A note to all my fantastic clients. It's January 20, 2011, 7:45PM and the temperature outside is 11 degrees. It's going to be below freezing for 3 or 4 days in a row. Dogs will get frostbite on their paws in 15 to 25 minutes in this weather, depending on the size and breed of your dog. Of course, if you have an Alaskan Husky, you don't have to worry that much :-)
However, if you take your dog for short walks in this weather, just remember that their paws are painfully cold when you get home. We use old fashioned udder cream (yup, just like on a farm and yes, it is exactly what you are thinking it is) and rub it onto their paws after short walks in this weather. You can probably find it online somewhere, the stuff I use is called "Udderly Smooth." Although, anything with some lanolin oil will work too. It keeps their paws from drying up from frostbite, holds in some warmth and keeps the skin on their paws from cracking.
Please be very careful when walking your furry family member in this kind of weather. Really SHORT walks!
