Hannah does not like getting her shoes and coat on. She has taken to hiding in her kennel when it's time for a walk. She rarely uses her kennel anymore and frankly, it's nice to know that she still sees it as a safe place. We won't drag her out of the kennel or anything, so we have to bribe her out with some sweet potato treats. But have you ever seen such a look of betrayal? Whale-eyes? Ears pinned back? This is not a dog who is having fun.
Anyway, when it's this cold, I also need to bundle up, so getting us both out the door is a process. But we persist. Saturday afternoon, I made Hannah pose for a traditional shoe photo.
Why, yes, those are pink camo snowpants I purchased at an outlet store in the Twin Cities about two decades ago. No, they do not match my purple coat. No, I do not care.
Oh, you don't believe me that I take a lot of shoe photos? Consider one I made my husband take on Wednesday when we had to go to a meeting across campus.
ANYWAY.
I'm basically just putting these photos here because I want a memory of when the snow was pretty. Things are going to get hairy this week.
People ice skating on the pond! Hannah did not bark at them this year. This is real progress.
So much snow.
Hannah, will you look at me? No, no I will not. I'm still mad about these shoes.
What a diva.
****************
Happy Monday, my friends. What are you excited to do this week?
Yup. Hannah doesn't look happy. But still so, so pretty... and oh--your blue skies!!
ReplyDeleteYES! The sun! The blue! It has been bitterly cold, but beautiful.
DeleteI'm with Hannah -- I don't want to put my shoes and coat on in weather like this either! You have far more snow that we have here (and I think we'll be in a bit of a melt by the end of the week.) But at least you have those fabulous blue skies -- which most certainly don't! Ours are gray as they come. I know what you mean about wanting photos of when the snow is pretty. It doesn't stay that way long but when it is new and fresh, it truly is lovely.
ReplyDeleteIt really was a gorgeous looking weekend, but you had to be dressed for it because it was so cold. I need to hold on to the memories of those blue skies because it looks like grey skies from here on out.
DeleteYou getting Hannah out is like Sue getting me out. Well, not quite. 😊
ReplyDeleteIt's a process for all!
DeleteHee hee. Hannah looks so cute in her shoes! Her looks of annoyance are priceless though.
ReplyDeleteShe certainly doesn't hide what she's feeling, does she?
DeleteWhen you look like Hannah you get to be a diva. <3
ReplyDeleteThose shoes crack me up.
Oh, don't give Hannah a big head!
DeleteHannah looks so official in that coat! (Perhaps officially over it, but official, nonetheless!)
ReplyDeleteThey only had orange in her size when I ordered it. *shrug* It's maybe not her best color, but I'll never lose sight of her.
DeleteOmg, hannah is so done with winter's bullshit. Lucy will always be down for a walk, because she forgets that it's minus a million outside, but she will sometimes lie down and refuse to proceed, and she will not wear boots.
ReplyDeleteHannah LOVES winter's bullshit. She's done with MY bullshit of putting her in boots and clothes. A dog must have dignity!
DeleteI feel like lying down (laying down? - I don't know and I don't understand the explanations!) when it's minus a million is NOT a good strategy, Lucy! Don't do that!
I'm with you in that winter dog walking is when I Do.Not.Care what I look like. Our dog was very active and lived for walks, but if it was raining she wouldn't go out. It was always amazing how long she could hold out.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have as much snow/cold but we had lots of both this weekend. It's going to be um...interesting this week when it gets warmer.
Hannah does not like it when precipitation falls in her eyes, so rain is a tough slog sometimes. Honestly, I don't blame her. It is shocking how long H can go without going outside! Bladders of steel!!
DeleteOh, poor Hannah, she just doesn't understand why it has to be that way! I have to admit I laughed at her "I can't even look at you" stance.
ReplyDeleteWhy, lady, why are you insisting on photos?! First the boots, now the photo shoot. I'm over you.
DeleteI feel the same way as Hannah when it comes to the weather currently. I wish I had a kennel to hide in. Not sure I'd budge even for sweet potato treats. Ha. I appreciate the narration of her voice when refusing to look at the camera. Totally believable.
ReplyDeleteI certainly wouldn't budge for sweet potato treats. It's a good think H is more kind of gross food-motived than you and I, Ernie.
DeleteHannah is a girl who knows her mind. And shoes are not something she likes, obviously. Such a sweet photo of her with her shoes on. Diva? You betcha.
ReplyDeleteShepherds are stubborn and that trait did NOT miss her. Such a persnickety little diva.
DeleteI'm just like Hannah, but I feel betrayed by ALL THIS SNOW. I refuse to look at it, and whenever anyone tells me it's pretty, or hey, it's winter, or after all, it's January, or anything else ridiculous like that, I want to crawl into my own Safe Space and never come out.
ReplyDeleteI GET YOU, HANNAH.
That being said, Hannah looks very commanding and model-esque in her winter attire. It's as if all the other dogs are just...animals.
We all should want to crawl into our own safe space, right?! January's weather has been challenging. I 100% agree with this philosophy, Nance. My safe space = bed, so I'm really not that far from Hannah.
DeleteMy Husband and I have this thing where we take pictures of our feet on various landmarks when we go on vacation. Hoover Dam, Rocky Mountains, Prime meridian. It was a good option for us because a) we're both a little photo shy, and 2) we don't own a selfie stick.
ReplyDeleteHannah is kind of like my 4 year old - when she doesn't want to do anything she curls up in a ball and says "I'm a rock." and you can't move her.
