Check the route, not just the snowfall
Fresh snow looks uniformly clean, but the ground your dog crosses to reach it decides most of the risk. Pavements and car parks are usually gritted or salted before owners are even awake, and that residue sits exactly where he will walk first. Plan the outing so the lead-walking part stays as short as possible and the playing happens on untreated snow in a park or field you know. If every route out is heavily gritted, keep the session brief and treat the paw care afterwards as non-negotiable rather than optional.
Salt, grit and sore paws
Road salt and grit irritate the skin between the toes, dry out pads and sting in any small crack, and a dog who licks it off his feet afterwards swallows it as well. Watch during the walk for the early signs: lifting one paw then another, stopping to chew at a foot, or suddenly refusing to walk on a treated stretch he crossed happily earlier. Booties suit some dogs, but a dog who has never worn them may panic and shake them off in the snow, so introduce them indoors first. Back home, rinse or wipe every paw with plain warm water, dry between the toes, and check for redness or splits before he settles.
Ice balls in the coat
Snow melts against warm skin, refreezes in the coat and builds into hard ice balls, worst in long, soft or feathered fur between the toes, behind the legs, under the belly and around the collar. They pull with every stride and can leave the skin underneath sore and matted. Trimming the fur between the pads short before a snowy spell reduces how much snow can pack in. Out in it, pause every few minutes for a quick feel of his feet and underside, and melt balls gently with your warm hand rather than yanking them free, which tears coat and skin.
What the snow is hiding
A smooth white surface conceals kerb edges, frozen puddles that crack under weight, drainage holes, broken glass, sharp ice shards and deep drifts against walls and fences. Let him play first in ground you know from snow-free walks, where you already know where the dips and hazards sit. Keep him off frozen ponds and lakes entirely, because ice thickness varies across a single surface and a dog cannot judge it. Near roads, remember that snowbanks hide him from drivers and muffle the sound of approaching traffic, so the lead stays on until you are well inside the open space.
Short sessions and a proper warm-up check
Cold drains a playing dog faster than he realises, and puppies, older dogs and short-coated breeds lose heat quickest. End the game while he is still keen rather than shivering, lifting paws or trying to head home. Indoors, dry him thoroughly, check ears and tail tip as well as paws, and offer water, since dogs often drink less in cold weather. If cold weather throws up something worrying outdoors, put a follow-up question to KinsLe's Kimmy; she answers using the KinsLe Answers library.