Hiking in the winter with a Lab

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I talk to my Vet about all issues Im not sure on and have been surprised by alot of what Ive learned through my Vet. Not to get off topic, I just found out broccoli in high servings is TOXIC to dogs and can be fatal. Ive been feeding my dog 2 cups or more every day for over a year!!! They reccomend no more then 10% of broccoli as it pertains to daily food intake. Thought it was worth sharing. The reason I found out is my dog got very sick, still not sure if it was the broccoli or not.
 
I'm curious what led you to start giving your dog broccoli?
 
I've never forgotten this scene from the Simpsons:

Dr. Hibbert: (pulling broccoli from Homer's corpse) Another broccoli-related death.
Marge: But I thought broccoli was...
Dr. Hibbert: Oh yes. One of the deadliest plants on earth. It tries to warn you itself with its terrible taste.
 
Has anyone camped with a lab in the winter? My only concern is how he would stay warm at night. Maybe I could buy a cheap kids sleeping bag for him?
 
Has anyone camped with a lab in the winter? My only concern is how he would stay warm at night. Maybe I could buy a cheap kids sleeping bag for him?

This will probably be easier than you imagine, given what you've previously said about his attitude toward the cold. If he's in a tent with you, he's sheltered from the wind. Bring an extra closed-cell pad for him (a length of 48" or so will suffice.) It will help him a lot and protect your tent floor somewhat.

You'll probably find that he'll want to snuggle up next to you, maybe even on top of your sleeping bag. If you train him to lie down on his pad up against your side, I'd wager he'll do just fine. The two of you will heat each other! You should probably try this out first before committing to a multiday trip in very cold temps, however.

Remember also that the addition of another set of lungs will add to the condensation issue in the tent. Maintaining adequate ventilation will be even more important when he's in there with you.
 
I've camped with him in the summer and he likes to sleep across my legs. Then I wake up and can't feel my legs... Maybe I can bring fleece blankets to cover him when he's next to my bag? I could throw my jacket and other layers over him too.


Summit shot from the Osceolas this weekend. It was too easy for him.
388535_10150485059503801_588758800_8606908_199413545_n.jpg
 
I've camped with him in the summer and he likes to sleep across my legs. Then I wake up and can't feel my legs... Maybe I can bring fleece blankets to cover him when he's next to my bag? I could throw my jacket and other layers over him too.


Summit shot from the Osceolas this weekend. It was too easy for him.
388535_10150485059503801_588758800_8606908_199413545_n.jpg

Now that is a cool summit photo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Has anyone camped with a lab in the winter? My only concern is how he would stay warm at night. Maybe I could buy a cheap kids sleeping bag for him?

pads cut to fit the tent floor so there's no area that's not covered is good for the tent and the dog. i don't think the dog will stay IN the sleeping bag, but I might be wrong. i've winter camped with several dogs; like a child, start out on milder nights and work your way colder to gauge comfort.
 
I used to winter camp with my black lab a few times a year. She was always on the go, except when she wasn't. Meaning, idle time was the worst for her, especially in the winter. So I'd keep moving a lot.

When pulling into camp, the priorities were: get her fed then a tent assembled and bags rolled out. It's tough when it's solo....much easier with a partner. After she'd eat, she'd go into the tent, and roll into her ball. I'd cover her with bags and she'd be warm. Later, whe we'd go to bed, she'd be let out once to do her thang, and we'd get the tent set up. Here is another reason where a partner helped, as she would sleep between us. I would usually unzip my bag and lay it over her and spoon her.. If it was real cold, and I needed my bag zipped, I'd lay a fleece blanket over her while she was between us. I'd check her often during the night, and she never felt cold.

The only real problem was the mornings. She would want to get going right away, and to dissamble everything, pack, and eat takes up to two hours sometimes. Those were stressful times for her.

And, yes, I always have a closed-foam pad(s) that would go under my inflatable pads, so the floor was always lined and off the snow/cold ground.
 
