Do dogs that sleep outside need more food in winter?

Dogs living or sleeping outdoors are the ones the old advice was written for. Holding body temperature through a frosty night in Canterbury or Central Otago costs real energy, and over a full winter that shows up as lost condition if the food doesn't move with it.

How much more depends on the dog: their coat, their size, how cold it actually gets, and how much work they're doing. Working farm dogs sit at the top end. A lightly built dog with a thin coat feels it more than a thickly coated one. Rather than guessing at a number, go up about 10%, hold it for two or three weeks, then weigh and check ribs. Repeat if they're still dropping condition. Big sudden increases tend to cause loose stools, which helps nobody.

Shelter does at least as much as food. A dry, draught-free kennel raised off the ground, with bedding that stays dry and something blocking the wind, dramatically cuts how hard a dog has to work overnight. Wet bedding undoes all of it.

Water matters too. Outside bowls freeze, and a dog that can't drink from about 2am is going short. Check it morning and night, and talk to your vet if an outdoor dog keeps losing weight despite eating more.