Hunter's Heart Brittanys - Recommended Reading List

Brittanys have no problem with short periods of time in severe cold. We still take our Britts out for daily 45 minute walks every day in the winter, and they enjoy the exercise and play in the snow. We enjoy hiking and hunting in the snow for periods up to 4 hours at a stretch. The more the dog is outside, the thicker their coat becomes. Dogs that come to visit us from warmer Southern locations adapt quickly. (I've been amazed that they run on the iced over lakes like all the rest of our Canadian dogs.)

But Brittanys never have a heavy enough coat to live outside in the winter (in Canada and similar northern locations). They must live indoors in the winter. Dogs left outside overnight may get frostbite. If you were hunting in Montana, for example, the dog would be better off sleeping inside than in the vehicle or outdoors.

Having said that, on the few days we get colder than 24 C below zero (-11 F), we don’t take our dogs out for walks. Similar to a child sticking their tongue out and getting it stuck on a doorknob, at very cold temperatures, the paw pad can stick to the ice and be damaged. We learned from experience that this injury could take months to heal. Of course, going outside for potty is necessary and never seems to cause problems since it’s much quicker than a walk.

One solution is to get your Brittany to wear booties to protect his/her paws. (Similar booties are used in the Iditarod to protect the paws of the sled dogs.) If you introduce the booties early on when your puppy is young, you’re more likely to be successful than if you try to get your adult to accept them. As well, in the winter, I moisturize the dogs’ pads if they have noticeable cracks and dryness by applying “Paw Wax”, which I buy from our vet. The consistency is like Vaseline, and it’s non-toxic even if it’s licked off.

Puppies are less tolerant of the cold than adults, as they have a thin “baby” coat. But since you probably don’t want to take your puppy out for more than a 20 minute walk (over exercise of puppies can lead to joint problems), this usually isn’t a big issue. They can hunt in the snow for short periods and should have daily walks as long as the temperature is reasonable. These outdoor activities are beneficial for both proper socialization and exercise.

In the late fall, if we’re hunting on or near water, we put sweaters on our dogs to help keep them warm for longer periods. Neoprene sweaters and wool sweaters are available at hunting / sporting goods stores and websites. The sweaters allow them to stay warm and dry longer, and a nice side effect is that they pick up fewer burs.