I would strongly urge you to bring your dog indoors. Even though he has a thick coat and is a breed that is used to being in colder climates, it's best for dogs to be inside for a couple of different reasons.

First being that yes, they do get cold. Even large dogs with thick undercoats like Toby can be susceptible to cold and it's not healthy to have him outdoors in snow conditions. It's very cold in Ireland and it is also a very wet cold. Not only can it cause hypothermia in some dogs, but longer term effects include severe arthritis, sometimes at a young age.

Secondly, dogs are social creatures. They view you as their family and are very upset when they can't be with the family. For his emotional well-being, he should be brought inside at night. He'll be much happier.

The fact that he's ripping his blankets to shreds out there strongly suggests to me that he's unhappy and stressed outside.

Hope that helps you out.

Jack answered on 1/7/10. Helpful? / 1