Doggie Snow Day

We are having a fabulous spontaneous day of fun at our house. It snowed last night. Now for most people in locales where it snows, the snow doesn’t slow things down much, but here in the Ozarks they cancel everything before the first flake hits the ground. This is because the roads are so steep and winding that it can be very dangerous driving with even a hint of snow or ice. But of course, there are chores that must be done regardless of the weather. One of these is to care for our dogs.

We have three dogs. One of them is a big bundle of muscle and enthusiasm named Gideon. He is a Malamute mix and a beautiful specimen of doghood. Gideon, our mighty dog of valor, is a confirmed snow lover. Now we know that it is in his blood being the descendent of great sled pullers of old; but this dog is so committed to his heritage that he can be really difficult to control when the white stuff hits. Gideon is a little over nine years old, but any measurable snowfall transforms him into a puppy once again. He bounds back and forth dipping his nose in the snow and shaking it off! He resembles a snowplow or snow blower as he tunnels through the snow causing it to fly over his head and off to the sides. He chases the other dogs, enticing them into a wrestling match. He runs hither and yon at top speed, pulling his human companion with him at tremendous velocity. Today as my oldest daughter “walked” him he went charging along and she found herself moving along so quickly that she had to plunge into deep snow to keep her feet from flying out from under her. And lest you get the idea that she was put off by this dunking, let me tell you the truth. She was laughing merrily and enjoying every minute of the exercise.

The other two dogs are also mixed breed dogs. Jesse is part Australian Blue Heeler, part German shepherd. She has the shape and size of the Aussie, and markings of the Shepherd. She doesn’t like the snow at all. In fact, she doesn’t like water, either. She is a great dog, but when we bathe her she stands obediently and quivers looking at us as though we are torturing her. She has very little coat, and prefers to be indoors when it snow or rains. She doesn’t participate in snow day frivolity. Our other little dog, on the other hand, loves water and snow.

This little dog’s name is Lady, but she is anything but ladylike when it comes to having fun in the water or the snow. In summer, we keep a little wading pool filled with water. She can dive in anytime she desires. She usually jumps in and rolls completely over in the water. She must be completely wet from nose to tail, and then she shakes. She repeats this over and over throughout the day. If she doesn’t have the pool, she will go to her water dish and stick her front feet in, then she digs like crazy. She digs like a maniac until she either dumps all the water or flings it all over herself and anyone else unfortunate enough to be nearby. Today, she wrestled with Gideon and rolled and rolled in the snow until her black coat was completely tipped in white. She resembled a raccoon as she was frosted everywhere but around her eyes!

It was a beautiful sunny day with enough white fluffy cover to make it a lovely romp for our snow bandit and snowplow!
Shauna Bagenstos 2011