Wednesday, January 27, 2021 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Paw Prints Jodi Schneider Columnist Cold weather safety for your pets This winter in Sisters Country the temperatures have been above normal, but we may finally be headed into colder weather. It9s your job as a pet parent to keep your furry friend warm and safe. After all, Rover can9t quite put on a coat and scarf for his morn- ing walk or tell you when he wants to go indoors on a blustery day. Frigid weather can be hard on pets, just like peo- ple. It is important to pre- pare your furry friend for the cold weeks ahead. It9s a misconception that dogs are more resistant than people to cold weather because of their fur. Some dogs are more susceptible to the cold than others. Short-coated, thin, elderly, or very young dogs get cold more quickly 4 so adjust the amount of time they stay outside. If your dog enjoys being outdoors and you will be outside longer than a few minutes, con- sider putting on a sweater or coat to keep him warm. Hypothermia and frostbite pose major risks to dogs in winter, so remember, if it9s too cold for you, it9s prob- ably too cold for your furry friend! So, how cold is too cold? Dogs should be okay until the temperature drops to below 45 degrees. At that point they may start to