmers here or in the Yorkshire Dales wearing coats regardless of the weather.

In the 60s & 70s no dogs wore coats.

Now just about every dog I see with visitors to our area wears a coat regardless of how good their own coat is.

Tend to agree Billhook

Ive never seen one of my Border Terriers or Collies cold.

It just feels harsh not to have something for them for a planned/unplanned stop. 
I’d seen pictures of SARDA dogs in coats and wondered whether to bother.

Worst case scenario she will be in an old helly and a bothy bag.

I suspect the mountain rescue dogs wear coats because it makes them a hell of a lot easier to spot by torch and they might have to lay with a casualty for a long while. 

Glad the dog made it through!

I wonder how much of the current coat-wearing is to cut down on orrible wet mud getting tracked into the house.

I wouldn't worry at all Dave.  -2 for a collie is nothing.   

As an experiment you could stop for a brew or rest and see whether your dog shivers.   If he/she doesn't whilst resting after a few minutes then the dog will be absolutely fine.

The dog on the left (Jack) did get chilly one winter when I stopped to use my Ham radio (SOTA) on a  summit in very cold weather.  He just burrowed into some long grass behind the wall I was next to.  But only when stopped!!

The dog on the right, (Jilly) seemed almost immune to cold and could quite sit for several minutes in freezing conditions without shivering, although one  lovely late spring  I decided we bivvied on the moors.  I only had a bivvy bag for myself.  I miss-judged the night temperature which dropped down to about O degs c and I was getting chilly trying to get to sleep.  Jilly was also getting cold (the odd shiver!).  Curing two problems with one solution she had no hesitation squeezing into the bag with me.  

Depends on the dog. Walked into Lochnagar with a spaniel, and of course, it had the time of its life for 2 hours chasing after every grouse it saw. So it did about 12x what we had done, and sure enough, at that point, it showed clear signs of hypothermia. Grumbles, stumbles, fumbles are clear even in a dog... crouched, underside solid with ice, snow between the claws. 

Well, I've never been a dog owner, so I'm not interested in being flamed for "should have done it this way" or "shouldn't have done it that way", but I certainly learned (and I suspect the owner did too.) Rubbed it down, stuck it in a backpack with body heat from my back, set off back. Within half an hour it was perky again and the main challenge was getting it out - umbrella in a chimney problem. 

So for me, I'd suggest hesitating to take a birding breed too far without being sure it knows how far you're going....

Same. I've got a Staffie who is a massive softie.  Needs a coat in chilly weather and it's a must if it's raining. 

Loves the heat though - had to call her in from lying on the the patio bell up at midday on the hottest day of the year, and she'll pretty much put her chin on the hearth if there a fire in a room.  Idiot.

It goes the other way too. One of ours is always on lead, and the other mostly on lead, so they can't hare about like loonies to warm up. 

Yea, we've got 2 Huskies and the old lady (14) is nails and barks to go outside for half an hour cold immersion at -45C, whereas the younger one (9) is so nesh we can't get him off the couch at -10C.  Not really relevant to the UK, but when we visited we were surprised that nearly every dog seemed to have a coat on, and it wasn't that cold and they were just out on bimbles by the canal.

Also fashion.  Dog Xmas jumpers for example.

Thanks Bill

 Nice dogs btw.

My opinion now is that she doesn’t need a designated coat yet after two trips( recent ones. She’s done far more than that)  in freezing, windy and damp conditions, whilst she is active and stops are brief anyway.

Any worse and I wouldn’t be choosing to take her, or me, out anyway.

I see the benefit of a fleece for unplanned stops, injury etc and will continue to take one.

Cheers

Dave

A wolf in sheeps clothing?

My SARDA dog has 2 working jackets, one waterproof the other mesh, he prefers the mesh one as it's less warm. Neither are warm coats mind, think string vest vs waterproof jacket. They are for identification, and to give us a fighting chance of seeing them, also makes them stand out to helicopters. 

I do have a warm coat too, which we put on if we are stopped for any length of time when its cold wet and windy. Most dogs don't stop or if they do will find somewhere to hunker down, that isn't always possible.

Please come and explain that to mine,  nope I'm not going out it's raining, windy, cold, foggy, snowing (though I love to play in the snow but I won't go out until it stops) 

If your dog is truly hardcore, it's not a warm jacket it needs, it's a harness! 

https://www.dog-harnesses-store.co.uk/tactical-insertion-dog-harness-c-104/...

I had a springer who would spend the winter covered in ice and not flinch..  he was groomed / shaved as well so it wasn't his coat helping him! The cocker I now have gets cold very easy..   I think it depends on the exposure they have had and their temperament as much as the breed. Also they are normally off the lead so charging about a fair bit (where legally allowed off course). 

I normally carry Gilet thingy which in a push I could use on the dog but I have generally found they are a lot better than us in the cold and their coats do a pretty good job! I think I'd rather have a primaloft gilet that both of us can use... plus side it doubles up for a dog bed in the tent / bivvi bag and hopefully convinces them not to get in the sleeping bag! 

Hmm, I could carry him outside in one of those and if he wants to get back indoors he will have to walk. 

Thanks for clarifying that I’m not being cruel to the dog whilst taking plenty of gear for myself

I’m all for versatility in gear and a gilet is a sound plan.

thank you

You might have read this already, but i thought you might be interested

https://www.ukhillwalking.com/articles/skills/series/dogs/winter_walking_wi...

Thanks a lot Billhook that’s an excellent article.

Do you know what happened to the authors dog, it’s very sad.

She didn't appreciate the squally hail showers today (neither did I particularly! They were a bit brutal), but was definitely less skittish once her coat was on. I took it off again lower down where it was just rain, and she seemed comfortable, but the combination of wind and hail definitely warranted her coat. 

She’s beautiful. Is she the latest rescue?

She is the latest rescue, but not all that recent. She has been with us for a little over 2 years now. We were her 4th home at a year old, so it has taken a fair bit of work to get calmness and general acceptable behaviour in the house, but we are getting there now. She is a really affectionate dog ☺️

This sounds like it had a bad ending.  (I've not heard what happened though).  

In terms of the video, it contained a couple of points I'd not really considered, although I can't recall going out with my dog whilste wearing crampons.   

Many years ago I did take my mothers dog, a rather long haired collie out in soft damp snow and its underneath did start to ball up with snow = until I looked at the video I'd forgot about that.

Anyway I hope you both enjoy your snowy outing and good luck.

Bran was very glad not only to have his coat but his sleeping bag this day (he eventually decided that IN the sleeping bag was better than on it). But we were stopped for an hour, so the cold was an issue

Another perspective: 'D'you fancy a walk in the rain and mud with me?'