How To Keep Your Dog Safe This Winter In North Carolina
A lot of dog owners in North Carolina are wondering how to keep their dogs warm and safe over the winter. Luckily, according to FOX8, there are many ways to tell how cold is to cold.
Currently, there is a wave of Arctic storms moving through the U.S. that are predicted to break many low-temperature records. This means that keeping warm is a big thing on many people minds.
This type of extreme weather makes a lot of pet owners wonder what temperature their dogs can handle. However, there is no overall answer, it depends on a lot of things. Those things include your dog’s breed, needs, health, and age.
Smaller dogs are much more susceptible to hypothermia and other problems like frostbite when compared to larger dogs. This is because they tend to lose heat faster than bigger dog breeds.
Arctic breeds that are medium and large can usually stand colder temperatures due to their double coat. Some examples of these breeds are huskies and Bernese mountain dogs. These types of dogs can stay outside in temperatures below 32°F longer than other breeds. Arctic breeds can usually stay out in these temperatures for 30 minutes or even up to an hour.
It’s good to keep in mind that things like rain, snow, and wind chill can also impact how long your dog can stay outside.
What temperatures are to cold?
Usually if the temperature is above 45°F, your dog should be alright outdoors. When temperatures are below 40°F, dogs that aren’t meant for cold weather might become uncomfortable. For temperatures below 32°F, small dogs, older dogs, and dogs with thin coats shouldn’t be let out for long periods. Temperatures below 20°F can easily cause dogs to develop hypothermia or frostbite, so they should only be let out for super short bathroom breaks.
There are many signs to look for to know if your dog is to cold. These include limbs becoming very cold, shivering, disorientation, breathing becoming rapid, pale gums, and lethargy.
It’s important during this time of year to see how your dog behaves in colder weather and to remember what temperatures they can handle.
Country Stars Whose Dogs Have Instagram Accounts
Country music stars love their dogs and cats. And there are a couple of country stars who actually have official Instagram channels just for their dogs. Miranda Lambert does so much for dogs all over the country with her Muttnation Foundation, which raises money and encourages people to adopt shelter animals. Miranda has many dogs, including Delta, Thelma, Louise, Cher, and many more. In July, Lambert shared her sorrow after she lost her dog Thelma.
She wrote on Instagram at the time, sharing several images of her beloved dog, “May 1, 2016, I adopted 2 beautiful Great Pyrenees named Thelma and Louise to watch over one of my happiest places on earth. My farm outside of Nashville. The Kitties, chickens, and mini horses needed to be looked after, and these 2 girls have done that since the day we brought them home. They rode on my bus all the way from Dallas to Nashville, and on that 10-hour drive, I fell in love with them. Yesterday, we had to say goodbye to our sweet Thelma. She spent her days lounging in the barn and her nights keeping watch over all of us. She lived the last 8 years with no fences, just freedom to do what she did best. Love and protect. I loved her with all my heart.”
She continued, “Louise has retired from her farm duties and is getting all the more love and snuggles from Delta, Bellamy, Cher, Brendan, and me. It hurts so bad to say goodbye to these sweet companions, but their love is always worth it. How lucky are we to get to have friends like Thelma? I am so proud to have been part of her story. Thank you to my friends and farm managers Julia and Tommy for taking such good care of her and every one of my fur babies and loving them like they are your own. We all miss you, Telm Telm (broken heart emoji). Y’all don’t forget, love a shelter pet.”
Surprisingly, in my research for this story, I could not find any of Lambert’s dogs or cats or, for that matter, horses who had their own Instagram account. Maybe she doesn’t want to favor one over the other. However, Muttnation Foundation does have an Instagram handle.
Then there is Kelsea Ballerini, who adopted her dog Dibbs as a puppy and gave him his name after she charted a song called “Dibbs” in 2015 that went all the way to number one. In one of my first interviews with Kelsea during that time, I actually met the sweet pup, and well, he broke our new office in, if you know what I mean. It was pretty funny.
Ballerini constantly posts about her pooch on her social media, but Dibbs, as famous as he is, does not have his own Instagram account. Maybe his mom is waiting on that one.
So, what country stars have official Instagram accounts for their pups? Here are three of them. Let’s take a look at those accounts and the famous parents.
Country 103.7’s funniest guy in town is none other than Rob Tanner with Tanner in the Morning! Rob Tanner has been the host of WSOC-FM's Tanner in the Morning Show in Charlotte, NC for 20 years. The show was named the 2018 ACM Major Market Personalities of the Year. He is well-versed in all topics in country music. Tanner also is a sports junkie who writes about any Carolina sports team, and he and his wife Missy spend most of their down exploring theme parks. He writes Disney insider content.
