The Dish by Darcy

If you don’t know Pooch Cafe, you’re missing a daily laugh about dogs. Today Poncho is Oliver! Click here to see today’s Pooch Cafe.

A little snow in Nebraska.

We had a bit of snow here in Nebraska. The tractor started but it’s buried inside a pile of snow and can’t move. The car was outside and is snowed in. There’s a 1970 one of a kind Ford Torino taking up the other stall in the garage, poor car had to stay outside but my truck is toasty cozy and dry. We’re supposed to get some more snow soon.

Oliver took Kent’s glove and wouldn’t give it back. He made quite a chase of that! He did bring it back in the house when he came in but he still wouldn’t give it back! Kent has more training to do. LOL!

No cabin fever here. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! There’s no place like home.

Christmas 2009

The Snow was just getting started!

Dear Darcie, Thanks so much for your “Dish”, I enjoy reading it very much and find your advice on target always. Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones…Would you kindly devote a little space in one of your columns to weather and our dogs….especially winter, cold and snow exposure. No doubt some common sense prevails, if the snow is too much for me, it’s too much for my buddies but how much cold and snow can their paws take? I won’t use booties, they’re too silly and to be honest the dogs hate them so how much exposure can the boys really take? Thanks as always! JB

Hi Everybody, A very long time ago when I was living on the ranch and most of the dogs were outdoor dogs, I used to think that dog boots were silly, too. I’d always had dogs that could take the cold, heat, and rough conditions with no trouble at all, even to running beside my horse when we were out checking cows, windmills and fences. I only had to pick up one dog in my lifetime, I put her on my horse in front of me, she just got too cold so I pulled her up and wrapped her in my coat with me. That was so warm I almost considered taking her under my coat the next time I rode out, she loved going along and she was soooo warm.

I thought that boots were silly until I met some dogs who really needed the paw protection. Boots are necessary for some dogs and they make some activities easier and more comfortable and safer. Coats like Fido Fleece are a necessity for some of them if they want to enjoy the out of doors with the rest of us. Dogs that aren’t built for the cold need protection. Elderly dogs need more protection because they aren’t moving as fast as they used to, they can’t keep the heat built up inside their bodies. Try this to understand what I mean. When it’s cold, step outside without your coat and shoes and stand very still. Doesn’t last long, does it? Now try it with shoes, jeans with no winter underwear, no coat or ear protection, but run around. You can stay a little longer because your blood is moving to keep you warm. Now do it all bundled up and run around, you might find that you have to take your hat off. If you keep the heart and lungs warm, both for people and for dogs, you can stay out longer. Please don’t do this experiment in wind chilling or at temperatures that freeze skin, you’ll regret that. Remember that hands, feet, legs, ears, noses and faces will be the first to freeze.

The best indicator of when it’s time to go in is your dog. Dogs are quite sensible and know when they are cold. Listen to them and get them inside immediately when they say it’s time. Some dogs will simply come back to you and look toward the house, others will lift a paw, some will stop moving altogether. I’d suggest that you not go far from indoors when the temperatures are low or the wind is blowing. That way you can get back indoors pretty quickly.

Never, ever, ever, let your dogs go outside in inclement weather without you if you’re not going to at least watch from the window to let them back in when they come to the house. Some dogs will check back at the door and if you’re not there, they’ll keep moving to find shelter.

If it’s very, very cold it’s better to go outside only to potty. Then go back in and play games in the house. Take extra care of puppies and elderly dogs, they cannot take the cold as easily as active adult dogs.

If you clip the fur between the toes, your dog won’t bring in as much snow and ice but he’ll also not have that extra foot protection from the cold. Think hard before you clip.

If you live in an area where the road and sidewalks are salted, make an extra effort to protect your dog’s feet. Pawstick Pad Protector is a really good natural protection, you can find this at SitStay.com. Muttluk Boots are the best boots available. They’ll stay on if you have a good fit! Extra Extra Virgin Olive Oil will work in a pinch, watch those carpets though, unless the oil wears off during your walk the oil might transfer to them. If your dog goes out in bare feet, wash the feet completely with cool or warm water when they come in. Dry.

When your dog comes inside, clean and dry coat, feet, and faces of ice. If there are any ice balls, take your time and kind of gently melt them with your fingers so they come away without pulling hair. Don’t forget to check in those private places, too. Before bedtime, make sure that your dog is dry. Wet places can turn into fungus problems on some dogs and besides that, it’s uncomfortable to sleep when you’re wet. We have several dryers at SitStay, whatever your budget is a dryer can make life so much easier and comfy for everybody. (Really, really nice to have in summer, too!) Metro Commander Dryer, Metro Blaster Dryer, Metro QuickDraw Dryer, and there are more. See them all with a search for ‘dryer’ at SitStay.com.

