Question

Prettydobie · 08-08-2006, 05:56 PM

Ok soon i will be moving to alaska from texas. I can leave my dog with my mother if i want. I would really love to take her once i get room for her but my question is with my dog trinity ( doberman ) being a short haired dog how would the cold effect her? She black and rust so she would get a little heat from being black. Im kind of leaning towards not taking her because of how cold it will be but i figured i would ask and find out. Ive lived in texas my whole life so im not sure about this sort of thing.

**brumwolf** · 08-08-2006, 06:21 PM

Dobermans are house dogs in cold weather they could suffer frostbite in their extremities such as ears(more so if cropped)their coat is not up to extreme cold but this could be over come by providing an extra coat and maybe boots also, and limiting the time Trinity spends outside in harsh conditions,the question is could you be without her? i know i could not leave my girls for more than a couple of weeks at the most.

Prettydobie · 08-08-2006, 06:31 PM

I love trinity alot but i can live without her my mother loves her dearly as well. I know for sure when i get enough money and have the room im going to have my kitten brought up to me. Trinity is an indoor dog the only times she goes out is for her walk, to use the restroom, and when we go to the dog park or i let her in the backyard to play. Like i said i am thinking of letting my mother keeper trinity was born and grew up in Texas so she is use to the heat so another thing i was worried about if i took her with me is the extrime temp change.

Sooz · 08-08-2006, 06:55 PM

I'd say she'd need time to acclimate just like you will. Several members here have posted pics of their dobies playing in the snow. Now their temps may not be as extreme as in Alaska, but they are definitely cold nonetheless. Then again, every place is cold compared to where I live. On a personal note I'm with Brum...my boy is a member of my family and where I go, he's going, without question. But given you feel you can live without Trinity, do her a favor and leave her with your mom in familiar surroundings where she won't have the chance of suffering even for one day. JMHO.

**TracyJo** · 08-08-2006, 07:23 PM

In North Dakota (often times colder in Minot than in Alaska) we faired well with our dogs by using common sense. If it was too cold for us (as it often was) it was too cold for them. During heavy snows, we would shovel off areas right outside the door for them to use for potty purposes. If it got too cold to go out for even that (and it did) we had trained the larger dogs to go on papers in the attached garage (many people did this).
I had booties for all the dogs that I used for walks during the winter - the salt and sharp ice wreaks havoc on their pads and also coats to keep them warm. I'm sure Trinity would be fine, as long as you took proper precautions. Sadly, for every great owner in Minot there was an equally not so great owner - many dogs died every year due to exposure.

**Chaz** · 08-08-2006, 07:49 PM

Where in Alaska are you going to live?

There is a difference between coastal climates (Anchorage) and inland conditions (Fairbanks)

Winters are somewhat mild on the coast, milder than where TracyJo was in North Dakota. You'd be surprised. But inland you're looking at 40 below for long periods.

Summers are just the opposite, cooler, rainy weather on the coasts, but long stretches of sunny, warm weather inland.

Prettydobie · 08-08-2006, 08:04 PM

Chaz im moving to Valdez

http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp...te=AK&zipcode=

Heres a link of where it is located

**Chaz** · 08-08-2006, 08:35 PM

Cool.

I've been to Valdez. I worked 79 miles north of there in the summer of '90 at the Mangey Moose Salloon, just up the Richardson Hwy (Hwy 4).

Valdez is beautiful. The mountains surrounding Valdez are as pretty as the Swiss Alps. I didn't know how pretty it was until my fourth or fifth time there. All the other times it was raining and I couldn't see the mountains.

Valdez is a little off the beaten path, but it's connected to the rest of Alaska by road, which is much better than someplace like Juneau or Cordova.

In wintertime there's a ton of good back-country skiing and ice-climbing if you're looking for some outdoor fun.

poodles&adobie · 08-08-2006, 10:46 PM

I'm in Montana and it gets VERY COLD!!!! Cedric is inside most of the time during the winter except for potty time outside and on nice days he goes out and plays in the yard, when he starts standing by the door I know he has had enough and he comes back inside. He has a coat that he wears also and that helps keep him warm on the chilly days. I don't think your dog would have a problem as long as she was not left outside, I'm sure she would adjust just fine, she would probably rather have to adjust to cold weather than have to adjust to being away from you!

**Kratty** · 08-10-2006, 08:37 AM

I agree that she can adjust to the weather difference. We do alot of stuff out in the cold season her in Jersey. My girl loves to play in the snow. You have to be aware of the signs of being out in the cold too long. We have numerous stylish "fido fleeces" and mutt lucks if the weather calls for them. Just like with us humans, dress properly.