Cold Weather Tips and Dogs

"Me at Green Team"

It’s winter.  How did that happen?  Seems like only last week, it was really hot and I was out having fun with my human and the Green Team at church- what a great time that was!

The cold is here to stay for a few months, that’ll seem like an eternity especially to my human.  And the season brings challenges for us to get used too.   My human goes from a "shirtless dog walker" to something that resembles an Alaskan Eskimo.  And, me?  This is the part I loathe- every single day of the season-  when it’s freezing , 32 degrees or below, and we go for long walks, my human puts a coat on me.  Now, you would think he would know that I was born with a coat.  A beautiful black shiny one at that, one that has attracted many female pups over the years... oops... sorry.

But, he noticed during my first winter in Northern Virginia, that I would shiver when I was outside a long time.  I want to be with him, but it seems I am not really prepared or the frigid weather here or the snow storms, especially not like the ones we had in 2010, my first winter here.  So, I've learned to go ahead and wear the coat.  It keeps me warm and makes my human happy- and it’s necessary given the climate. He got it at Wylie Wagg- Fairfax, where the pretty girls give me all the attention I want!

Another thing I really detest this time of year, and when it first happened, I tried to bite my humans hand as I sure didn’t like what he was doing.  Absolutely ridiculous and an invasion of my privacy!   After a walk, my human actually takes my paws, and checks them out.  He looks between my toes and fingers for objects such as ice or chemicals from ice melts or any other items which would hurt my paws in the long run.  Since I have really cool webbed feet, what good hound doesn’t, he takes a close look to be sure no issues are there either.   Apparently, the chemicals some humans use to thaw the ice and snow from sidewalks and driveways can lodge in the paws causing serious issues.  Also, if it’s cold enough and the humans don’t shovel their walks properly, I could get ice pieces between my toes. 

Occasionally, during the warm season, my human will check my paws during and after a walk if he thinks there’s any chance any bad object could have gotten in there and could hurt me.  We were walking one day up a trail and came across broken glass- he stopped and checked me out.

As we walked through the pet shop last week, Dad stopped and looked at doggy booties.   I pulled and tugged as hard as I could to get him away and distracted from such an idea.  I am absolutely NOT walking through the neighborhood, with boots on, and the dogs “laughing all the way.”

As the cold has come back, I allow him to put the coat on me and begin our walk.  I am so hoping he forgets the doggie boots so I cooperate as best I can.  But, it is good to know, should I ever need them, the boots are there for me.