Good info here, and thought I'd share some of my experiences with hiking with Newfs over the years.

Nesting - based upon other comments, it appears that nesting may signal a dog being cold. When my Newfie's nested, it signaled they were tired. I came to the conclusion that Newfies don't get cold, at least in the Lower 48. Hiking in warmer weather (above 50F) is a greater issue with Newfs. I suspect this is true of any breed with a double coat.

Ice balls - In the right temperature range/snow conditions, ice balls can be issue. And while Musher's helps, it works even better if you trim their feet regularly in winter. Newfies have LOTS of hair growing between their toes (and they have webbed feet) and like most dogs, don't like anyone messing with their feet. However, if you're gentle - and very persistent - eventually they'll let you (mostly) trim the hair. If the hair is very short, they don't develop as large an ice ball. I still checked Brutus' feet regularly, especially his front as those were more subject to ice balls. With webbed feet the ice balls are even more painful as they press up against the web.

In terms of booties - I ended up making my own from 1000d Cordura cloth. Ruffwear told me they were planning to make them for the giant breeds, but since I needed them before they were available, I made my own. I rarely used them, however. On the one or two occasions I did, I found that a wrap or two of duct tape, lapping the top of the bootie with the fur, made a huge difference keeping them on. The duct tape come off rather easily, which was a relief.
 
Nesting - based upon other comments, it appears that nesting may signal a dog being cold.

Yep, it's a reversion to a puppy pile.

Mongoose, your idea of bringing some fleece blankets is a good one. Much easier to carry and manage than another sleeping bag. I always carried a couple in the pulk "just in case" one of the dogs needed it. Mine were blessed with ample fur coats, so it wasn't ever an issue. You can use one or more atop the pad while you're making/breaking camp, to provide a warm spot to wait, as well as in the tent at night.
 
I winter camped many times with my Lab, Charlie Brown (RIP)-- I brought along a closed cell foam of for him to lay on and covered him with my down coat. He slept curled in a ball with his tail tucked over his nose- so I'm sure he felt the cold. At night when I was done boiling my noodle water, I'd strain out the noodles and put the leftover water in his bowl And let it cool a bit, then Give it to him. The taste encouraged him to drink. I felt better knowing he was hydrated and warmed from the inside.
 
Has anyone camped with a lab in the winter? My only concern is how he would stay warm at night. Maybe I could buy a cheap kids sleeping bag for him?

i've "car-camped" (i.e. slept in the back of my Subaru :p) with Delilah in cold weather and did pretty well w this method:
- sleeping pads/insulation under both of us
- i layered my 30 & zero degree sleeping bags for myself
- wrapped a down blanket around the dog (a down kid's sleeping bag would be fine)
- threw a fluffy comforter over both of us

it was the comforter that made all the difference. we started the night with just me in my sleeping bags and her in the down blanket and both woke up shivering. i added the comforter over the both of us, thereby combining our heat, and in the morning we were nice and toasty. AMAZING what a difference it made. i'd have crammed us both into the same sleeping bag if she'd have fit.
you are the most effective (and convenient) source of heat for your dog!

* i read somewhere that putting a child's down vest on your dog while he sleeps will help as well. i didn't have time to get one for that trip, but have been meaning to pick one up at a thrift store and, when i do, will let you know how it works out.
 
This has been a great thread. While we've never hiked with Jake he's put in many miles by our side. I've never seen any dog be so absolutely joyful to be out in the cold and snow. This shot was two winters ago when he was 11. He just turned 13 and is still hanging in there. Really hoping for some snow this winter to bring the puppy back out in him!

IMG_6336-1.JPG
 
What kind of temperatures have your dogs hiked in? I'm hiking Sunday but it sounds like the temps will be below zero up high. I know my dog is fine in the teens. I suppose the only way to tell is to take him and keep an eye on him.
 
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