It’s approaching wintertime here in the UK and we’ve had to take some special measures with Claude the Frenchie. Whilst he loves playing snow (watch video), if he’s out in the cold for too long it can be problematic.
Smaller short-haired dogs certainly feel the cold more than their larger long-haired counterparts. The brachycephalic breeds also tend to suffer too. But how cold is too cold for a Frenchie? I decided to find out…
How cold is too cold for a French Bulldog? Temperatures of 4 degrees Celsius (40 degrees Fahrenheit) can be too cold for a Frenchie, especially if you have an older dog, a younger puppy, or a dog with medical problems. If wet weather is present, the risks can also be higher.
If you are concerned about the cold being too cold for your Frenchie, then I recommend you check out some of the following resources to help keep your dog warmer:
To give you a better understanding of how cold is too cold, I’ve developed this infographic below. It was inspired by the Tufts Animal Condition and Care scales which provide guidance for weather conditions depending on the size of your dog.
Please Credit Us: If you do decide to use this infographic on your website (and you’re free to do so), please link back to frenchbulldogowner.com as way of credit for my work.
Things to do when it’s too cold for a Frenchie
Here are a few simple tips you should adopt when the weather gets too cold for your French Bulldog.
- Health checks: get your Frenchie checked out before the winter season to ensure any existing medical problems won’t worsen.
- Know your Frenchie’s limits: with old Frenchies take extra special care, and the same goes for puppies as they cannot cope with the cold as well.
- Stay indoors: if you feel it’s too cold for your Frenchie, let them stay indoors with you rather than thinking you have to walk them.
- Check paws: the paws can become cracked and painful in cold weather, so make sure you check them regularly.
- Wipe down: after going out in snow and ice, wipe your Frenchie’s fur down to get rid of any dampness that could cause illness.
Handy Hint: You might also like my complete guide to Frenchies and cold weather. It includes tips on how to keep them warm and how to identify and treat a cold.
Conclusion
Don’t feel that you have to take your Frenchie out if the weather is too cold. Yes, they might miss having their walk, but there are still plenty of things you can do indoors to keep them occupied and active. For example, we have a laser pen which will let Claude chase when it’s too cold to go outside. That can give him enough exercise a few times a day until the weather gets better.
The bottom line is this; some weather is too harsh for these little fellas. How cold is too cold for a Frenchie can usually be determined by you stepping outside and making a sensible judgement call. If might be that you only go out for 10 minutes instead of 30, but if in doubt, refer to the chart I’ve created and print it out for winter time.
Handy Hint: You might also like a more recent guide I wrote about how to keep your dog warm at night. It contains over 10 tips on what you need to do to keep your dog warm when sleeping on cold winter evenings.