PDA

View Full Version : Cold dog at night



tucker0104
05-26-2010, 05:40
I went camping this past week and had shaved my dog down before so that he wouldn't get too hot during the day. He did great during the day but was shaking and cold at night. I ended up letting him sleep in my sleeping bag which left me hanging out and cold. What does everyone else do with their dog when they hike? Has anyone ever made a "doggy sleeping bag"?

grayfox
05-26-2010, 06:27
Yes, you can make a sleep system for your dog. Use the same layering system you have for yourself--ground cloth, padding, insulation, rain barrier. Attach the layers together but leave it open on one side so he can get in at the layer he likes best.

Also, you must pay extra attention to his needs for water, food that is nutritious and easy to digest.

You might need to adjust your pace to his ability on any given day. Keep an eye on his feet because he might be one to keep going because you do or because he is excited to be hiking.

Dogs are wonderful outdoor company. Hope you have lots of fun hiking together. Just remember that his needs are a lot like yours for comfort on the trail.

Funkmeister
05-26-2010, 06:42
I made a dog sleeping bag long ago. I used a 200-weight material, sewn on one side, velcro on two other sides, one side open. Knowing her propensity for needing to be in water up to the roots of her ears in order to get a drink when possible, I carried her bag in my pack. She carried her blue foam pad, JATO style, on her backpack. After all, sleeping bags are but one part of the sleeping system.

Yukon
05-26-2010, 07:54
It seems to me that no one will ever know if the dog minds carrying it's own food or not, because obviously we can't communicate with them, unless you speak dog :p

Two Speed
05-26-2010, 07:56
As the old saying goes there's opinions about dogs and there's facts. The humans have opinions and the dogs have the facts.

Yukon
05-26-2010, 07:58
As the old saying goes there's opinions about dogs and there's facts. The humans have opinions and the dogs have the facts.

Very true...

CrumbSnatcher
05-26-2010, 08:05
It seems to me that no one will ever know if the dog minds carrying it's own food or not, because obviously we can't communicate with them, unless you speak dog :p
you can tell by a dogs body langauge and attitude if they like or dislike the pack! some dogs look forward to putting on the pack, some do not.
and your wrong, the dog doesn't need to speak to communicate with its owner! my dog was with me damn near 24-7 for 15 years. she talked to me all the time! to the OP, i always kept my sleeping bag unzipped,and covered me and my dog on chilly nights. i used a Z-REST and carried a thermarest for my dog

kanga
05-26-2010, 08:26
dogs regulate their own heat within their coats. shaving is not always the best idea. if it is a heavy coated dog such as a pyrenees, well, they're just not suited for the south and it would be kinder to leave it home. my husky/golden mix has a decent coat and i don't take her out much in the summer unless doing a river trail.

Atreus
05-26-2010, 08:50
What does everyone else do with their dog when they hike? Has anyone ever made a "doggy sleeping bag"?

Can we get back on track?

mudhead
05-26-2010, 10:20
Chunk of fleece blanket works. But if the mutt is still cold, it will find a way into the bag. Rectangular bag is handy if you have a small dog. Especially after they have butted up to a fire pit.

mudhead
05-26-2010, 10:21
Might as well have it's own chunk of pad, too. Else it will have yours.

Atreus
05-26-2010, 10:50
Use an old bag and cut it in half, sew the seems up again. That's enough for a Lab and most medium-large breeds.

Cool AT Breeze
05-26-2010, 17:57
Unless it's really cold, my dog sleeps under my bag quilt style on his own pad.

Phreak
05-26-2010, 18:17
I cut down my wife's REI Sub-Kilo sleeping bag to fit Maggie. She gets really cold at night.

http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/5/5/1/3/img_7322.jpg

tucker0104
05-26-2010, 20:06
Thanks for all the advice. I am going to try the sleeping bag cut in half. My dog is a springer spaniel about 45 pounds. He would melt during the summer if I didn't shave him and he would shed everywhere.

tucker0104
05-26-2010, 20:13
He is hard to judge when he is tired or not. I stop after about 5 miles and lay down thinking he might want to take a nap but he just sniffs around everywhere. At the end of the day he is tired and passes out. I just got back from a 3 day 34 mile hike with him and he did great the entire time and then as soon as we got back to the car he passed out. Do your dogs do the same thing?

karoberts
05-26-2010, 23:50
You can get a down vest and zip him into it at night. With a foam pad under him.

LIhikers
05-27-2010, 00:21
..... Has anyone ever made a "doggy sleeping bag"?

Our dog has as much gear as my wife and I. Some of it's home made and some bought, ground pad, coats, sleeping bag, rain coat, pack, fleece banket, and a cloth bowl.

Old Grouse
05-27-2010, 07:30
Groucho Marx said, "Outside of a dog a book is Man' best friend...inside of a dog it's too dark to read."

grayfox
05-27-2010, 11:23
He is hard to judge when he is tired or not. I stop after about 5 miles and lay down thinking he might want to take a nap but he just sniffs around everywhere. At the end of the day he is tired and passes out. I just got back from a 3 day 34 mile hike with him and he did great the entire time and then as soon as we got back to the car he passed out. Do your dogs do the same thing?

Yes, it is hard to know when to say stop because they seem to be having such a good time. They are just like kids. Both depend on your more well developed prefrontal cortex and better judgement.

Think about what it would be like to have ten times better hearing and sense of smell than you have and be out in the forest. It is no wonder dogs just want to keep exploring.

tucker0104
05-27-2010, 19:37
I figure when I can't go any more then it is time for him to stop too.

TexasEd
06-30-2010, 12:00
I took my dog on a hunting/camping trip last December where it got down into the low 30s at night. We both needed extra insulation from the ground. She did not need anything on top, just insulation from the ground. She was inside my tent.

mister krabs
06-30-2010, 12:45
You can get a down vest and zip him into it at night. With a foam pad under him.


This is what I do if trixie the wonder dog is not in the bag with me. 15$ lands end down vest.

JAK
06-30-2010, 14:55
Cold dog at night, hiker's delight.
Cold dog in the morning, hiker's take warning.

tucker0104
06-30-2010, 21:58
I bought a 9 dollar sleeping bag from walmart and cut it down to fit him. It works great.