Walking dogs in winter.
Discussion
bexVN said:
fttm said:
King Herald said:
I’ve never had a dog in winter, so I’m unsure how you go about walking them ‘when the snow lays all around, deep and crisp and even’, so to speak.
How long can they walk on a frost laden pavement? Can you get little slip-on booties? Well, fairly large ones, my big fella weighs 50kg and has feet almost as big as my hands.
Are you f
king serious ? Thought you were one of the sensible ones but your brain seems to have turned to mush since returning to Blighty . Try putting "booties"on your lad and see what happens , 
You're living in England not Siberia , get a grip man
;)
How long can they walk on a frost laden pavement? Can you get little slip-on booties? Well, fairly large ones, my big fella weighs 50kg and has feet almost as big as my hands.
Are you f
king serious ? Thought you were one of the sensible ones but your brain seems to have turned to mush since returning to Blighty . Try putting "booties"on your lad and see what happens , You're living in England not Siberia , get a grip man
;)
I would rather have someone ask a question that might seem ott to some over the amount of neglect I deal with day to day due to f
king ignorance and incompetence. Fair comment , I lay blame to our crappy internet in the middle of the frozen North . Respect for what you do , but as I said it's England , hardly a brutal winter by any standards .
bexVN said:
Says he/she who cannot use the quote properly :
I would rather have someone ask a question that might seem ott to some over the amount of neglect I deal with day to day due to fking ignorance and incompetence.
Spot on.I would rather have someone ask a question that might seem ott to some over the amount of neglect I deal with day to day due to f
king ignorance and incompetence. Re the Wolves comment. The average life span of a wild Wolf is 5-6 years.
What makes is so comparatively short, as opposed to a Dogs, do you suppose?
gooner1 said:
Spot on.
Re the Wolves comment. The average life span of a wild Wolf is 5-6 years.
What makes is so comparatively short, as opposed to a Dogs, do you suppose?
Because they're pack animals who don't get provided with 2 meals per day with free access to a Vet when required , cold has very little relevance .Re the Wolves comment. The average life span of a wild Wolf is 5-6 years.
What makes is so comparatively short, as opposed to a Dogs, do you suppose?
Dogs adapt , our first GS brought with us from England used to grow hairy paws , really hairy , every fall in preperation for winter . Our current GS born here doesn't,or bat an eyelid going out at minus 30 unless the wind's howling then she'll head for home rather than bury herself in snowbanks hunting for Gofers.
fttm said:
gooner1 said:
Spot on.
Re the Wolves comment. The average life span of a wild Wolf is 5-6 years.
What makes is so comparatively short, as opposed to a Dogs, do you suppose?
Because they're pack animals who don't get provided with 2 meals per day with free access to a Vet when required , cold has very little relevance .Re the Wolves comment. The average life span of a wild Wolf is 5-6 years.
What makes is so comparatively short, as opposed to a Dogs, do you suppose?
Dogs adapt , our first GS brought with us from England used to grow hairy paws , really hairy , every fall in preperation for winter . Our current GS born here doesn't,or bat an eyelid going out at minus 30 unless the wind's howling then she'll head for home rather than bury herself in snowbanks hunting for Gofers.
Bloody hell, I thought for a second I’d posted this in The Lounge, with the number of dhead replies, I had to double check.
Anyway, we do walk ours along the pavement next to roads, so there will be a fair amount of salt and stuff I guess. Have to keep an eye on that.
Don't do anything different in winter. Well I put coats on them if it's raining but thats so I don't have to spend as long drying them rather than for their benefit. My Weim is a bit nut's if it's frosty and very nuts if there's snow. Think we were out about 4 hours this day...
2013-04-01_11-03-40_663 by Adrian Thorp, on Flickr
head replies, I had to double check. Anyway, we do walk ours along the pavement next to roads, so there will be a fair amount of salt and stuff I guess. Have to keep an eye on that.
AdiT said:
bexVN said:
Apart from avoiding salted or gritted pavements (as that can irritate/burn their feet)...
Isn't there also an issue with them getting sick/ill from licking/cleaning their paws? Thought I read something about rinsing paws if they've been where there was salt/grit. Didn't really take a lot of notice because it's not an issue where I walk mine.Don't do anything different in winter. Well I put coats on them if it's raining but thats so I don't have to spend as long drying them rather than for their benefit. My Weim is a bit nut's if it's frosty and very nuts if there's snow. Think we were out about 4 hours this day...
2013-04-01_11-03-40_663 by Adrian Thorp, on FlickrKing Herald said:
Bloody hell, I thought for a second I’d posted this in The Lounge, with the number of dhead replies, I had to double check.
Anyway, we do walk ours along the pavement next to roads, so there will be a fair amount of salt and stuff I guess. Have to keep an eye on that.
Should be alright on the salt front, most councils don't apply enough of it to be a problem. It was a revelation walking round New York when the snow is about, the roads go white with the amount of salt/saline solution they put down. head replies, I had to double check. Anyway, we do walk ours along the pavement next to roads, so there will be a fair amount of salt and stuff I guess. Have to keep an eye on that.
The Bichon we had when I was a kid use to love the snow, running around like a loon with his nose down in the snow
Only problem was with the snow accumulating in his fur which made it a ballache to dry him. Really hoping my new Staffy loves the snow as much, this being his first winter.If you are worried about lack of grip, you can get paw wax to apply to his pads that will also help protect his pads, but as long as you already walk your mutt enough on hard surfaces, his pads should be nice and solid already.
