20 Tuesday Feb 2018
Posted in Dogs
Tags
Dogs, environmental enrichment, fun, happy, outside, play, season change, Tom, visitors, winter, Zora
Because you know 65’F in mid February in New England is totally typical. So the creepy crawlers are out with a vengeance. That said besides the ticks, it is a lovely day to hang with the crew in the yard
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02 Tuesday Jan 2018
Posted in Dogs, Who Knows What Else
We’ve been in a deep freeze out here in New England, and that plus forced hot air means Tom is a staticky mess. Not Zora though for whatever reason, just Tom.
Touching him is really most unpleasant. Every strand of fur charged to the max. Zap, zap, zap!
Thankfully there are remedies for this
This spray in leave on moisturizing conditioner works incredibly well. EQyss Premier Pet Hydrating Spray. Spray it on him, massage it in and I can once again pet Tom zap free. Thank goodness as a Tommy without petting is a very sad sight indeed.
15 Friday Dec 2017
Posted in Dogs, Who Knows What Else
Black dog Tom standing in the snow with a mound of snow on the tip of his nose
Folks often ask me how I get out in the cold with the dogs so often. What is my go-to gear. A few words: YakTrax, Musher’s Secret, Flip Mittens and Fleece Lined Cap.
4 products that make walking in the cold, ice and snow do-able for the canine crew and me.
I have no vested interest in any of these companies, I just really appreciate their products, have used them for many years and wanted to pass along my field tested experience with them. Your experience may differ or vary, that’s ok.
YakTrax if you are unfamiliar are sort of like crampons, only less of the impale your dog’s foot with a spike when you accidentally step on them risk. YakTrax design is a rubber webbing of sorts that fits around your shoes or boots, then the rubber is surrounded by a thin metal coil that grips into the ice increasing your traction. No spikes. Just wire. Safer for dog feet around a klutz like me.
Musher’s Secret is amazing stuff. Especially when you have a dog with an over anglulated rear who when he walks his rear feet brush his front feet meaning no dog boots ever made will actually stay on his feet. Trust me I’ve tried. So many styles, so many times. It’s a paw wax that I smear on their feet right before we go out, it helps to keep snow balls from forming between their pads and if we happen to cross paths with salted areas, helps to keep the salt from causing ouchy feet. Over the years I’ve tried the brand name and the off brand ones, I always end up back to the Musher’s Secret, it just seems to work more effectively with less need for reapplication.
Flip Mittens. Are my best winter friend. I wear thin fleece gloves under them, then my thick bright orange flip mittens. When it’s super cold, I switch to down filled mittens over my fleece gloves, but for most of the winter the flip mittens are my go to.
A couple of years ago I came across the fleece lined cap that Duluth Trading makes and it has become my winter go to. Brimmed hats are a necessity anytime I step outside my door, and most winter hats don’t have a brim, this one does. I also need the option to not have something over my ears so I can hear the traffic. Duluth makes a fleece ear thing they call the Shoreman’s Ear Flap that fits around any brimmed cap that I love. As it’s easy for me to keep 1 or both ears uncovered, or depending on where I am both covered (like in the woods).
Do you have any favorite go-to winter gear that enables you to get out with your dog?
31 Tuesday Jan 2017
Posted in Who Knows What Else
16 Friday Dec 2016
Posted in Dog Training, Dogs
Tags
As I’ve mentioned, it’s really rather brisk out and yet the corgi wants to be out. With me. Playing some game. Because the corgi loves the cold. And winter. And snow. And it’s all so perfectly fantastic!! To be honest, I overall agree with her. Winter is usually my best functioning season. But still today is unusually cold for mid December around here. Usually we get a week of negative temps in January. And we have December to get used to the cold and gear up for the freeze of January and snow storms of February and March. Not this year though.
So for today’s skill a day practice we reviewed our moving downs and drops on recalls. Helps keep us out of games of mindless fetch. Sometimes I’d down her as I called her to me, sometimes as she was returning with her ball, sometimes as she was racing toward her ball, sometimes as she was moving waiting for me to throw her ball. “Lie down” and how fast can the corgi freeze. Maybe someday we’ll play Red Light, Green Light. Oh gosh that would be so fun to teach Zora the rules of and then play with the nieces and nephews. They would all have such a blast. Hmm, will have to think about the mechanics of that. Anyway, back to today. Lots of downs. With the intense little corgi dog.
Zora laying on the frozen ground her purple ball beside her waiting for release
16 Friday Dec 2016
Posted in Ducks
Tags
…the ducks choose to be in their pen over loose in the yard. The ducks who normally throw a fit in any other weather if I suggest they go back in their pen. No! No! Squawk! Squawk! Squawk! We don’t care that it’s raining, snowing, 100′ out we want to be out!!
Today I let them out, in less than 5 minutes they had put themselves back in. Nestled in the straw. Out of the wind.
4 of the ducks, 3 lying down keeping their feet warm in the straw
Apparently 5’F is too cold according to the ducks.
Right about now I’m kind of wishing Zora too agreed…
16 Friday Dec 2016
Posted in Dog Agility, Dog Training
Yesterday started the polar vortex the weather folks have been going on about. But I have this dog, this corgi dog, who loves beyond belief the cold. The colder the better in her mind. And the colder the better we be outside!
So after a walk in the woods. And some ball play in the back yard. She was still on high amp wanting to work. I tried inside games. But she wanted out!
Zora lying on the hardwood floor, tail a blur it’s wagging so fast. Let’s do something!! she says!
Therefore like a good well trained dog owner, I bundled myself up in layers and gloves and my Elmer Fudd hat that my hubby gifted with me a couple of years ago which is the best out in the yard in the freezing cold with the dogs hat ever and out we went to train.
Zora was on fire. Seriously this dog loves the cold. Our distance practice was by far the best it’s been since I set up the backyard cones and barrels. I wish I had it on video (alas my camera despises the cold and the battery dies way too quickly). She was having a blast. I was having fun with her excitement and happiness. It was a great few minutes and worth the lack of feeling in my feet, hands and face. Totally worth it.
