While adult huskies, especially pure Siberian, have relatively thick coats that greatly help in resisting cold weather, husky puppies don’t have enough protection in their coats against low temperatures, so they can get cold.
If you’re about to welcome a new husky pup into your family, one of the first curious questions that will come to your mind is “do husky puppies get cold?”
Are Husky Puppies Resistant to Cold Weather?
Since the Husky breed originally belongs to the extremely cold lands of Siberia, they’ve developed many features in order to survive the very low temperatures there, including a very thick fur double coat.
With that said, huskies puppies don’t have the same level of cold tolerance as adult huskies do. This is because puppies are born with a single fur coat that is relatively thin.
Additionally, husky puppies have a smaller body and direct most of their calorie intake toward body growth, so their bodies generate much less heat than adults.
As a result, huskies puppies will get cold when temperatures drop in the cold months, especially if it gets extremely cold in winter where you live.
This rule also applies to mixed husky breeds as well as dog breeds of similar features, such as:
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How Dangerous Is Cold Weather on Husky Puppies?
Of course, husky puppies naturally tolerate the cold better than some other breeds, but if it’s too cold outside, serious complications to excessive exposure to cold weather can occur.
These dangers include:
- Respiratory infections, which can range from common colds to dangerous pneumonia
- Hypothermia due to excessive heat loss
- Frostbite due to ice accumulating in their paws
If you suspect that your husky puppy is displaying any of these results after exposure to cold weather, seek medical help immediately, as these are serious medical emergencies.
How Cold Is Too Cold for Husky Puppies?
Ideally, an adult husky is capable of surviving extremely low temperatures (up to -75 °F or -59 °C), so outdoor temperatures like -10 °F (17.7 °C), shouldn’t be a problem for them.
As for the puppies, a temperature around or slightly below 15 to 10 °F (-9.4 to -12.2 °C) can be somewhat cold and tolerable only for a few minutes.
No matter how healthy your husky puppy looks in the cold, a temperature of 0 °F is as far as husky puppies can go before it starts to be quite cold.
With that said, every puppy is different when it comes to cold tolerance.
That’s why you need to observe your puppy all the time when it’s cold outside, as husky puppies will display signs that let you know that it’s too cold for them.
Telltale Signs That It’s Too Cold for Your Husky Puppy
Here are some of the signs that you should be on the lookout for when taking your husky pup outside in winter:
1. Shivering
Like humans, dogs will start to shiver when they struggle to maintain internal body heat. For that reason, if your husky puppy is shivering, it’s simply too cold for them to handle the temperature.
2. Whining
Dog whining can happen for a variety of reasons, and one of the most popular reasons is to express pain, discomfort, and physical need.
In other words, whining in puppies is like crying in babies. If your husky is whining in the cold, there’s a good chance that the weather is the culprit, especially if they stop whining when you warm them up.
3. Tucked Tail
When dogs are cold, they’ll show a hunched posture along with a tucked tail as they desperately try to warm themselves up. While this is more common among adult dogs, husky puppies can also do it.
4. Lifting Paws of the Ground
In addition to being a sign of fear, dogs will lift their paws off the ground when it’s too hot or too cold outside to avoid direct contact.
This sign is usually accompanied by other signs on the list, so don’t worry about confusing it with playing in the snow.
5. Reluctance to Move Forward
Another action that dogs do when they want to go home is the reluctance to move forward. In that case, your puppy may also try to turn around or move in the opposite direction.
6. Obvious Anxiety and Discomfort
Of course, all the previously mentioned signs will come with several erratic behaviors that huskies do when they’re distressed and anxious.
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At What Age Do Husky Puppies Start Tolerating the Cold?
Huskies will completely shed their fuzzy single coat by the time they’re 12 to 14 months old.
When that happens, they’ll develop their adult-like double fur coat, which allows them to survive lower temperatures for longer.
How to Keep Your Husky Puppy Warm in the Cold
Here are some valuable tips to help you keep your husky pup warm and healthy through the cold winter months:
Avoid Going Out When Temperatures Dip
While regular exercise is essential for all dogs, it can sometimes be too cold to go out. In that case, try to keep your puppy engaged with indoor activities rather than going out.
Check the weather forecast to find out about the days with suitable weather to go out and choose the warmest times of the day.
Insulate the Shelter If Outdoors
If you have an outdoor dog house for your puppy, make sure that it’s well insulated against cold weather by using foam panels to prevent the warmth from escaping quickly.
Consider using warm materials like wool for the bedding and the blanket, which you can replace with lighter materials as your puppy grows up.
Also, make sure that the shelter isn’t too large or too small to balance freedom of movement and heat retention.
Get a Suitable Puppy Coat
These puppy coats/sweaters have a soft fleece lining and are specifically designed to keep your dogs warm in very cold weather. You can also combine them with puppy shoes for additional warmth.
Paul has been creating content for the dog niche for many years. The information he shares comes his first hand experience growing up in dog lovers household and then owning multiple dog breeds of his own as an adult. Paul enjoys doing the hard research to collect, analyze and present our dogtemperament.com readers with the best answers to their questions.