Our first Beardie decided (his choice) to sleep in our garden in all weathers (dog flap) ... when it snowed there was a green circle in the grass where he'd slept!
He lived to nearly 16 (a good age for a Beardie) and never had any joint problems.
All 5 of our dogs have loved the snow and eat lots!
He lived to nearly 16 (a good age for a Beardie) and never had any joint problems.
All 5 of our dogs have loved the snow and eat lots!
Edited by GetCarter on Monday 20th November 10:51
HappyMidget said:
King Herald said:
Bloody hell, I thought for a second I’d posted this in The Lounge, with the number of dhead replies, I had to double check.
Anyway, we do walk ours along the pavement next to roads, so there will be a fair amount of salt and stuff I guess. Have to keep an eye on that.
Should be alright on the salt front, most councils don't apply enough of it to be a problem. It was a revelation walking round New York when the snow is about, the roads go white with the amount of salt/saline solution they put down. head replies, I had to double check. Anyway, we do walk ours along the pavement next to roads, so there will be a fair amount of salt and stuff I guess. Have to keep an eye on that.
The Bichon we had when I was a kid use to love the snow, running around like a loon with his nose down in the snow
Only problem was with the snow accumulating in his fur which made it a ballache to dry him. Really hoping my new Staffy loves the snow as much, this being his first winter.If you are worried about lack of grip, you can get paw wax to apply to his pads that will also help protect his pads, but as long as you already walk your mutt enough on hard surfaces, his pads should be nice and solid already.
Alucidnation said:
iphonedyou said:
How to walk a dog in Winter.
Think I've seen it all now.
Think I've seen it all now.
There are no such things as silly questions, but there are some pitifuly stupid answers.
King Herald said:
How to walk a dog in summer, pretty bloody obvious, except the minute we have a heatwave the inter web is full of people whose dogs have blistered pads because the road is too hot....
There are no such things as silly questions, but there are some pitifuly stupid answers.
Fair point, good on you for checking.There are no such things as silly questions, but there are some pitifuly stupid answers.
Here's a pic of my old Cocker enjoying the snow:
Good thread.
Just came across Musher's Secret. http://www.musherssecret.net
A wax to apply to paws that helps keep snow balls from forming and protect from salt.
We'll be giving it a try as our Cairn gets the snow ball problem.
Just came across Musher's Secret. http://www.musherssecret.net
A wax to apply to paws that helps keep snow balls from forming and protect from salt.
We'll be giving it a try as our Cairn gets the snow ball problem.
Ours seem to have lost their urge to go walkies since the frost came around.
No more whining and tapping on knee with paw while looking earnestly out of the window late afternoon.
They are happy to mince into the garden, do their business, then lay back out in front of the fire. Muddy feet are taken care of with a towel in the conservatory ‘air lock’ before they get into the house.
No more whining and tapping on knee with paw while looking earnestly out of the window late afternoon.
They are happy to mince into the garden, do their business, then lay back out in front of the fire. Muddy feet are taken care of with a towel in the conservatory ‘air lock’ before they get into the house.
HappyMidget said:
Should be alright on the salt front, most councils don't apply enough of it to be a problem. It was a revelation walking round New York when the snow is about, the roads go white with the amount of salt/saline solution they put down.
The Bichon we had when I was a kid use to love the snow, running around like a loon with his nose down in the snow Only problem was with the snow accumulating in his fur which made it a ballache to dry him. Really hoping my new Staffy loves the snow as much, this being his first winter.
If you are worried about lack of grip, you can get paw wax to apply to his pads that will also help protect his pads, but as long as you already walk your mutt enough on hard surfaces, his pads should be nice and solid already.
My mum has a couple of StaffsThe Bichon we had when I was a kid use to love the snow, running around like a loon with his nose down in the snow
Only problem was with the snow accumulating in his fur which made it a ballache to dry him. Really hoping my new Staffy loves the snow as much, this being his first winter.If you are worried about lack of grip, you can get paw wax to apply to his pads that will also help protect his pads, but as long as you already walk your mutt enough on hard surfaces, his pads should be nice and solid already.
Last year one of the tough, fearsome, devil dogs from hell poked his head out the door to investigate the white stuff falling from the sky when a snowflake landed upon his nose.
When he realised that the snowflake upon his nose was cold he shook his head vigorously whilst snorting to remove said snowflake and fixed my mum with a gaze that said...
'You're having a f
king giraffe sunshine!'Once he had it perfectly clear that the whole Staff/snow thing wasn't happening now, tomorrow, next week or this side of the second coming of Chist the Saviour himself he ran back to the wood burning stove for several hours of sleeping/snoring/farting.
Mine (lab, stocky) loves snow and has always been fine in any precipitation no matter how torrential, even hail doesnt seem to arse her though I shelter her from it as cant be nice on the face.
Summer is something else though, if its 18/20°C + and there isnt water to wade in all the while, she clearly doesnt like it, so i have rucksack full of bottles of water, drinking bowl etc.
Anyone tried one of the 'cooling coats' you can buy on their overheating pooch?
Summer is something else though, if its 18/20°C + and there isnt water to wade in all the while, she clearly doesnt like it, so i have rucksack full of bottles of water, drinking bowl etc.
Anyone tried one of the 'cooling coats' you can buy on their overheating pooch?
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