# LGD in colder weather



## spinandslide (Jun 6, 2008)

Its been kinda damp and chilly the past 2 weeks here in north texas. Angel doesnt seem particularly bothered by it..yet..but I was wondering do any of you feed anything special to your LGD's when the weather gets colder, to help keep their energy and heat up?

She isnt a super chunky dog..and is going on 8 years old..want to make sure she has enough in her belly during colder weather.


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

Mine are eating more now too, I just added an extra can of dog food to their dry food.
And I made them an extra large hay bed. They sleep in the end stall so I made a wood square or an L and attached it to the corner of the stall and place bedding in it. It helps them to dry off when they are wet. They seem to like it.


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## BarbadosSheep (Jun 27, 2011)

I am new to LGDs but from what I can see, the cold does not seem to bother them much. My Anatolians are 7 months old and rarely ever use their dog houses. They prefer to sleep in a ball in the middle of the field. I usually find them in the morning with frost on their fur. I eve moved their houses to the middle of the field, but they don't use them.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

With Maremmas, the colder it is, the better they like it


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## horsepoor21 (Mar 14, 2007)

Bearfootfarm > When I brought our Maremma puppy home last winter , it was about 0 degrees where we got her in western MT and -50 here . She . Was . Miserable . LOL She looked like she was going to die ,I could hardly get her to walk . We had to let her sleep in the basement until it warmed up . 

NOW she is invinsable . The cold does nothing to her , she may lay in the hay if she can see everything from there ,otherwise ,right out in the middle with absolutely no protection from the wind or snow . Loooooooove my Maremma !


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## BarbadosSheep (Jun 27, 2011)

I think the reason my pups don't like sleeping in a dog house is they can't keep an eye on things. I was watching them once during a hard rain storm. They ducked into their houses, but kept going back out for a moment and looking around. Then they'd go back in the house. It was obvious they just wanted to be able to watch. I am going to build them an open-sided house soon, so they will have a roof they can get under when the weather is bad. That way they will have some protection but still be able to watch.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

We just keep the dog food bowls full all the time. They eat constantly until they are about 2, then slow down a bit because the growth is done. We pour out about 5-10 lbs of food at a time, and when it is gone in a day or two we refill the big tub they use for food. They get leftovers after supper too each day in another bowl.


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## horsepoor21 (Mar 14, 2007)

I wish we could leave the bowls full but I'd loose it all to the goats , turkeys , and pigs .LOL


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## spinandslide (Jun 6, 2008)

horsepoor, my dilemma as well..I have a ewe who likes Angel's dogfood and will hover around her til she's done..crazy..

Ive been cooking up any scraps (chicken fat,ect) from the kitchen for her...Ive come out afew morning to her with frost on her coat..funny thing is, she is blowing her coat! When I got her, she wasnt in the greatest of health..I dont wonder if now that shes getting good food and care, she is blowing her old dead hair. she is shedding just like the sheep..from the bottom up..LOL


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

I can only feed the boys once a day. A big hefty meal in the evening after I put the sheep up. I can't leave food out for them. I have really smart sheep that love dog food. They boys will even bark and try to chase them away from their bowl, but the sheep know they will not hurt them. So the sheep just squint their eyes while they continue eating their dog food while my boys are barking at them to stop. Kinda of funny that the sheep wont listen to them.


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