It sounds like you ARE good to them I've had people tell me that Dobes are tough dogs and should be okay out in the cold.

Since it's usually some macho guy saying it, I will suggest he go outside in a tee-shirt for awhile since he seems so tough himself

I can't WAIT to whine about the heat!

 Quote: Ariane Gauthier

Then I guess I am good to them. I have some people who told me to let them toughen up.

Please don't listen to anybody who tells you your Dobermans just need to toughen up to endure the cold. They CAN'T. As others have pointed out, they have a very short, single layer coat. They are not equipped to handle very cold weather.

If they don't seem comfortable going outside to play, and just want to do their business and come back in, please let them. I think brief exercise sessions in your riding arena are just fine. It may not be heated or insulated, but it's protected from the wind. Wish I had an indoor riding arena to play in in this kind of weather. The two Dobies and I have a bad case of cabin fever!

my puppers are happy between 0 and 70, as long as they are dry and can get out of the wind they are loving it

 Quote: Ariane Gauthier

Here it is a national sport to BMW about the weather!

Really? I always had the utmost respect for people from Quebec after I saw a group of group of Quebecois climb Mt Washington in January, then strip down to their skivvies, break a hole in the ice, and jump in a creek to cool off. At about 10 F temperatures. They were certainly enjoying winter!

Geez!

Minus 20?!

That's cold! I don't know that I've ever experienced that kind of cold before.

 Quote: kiersten lippman

 Quote: ariane gauthier

Here it is a national sport to BMW about the weather!

Really? I always had the utmost respect for people from Quebec after I saw a group of group of Quebecois climb Mt Washington in January, then strip down to their skivvies, break a hole in the ice, and jump in a creek to cool off. At about 10 F temperatures. They were certainly enjoying winter!

Kiersten, with ALL due respect - and that means a LOT of respect, I doubt these folks spend more than minutes in their skivvies, in this environment - in the frigid weather. We have a "Polar Plunge" event each winter to benefit cancer research in our area - far less frigid than yours - and these folks bravely get in, get out, etc... No one spends an our in their undies on the frozen beach.

Dobies are not wimpy dogs. Period. Just because they have a thin outer coat without the thick, double layer (maybe a quadruple layer, considering what I clean up on a daily basis) undercoat, as does my GSD - does not make them wimps.

 Quote: Barbara Schuler

Dobies are not wimpy dogs. Period. Just because they have a thin outer coat without the thick, double layer (maybe a quadruple layer, considering what I clean up on a daily basis) undercoat, as does my GSD - does not make them wimps.

Absolutely agreed, they are not wimps! I hope my previous post didn't imply that. Dobermans have an abundance of fine attributes, but tolerance for extreme cold (or extreme heat, for that matter) is not one of them.

Now, I don't think you'd want to run a team in the Iditarod, but check this out for a short run by a Doberman sled dog team. They seem to be having a blast. Based on how the people are dressed, it doesn't look like it's too awfully cold.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZJN6Oxh8yI&feature=player_embedded#

That video is AWESOME. I especially loved the looks on the Husky's faces when the Dobe team ran by

Now THERE's something ya don't see every day!

 Quote: Michael_Wise

Geez!

Minus 20?!

That's cold! I don't know that I've ever experienced that kind of cold before.

I can't imagine being that cold!!!

Loki has a short single coat, much like a Dobie, and anything below about 20F and he doesn't want to go outside for long. When it starts getting down in the single digits he does his business and runs back inside as quickly as possible.

It has finally warmed up here, but we did go through about 8 weeks of -30 to -47C weather. NOW THAT IS COLD!!

I have huskies, a Leonberger and Shepherd and I am puppy sitting an 8 year old Golden.

At those temperatures, they can be outside for about 15-20 minutes (no extra clothing) before we have to head inside, and only once or twice a day (other than that quick potty breaks only). BUT I always go outside with them. This way I can watch for signs of distress, but also if they have to put up with the cold, then no reason I shouldn't.

My brothers Dobe can only go out for quick bathroom breaks (booties on).

But once it's -20 everyone seems to be ok. Probably because compare to -47C, -20 is "bikini weather".

My dogs are all fine at that temp. My brothers Dobe is fine as long as he has booties on. He doesn't need the jacket he likes playing in the snow with the rest of them.

I also have a friend with a Texas Blue Lacy. We run our dogs together every week. -20 is about the cut off for her dog to be comfortable - so I think more than anything it's the individual dog.

If you see your dog is stressed by the cold then let them in - if not, let them enjoy. Regardless of breed.