Advice on keeping dog warm at night

[Darwin13]

So it will be getting down to low 50s at night. I have a 70 lb white german shepherd who will be sleeping on the ground. Not a long haired dog but not very short either. I will be in my hammock. Im toying on bringing her with me if I can do so safely. I have ccf pads she could use, a mylar blanket, and am wondering what else I would need to get for her. Thanks

[Feral Bill]

Not an outdoor dog, I gather. My standard poodle is fine with a foam pad in those temps, and he's skinny. You could add a fleece throw, just in case.

[Darwin13]

iyt would be here first over nighter

[kayak karl]

my 85 lb. lab sleeps in my hammock if she wants. i figure she deserves the same luxuries i do if i take her along.

[bigcranky]

Closed cell foam pad - insulation from the ground is crucial. She can decide not to use it, of course, but it needs to be there. Luckily they are cheap and light.

If you were in a tent, then something like a fleece blanket would be easier to use - you could toss it over her as needed. But since you're in a hammock, it'll be more difficult to keep her under the blanket. (I assume she'll be leashed, yes? Otherwise various night critters might tempt her to chase them....)

I do like karl's solution

[Gray Blazer]

I have used my waterproof windbreaker in emergencies when my lab was slightly shivering.

[Darwin13]

im 230 and the dog is 70 lbs idk if my hammock a 1.7 sl is going to hold us both..

[theoilman]

im 230 and the dog is 70 lbs idk if my hammock a 1.7 sl is going to hold us both..

What language are you using? I can't make any sense of your post. Some words look like English, but I can't identify the rest.

[canoe]

The dog will love and be very comfortable at 50. I would nt worry to much.

[SawnieRobertson]

Not an outdoor dog, I gather. My standard poodle is fine with a foam pad in those temps, and he's skinny. You could add a fleece throw, just in case.

Feral Bill, my big brown Standard Poodle and I did a lot of night long shivering in our tent until I bought an xs woman's fleece top for her. The arms were a little lomg ut worked fine after I rolled them up. She did not shiver
any more. I, OTOH, . . . .

[haolejohn]

I have a lab that I take out with me all the time. I live in Alaska so my warm days are 50. She has no problem sleeping on the ground. I do use a tent, but she sleeps next to me or outside the tent.

I think you are being a little over worried about the temps. Think about it...Dogs, though domesticated now, were originally wild animals. They know how to survive.

[Feral Bill]

Feral Bill, my big brown Standard Poodle and I did a lot of night long shivering in our tent until I bought an xs woman's fleece top for her. The arms were a little lomg ut worked fine after I rolled them up. She did not shiver
any more. I, OTOH, . . . .

My wife has a rule: No clothes for dogs. Mine
is a bit too old for backpacking now anyway.

[FarmerChef]

I think your shepherd will be fine in the 50s. I have an Alaskan Husky who I also keep inside (required by the adoption agency, grrr) most of the time. This means she isn't as seasonally conditioned as she would be if she got to spend more time outside. That said, she still changes her coat seasonally so there is some mitigation. I do provide a pad for our Husky but she prefers to sleep on the ground, on leaves or nesting material if she can find it. She always has the option of sleeping with us (we're ground dwellers) and does take us up on it sometimes.

At 70lbs I'm not sure what you're going to find that will stay on her if she decides to get up and stretch her legs or shift in the night. Perhaps a Snugglie? Otherwise, if she can spend enough time outdoors she should be well adapted to that temperature, even as a medium/long haired dog. On the other hand, if we spent a good deal outside more, we'd also be better adapted

[chancey]

cut the foot off an old sleeping bag
my dog has a northface meow.hold it open for him a few times then they will get the hang of it

[SouthMark]

I also sleep in a hammock and I use a cheap child's insulated vest that I bought at the Thrift store for my dog. I just put it on her with the zipper on her back. It works great. It's easy to put on and take it off of her. She can get up and change positions without coming uncovered. She sleeps on a thin foam pad.

[rocketsocks]

So it will be getting down to low 50s at night. I have a 70 lb white german shepherd who will be sleeping on the ground. Not a long haired dog but not very short either. I will be in my hammock. Im toying on bringing her with me if I can do so safely. I have ccf pads she could use, a mylar blanket, and am wondering what else I would need to get for her. Thanks

Feed her somethin about 45 min before bed, kinda like stoken the fire...it should help a bit,...it does a body good.

[Feral Bill]

cut the foot off an old sleeping bag
my dog has a northface meow.hold it open for him a few times then they will get the hang of it

I love the irony.

[Wise Old Owl]

Closed cell foam pad - insulation from the ground is crucial. She can decide not to use it, of course, but it needs to be there. Luckily they are cheap and light.

If you were in a tent, then something like a fleece blanket would be easier to use - you could toss it over her as needed. But since you're in a hammock, it'll be more difficult to keep her under the blanket. (I assume she'll be leashed, yes? Otherwise various night critters might tempt her to chase them....)

I do like karl's solution

Me too - the pad takes training -stick the pad in the favorite nap spot... it gets adopted.

[Swordpen]

For my 83# Lab, I use a closed cell foam + I went to walmart & bought a kids sweatshirt (or a small or X-small fleece pullover works).

Since the people sweatshirts or fleece pullovers tend to be "baggy", (around the dog's midsection/ weenie area), I use a 3" blanket pin, to pin up the excess over the dog's back.

You can get a big blanket pin at a horse tack store.

[Swordpen]

EDIT: the size of a men's sweatshirt I have for an 83# Lab is MEDIUM.