A Dog’s Guide to Snow
Yawwwwwwnnn. Cold in bed today. Cold on floor, too! [Slurp, slurp, slurp] Mmmmm. Waters. Let me see what’s going on in glass TV today. OOOH! Glass TV cold on my nose! Bright today! Very bright! Is everything…same color? Wish I could see colors. Things! Falling things! Feathers? No…floofy things! [Bark!!! Bark!!! Bark!!!] MOMMMMMM! [Running in circles] MOM! Let me go into floofy things! MOM! Floofy things in the SKY! MOM! [Door opens] OW! COLD ON PAWS! It’s okay, mom? [Mom says yes.] Okay, time to investigate cold smoosh. Whoa! Cold on nose, too, like glass TV! Can I eat floofy smoosh? [Eats mouthful] OW! COLD IN MOUTH! …NOW COLD IN HEAD!!! Okay, maybe run. Run into smooshy cold? [Runs] It’s cold! It’s cold! This is themostfunI’veeverhad! So cold! Lookatmeeee! Cold! Smooshy! COLD! Smooshy!
That’s a rough approximation of what scientists think is going on in your dog’s head when it snows. It’s all highly technical, of course.
Why do dogs love snow? Because of the novelty, for the most part. Dogs think snow is neat for the same reasons humans do; it’s unusual, and it’s got a host of physical properties we’re not used to seeing everyday. Some dogs don’t love snow, and that’s understandable. Dogs who’ve never seen it before, for example, or dogs who are particularly sensitive to getting their paws wet or extreme temperatures. Remember, you should never make your dog “have fun in the snow.” It’s totally normal – and healthy! – for your dog to frolic in the snow for a few minutes, say Vetted PetCare vets. Like any extreme weather, snow can eventually chap your dog’s paws or even give him frostbite, so be sure to use caution and moderation. Doggy snow boots are adorable, but they’re not a license to leave your dog outside all day in the drifts. When your dog comes inside from the snow, be sure to thoroughly clean and dry his paws and surrounding fur. Give him plenty of water to drink, and allow his body to return to normal temperature before you let him back outside. If your dog doesn’t love snow? Bear with him. Try to clear off a patch of ground for him to do his business and don’t worry too much if he doesn’t get as much exercise or even as many pees in as he would on a normal day. As long as you don’t live in Norway, the groundcover should be relatively short-lived.