Keep bath towels or a Pet Towel or a Tidy Paws Mitt (these are sold out right now, popular!) by the door.

Use Safe Paw Ice Melter on your side walks and patios instead of harmful salts.

Remember that dogs have ears and noses that will get cold long before their feet might. If you have any question about how long your dog can last outside, if he’s not giving you really good signals, go out to potty and come back in. It’s best to err on the side of safety. Wind chills and low temps can freeze noses, ears, and feet pretty quickly.

Make sure that your dog is getting great nutrition especially in winter. That doesn’t mean more food, it means make sure that everything he does eat is high in nutrition. I suggest lots of extra fish like Wildside Salmon Treats and Icelandic Fish Skin Chews, Lakse Kronch and Grizzly Salmon Oils, Before Grain Canned Salmon, and more. Go to SitStay.com and search for the word ‘fish’ to see our extensive selection of excellent fish products. The omegas will keep your dog feeling and looking good.

Always fresh water, please! Make sure that your dog is drinking.

A few more cautions. Never leave your dog alone in a car when the weather is cold or when the sun is shining, it will get very cold or very hot in the car. Nasty way to get brain damage, frozen parts, or die. Be smart when you travel, take water, food and blankets and towels and an extra set of clothes for yourself should you get wet. A well stocked first aid kit is essential in every vehicle and home. Take a minute to check under your car and under the hood before you start up, in colder weather cats and yes, smaller dogs not being watched, can find it a warmer place to hide. Keep all poisons and chemicals up out of reach including antifreeze, wiper fluids and coolants. Nothing that shouldn’t be in your dog’s mouth should be where he can get at it.

It’s a great rule of common sense that if you live close to a body of water, partially frozen or not, keep your dog on a leash. Unless you are an outdoors person and you know that the water is solid, do not let your dog go out there. The worst feeling in the world is a dog falling through the ice and there’s nothing you can do. You will not be able to keep your dog from suffering some sort of trauma if he falls through into freezing water; fear, freezing, drowning, or simply the trauma of trying to get himself out. I hate this part….don’t follow your dog into the water…you will suffer the same fate. It’s better to use precaution than it is to go through the trauma. Put that dog on a leash!

These days at our house, our dogs live in the house with us and get regular and many outings to keep them acclimated to all types of weather. There was a time on the ranch that I had dogs who preferred to live outside in the barn. If your dog lives outside, please give him plenty of shelter and bedding, check his water frequently to make sure it’s fresh, there is enough and it’s not frozen. And plenty of nutritious food with plenty of fat content to help keep him warm. Bring your outside dogs indoors when temperatures fall very low. They might not like the house but you’ll be able to keep them safe.

How long a naked dog can stay outside is up for debate and nobody seems to know for certain why some dogs don’t see to get cold. How much cold they can take depends entirely on that individual dog. Oliver and Frankie can stay out for about thirty minutes in sub zero temps but they are running and playing which helps them stay warm. Tilli is 13 years old and will go out for about ten minutes at a time, then she uses her very intelligent brain and says let me back in.

If your dog is shivering or curled up in a standing or laying down ball, the ears are too cold, and the nose is pale, you have waited too long. Please don’t let that happen.

Remember that boys have that thing down there and if still intact, a couple of icy balls if the snow is deep or it’s sleeting, raining, or windy. A little extra caution for those guys please. Bellies on both girls and boys are bare if they’re not wearing a coat, be observant about how cold they can get and when they ask to come in.

Keep your house cooler in winter. Your dog is wearing a fur coat and doesn’t need much additional heat. Put on a sweater and some warm slippers to stay comfy. You’ll save on heating cost, save your environment, and you and your dog will enjoy the outside more.

It’s always amazed us how long our dogs can go out barefooted and love the snow and cold. Right now we have Lab mixes and a long haired herding dog who used to love long, naked walks in sub zero weather. Little dogs and especially dogs with short hair need more caution, use boots and coats.

Watch your dog, know their signals and get them back in where it’s warm.

Have a wonderful and safe winter. It looks like we’re in it for the long run. – Darcie

P.S. SitStay.com’s sale is still on! Get your winter stuff now, stock up the pantry, and splurge a little to get that dryer you always wanted. Who says you can’t get yourself a present! The sale ends December 31st!