What temp can 5 week old pups handle and how long? - Page 1

A friend of mine from Minnesota has a litter of 5 week old puppies. He is wondering what temp. outside can puppies of this age handle for play sessions only in the cold and snow. I have no idea. Thanks for any responses.

mine have access to go in and out. i don't know how long one can stand it though.mine were out  a week or so ago,they were around 4 weeks then. heck they played in the snow and had a good time. temp was low twenties, they were out about 30 minutes before i noticed some were heading to the house.

 I have never had pups notice (or care) about temperature. Mine are outside (not in wind, but not in a heated building) at 4 weeks, and temps get to -15ish regularly w/wind chill. For play sessions, I would think they'd be fine in the snow for half hour to an hour, or as long as they seem to be enjoying themselves. At that age, they don't play too long before needing a nap, so I'd say stick w/half hour or so. 

Puppies will NOT show you that something is wrong until it is too late. They CAN be harmed by cold, damaging their soft foot pads, bare bellies, and inner ears and suppressing their immune systems. Calories will be diverted to life sustenance and turned away from physical and brain development if they are kept cold for too long. NEVER have puppies outside in any conditions that you yourself cannot tolerate in a flannel shirt without gloves. Of course, over time, they develop greater capacity for cold tolerance. At 8 weeks, they will start to show problems with cold -- that is, with experience and empathy you can learn to see what is going wrong. They have a specific worried look when systems are being threatened. If they are picking up a foot, you have waited too long.

Thanks for the replies. He let them out for 15 minutes,out of the wind and in the sun. It was 28 degrees and I guess they loved it.

 Sounds perfect.

You know, it all depends on how they've been raised thus far. If they were whelped indoors, use extra caution. If whelped outdoors, they are likely to be hardier and thus able to enjoy themselves a bit longer, but I'd say 15mins- half an hour is about all I would do w/pups that young. It also depends on where- can they get out of the snow? Do they have other options? Etc.