When it is cold and by cold I mean a balmy high 0-10 degree F, dog owners have to get a little creative with ideas to work their canine minds and provide some physical exercise. Yes, even us northerners want to stay sane.
Learning new tricks and visits to Pet stores for a place to take a walk where you don't have to see your breath are a few of the old standbys. But after days confined to the house with their human who keeps mumbling obscenities under their breath about the weather, and saying, "another trick - lets teach you to play the trombone this time, yeah that one might keep us busy until Spring...."
When you are at day 5 or 6 of the frigid temps and the thermometer gives no indication of retreating from its current plummet you just have to put your layers on top of your layers which are on top of your clothes and so on....
And you are not the only one who needs to dress for the occasion. Even dogs will don their gear for a real walk...
First off dogs can and do get frost bite, so watch that the temps aren't too low. But if you are going to venture out here is the gear we use to keep Reese comfortable and happy and ready for what winter throws at us which where we live can be anything and everything.
Our year round staple in the gear department, but particularly in the Winter is
what Reese?
Why its my Musher's Secret of course!
I love my Musher's Secret. We got a 1 pounder this year, so we are set....
I bow to thee, o' Musher's Secret
It keeps my paws warm and safe so we can run and walk everyday.
Just try to take my Musher's Secret away! I dare ya!
Seriously, this is good stuff. We obviously use it in the winter but it can be used all year round, for hikes on rough terrain or paws that have been chewed up by rough pasture land. It can also be used for ear bites etc. It won't stain your rugs and keeps paws protected from ice and prevents ice balls in between toes.
Then there are the dog booties. They aren't just for sled dogs.
I made the blue ones and they are our preference. The pink ones are a little higher and that is a nice feature. However the pink ones didn't hold up as long as the ones we made, the bottoms wore through too fast.
We do have to use one pink one as one of our blue ones got lost in a snow bank. These are made for walking or running on packed snow or a snow covered roads or sidewalks. It does protect their paws from the windchill and from ice and does keep the snowballs from forming in a bit deeper snow. Snowbanks tend to eat them so be forewarned. When our booty production line opens again after the holidays we will be making some taller ones similar in height to the pink ones.
Then there is the coat. I don't normally dress my dog except for a coat or sweater when the cold temps hit. This coat is from Clean Run (
http://www.cleanrun.com/) It is a great coat that protects from the cold, the wind and the wet.
Here is the whole package together. Reese thinks this modeling business is so boring!
Seriously. The heat was cranked to 70 for the felines baths, now your dress me up for photos!
Some dogs will fuss and act like they cannot possibly walk in booties. But get them out the door and they forget they are on.
Are we done yet?
Here is a short video of Reese using her winter gear.
