Raising a Puppy in New Hampshire Winters: It’s TOUGH, But You’ve Got This!

“The cold never bothered me anyway,” said no one outside of a song that’s stuck in your head right now.

Life in northern New Hampshire is COLD and full of ice and snow. Over time we all acclimate. But when the wind chill howls and it’s physically painful to be outdoors, everyone from skiers to puppies can get hesitant about going outside for too long. There are dogs who are just fine out in New Hampshire’s frigid Januaries, but the first few months of the year can test even the hardiest of dogs and their families.

This post is for you, and puppy owners especially. Puppy-raising just magnifies winter challenges. There’s potty training, exercise, and all of life’s ups and downs mixed in with subzero temperatures. So when the weather gets tough, how do you get going?

Potty Training in Inclement Weather

One of the toughest things for my clients raising winter puppies is potty training. New Hampshire winters can get bitterly windy, icy, and sometimes unpredictable. Here’s the most important thing to remember:

Make going outside as tolerable for YOU as possible.

The quickest way to potty train is to take your puppy out every two hours and after significant activities like eating, playing, or napping. That means we’ll be going outside…a lot. And having that activity be torture is going to discourage us.

• Keep warm layers accessible. Even by the door if you need to.
• Heating pads & products are acceptable. There is no shame here. Whatever’s going to get you outside will get your puppy outside.
• Fuzzy pajamas are acceptable for outdoor potty runs – what other people think doesn’t matter.
• Pair outings with something you enjoy.

Playtime comes AFTER going potty.

Reinforcement drives behavior. Dogs repeat behaviors that work for them, including pulling and house-soiling. If your dog goes inside as soon as they go potty, that might mean going potty outside takes AWAY form playtime. Oops! Not a good recipe for outdoor potty even if there are treats given.

Puppy pads do change potty training, but they do not ruin it.

I have a colleague who trained her dogs to eliminate in the bathtub during emergencies. Sometimes, the winters are so harsh where she lives that it is physically impossible to make a quick run outside–there might be six feet of snow blocking the front door, and digging that out takes time. Time that a puppy may not have.

Meet Needs Inside (Creatively).

When the wind is howling and it’s below zero outside, sometimes we need to pivot our activities indoors. Meeting dog needs indoors requires a bit more creativity, sure, but your pup will thank you for it.

Remember: Mental exercise is just as important as physical exercise. The old adage “a tired dog is a good dog” tends to leave us with athletic pooches who don’t know how to stop.

• Hide treats in folded-up toilet paper rolls.
• Old wrapping paper tubes tend to be sturdier and don’t fold as easily, but you can still hide treats inside them or just give them for your pup to chew.
• ICE! There’s plenty made fresh outside, and you can pour ice from your fridge into a bowl or puzzle toy.
• Frozen puzzle toys like Kongs add some extra chew time and can be soothing for teething puppies.
• Hide dry treats in shredded wrapping paper or newspaper.
• Snuffle mats help simulate long-term grass sniffing your dog would do outside. Some people feed their dog’s meals entirely out of snuffle mats and puzzle toys.

Be Aware of Winter Hazards

Snow sticks to some coat types HARD. Wet, crusty snow might stick like boulders to your pup’s fur.

Just like with humans, slipping on ice can hurt your pup! They can pull muscles, fall hard, or even cut themselves.

• Use a leash or a long line (15-30ft) to walk your pup if you aren’t inside a fence. They aren’t born knowing that running away isn’t something we want, so it’s a good habit to get into anyway.
• Know where you’re walking. Are there icy patches? Any frozen ponds that might not hold your dog (or you?)
• Have a first-aid plan. Do you have your veterinarian’s number? What about urgent care? Emergency care? It’s helpful to have a pup first-aid kit with some basic bandage supplies for minor injuries.
• Practice handling your pup’s feet, head, or ears before you need to. If your pup pulls away at all, that’s your clue to slow down and try again later.

Winter Socialization

My puppy clients want to give their pups the best start they can give. Of course! But the world is quieter in winter, so sometimes it’s hard to find the ideal type of exposure you’d like for your pup. The good news is that socialization is WAY more than exposure, and you don’t have to show your puppy everything that the world has to offer. Try these:

• Have a few quiet friends come to visit.
• Introduce new noises, textures, or sensations to your pup.
• If your home does not have stairs, find a friend or public area that will let you practice with your pup.
• If your pup would benefit from wearing boots, pair short boot experiences (start at less than 1 second) with fun treats. If your pup pulls away, you’re going too fast. If your pup looks for the fun boots, you’re just right.

Remember: Socialization isn’t about seeing EVERYTHING. Ideal socialization teaches a puppy that the world is safe. NEW THINGS are safe. That doesn’t mean a puppy needs to see EVERY new thing, just enough positive experiences to give them resilience for a new world.

Remembering You’ve Got This

It can be easy to get discouraged when raising a puppy in a difficult season. Winter is hard for humans, too.

• It might be hard because of things outside of your control. Puppies born in commercial breeding facilities (aka puppy mills) tend to be less resilient and more prone to housetraining problems.
• The socialization period starts at 3 weeks old. Unless you had your puppy from birth, there was some period of its life you could not control.
• Smaller pups have smaller bladders. Housetraining typically takes longer for them.

Winter puppy-raising is HARD; there’s no getting around that. But remember that, just like winter, this is all temporary. You’ll get through this and you’ll be wishing for snow when it’s muggy and buggy up here in the granite state.

Need more help? 

• Check out our virtual programs for short-term solutions for families around the world.
• Enroll in our private puppy programs for the best start (even in frigid weather).