How does Hannah know when it is time for a walk?
I love a good show photo. The only regret I really have from my wedding day is that we didn't do a show photo of the wedding party or at least my and Dr. BB!
DeleteOh, our routines are set in stone. Hannah knows we go for a walk as soon as we come down in the morning, when I get home from work (or after lunch on the weekends), and after I empty the litterbox at night. She knows exactly what it SOUNDS like when she has to go for a walk.
Aww, she looks so beautiful in the last pic! Smart to take photos of the snow before it's all covered in freezing rain!
ReplyDeleteShe's such a pretty girl. And even if I make it sound otherwise in this post, she was a good sport about all of this despite the weather being what it was.
DeleteLove Hannah’s coat. It’s so gross and slushy here with terrible roads and a mess coming our way tomorrow. Bah humbug.
ReplyDeleteA slushy couple of days, but I think we've come out on the other side!
DeleteYour snow and blue skies are so beautiful! That is my favorite weather pattern: cold and crisp with lots of white snow everywhere. Perhaps Hannah and I would not get along very well. And she looks very smart in her jacket.
ReplyDeleteYes, the blue skies were beautiful while they lasted. Now we've got grey again. *sigh* Winter giveth and winter taketh away.
DeleteI feel you, Hannah. I would not be happy to be out in that weather, either!
ReplyDeleteKindred souls, you two!
DeleteOh Hannah, I love your sweet grumpy face. There is a retired racing greyhound around here, Aragorn, who has injuries to his feet from racing. He sometimes has to wear shoes, and he HATES them too. So much so that sometimes his person doesn't make him wear them, though she knows it is best for him. I'm not sure what the injuries are, but clearly not as bad as bare paws in that absolute cold would be.
ReplyDeleteWe had a cat when we lived in Alaska that got out once, and lost an ear to frostbite. Wear your shoes missy, Mommy knows best.
Oh, poor Aragorn. What a terrible start to life, but it's good he's with a person who knows how to best care for him. Poor guy.
DeleteHahaha, I can now totally relate to "the face" that dogs make. Charlie does this funny thing which I call his "uncertain" look any time he thinks we are maybe, possibly, getting ready to leave him home alone. He will kind of make that same face Hannah's making, but he will usually be standing, and the key thing is his tail will point straight back. Usually his tail his "up" and wagging when he's happy/ normal state. Whenever it points straight back, he's "uncertain" about what is going on, lol!!
ReplyDeleteWe just went for our first walk in over a week this morning!! It felt so wonderful!! We never got around to getting Charlie boots, so it was impossible to walk him during that really cold snap. Even just going out potty was ROUGH. For both of us. When it's in the 30s he seems totally fine and happy with no boots and just his jacket on. Even down into the 20s he has seemed ok sometimes, but definitely not below that! The snow in general is a real hassle with a dog, I'm learning. Especially curly haired dogs, who as I've mentioned on my blog, the snow sticks to in a weird way and forms instant ice balls. (My friend with a dog similar to Hannah's fur said it just brushes right off! I'm jealous.) Now we're getting all the melting... and the areas I've shoveled for him are turning sort of into mushy mucky wetness as the grass gets exposed in some spots. UGH. I am already looking forward to spring (NOT!) when the ground will be muddy and mucky for a long time.... At least it will hopefully not be 0 degrees then.
Having a dog that we couldn't groom ourselves was actually a dealbreaker for us. There are so many dogs that are super cute, but it takes so much time and effort to keep their coats in line. Hannah's fur just requires a quick rub down, as you say. She does have an undercoat, so if her undercoat gets wet, it takes forever to dry, but that's not really a big problem. Finding reliable groomers in our area has been REALLY HARD, so I've just sort of given up on Hannah ever seeing a groomer again.
DeleteSnow isn't really a hassle for Hannah, but the cold can be! But it's a hassle for humans, too!
Charlie got his first "real" groom (not just a puppy groom, but actual fur taken off his coat) recently, and the total with tip cost ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS. 1-0-0. US Dollars. OMG. And then she sent a follow-up text afterwards to schedule the next one, saying "With his type of coat/ needs, I'd recommend an every 5 week schedule". Um. Gulp.
DeleteYeah, dogs are expensive. Have you considered buying a kit and learning how to groom him on your own? I bet you'd save $$$$ over the course of his lifetime. (Note: I've never tried to groom a dog. I have no idea how hard or easy it is. Probably depends on the dog!)
DeleteOh, but she looks so cute in her coat and booties! (Do dogs have to wear booties, or why does Hannah? )
ReplyDeleteWell, dogs have skin on their paws and can get frostbite, just like humans! Generally if it's less than 20 degrees, I have her put on booties so she can go outside for longer than 3-5 minutes. It also protects their paws from salt that people put on ice to make it melt because the salt can irritate their skin or get into between their toes (which I imagine feels like when you get a pebble in your shoe). Some dogs have more protection from snow and salt on their feet than others.
DeleteSweet H has sensitive skin AND I worry about frostbite, so she gets to wear shoes. A lot of dogs hate it, though, so it's rarer to see them than I think it should be.
What a beautiful sight – all this snow. I would have loved spending some time ice skating on that pond.
ReplyDeleteSerious question because I keep thinking about it. Why is it necessary to dress up dogs with coats and shoes? Are they so overly bred that they can't adapt to climate anymore? Or is it a fashion thing? I don't really understand.
It's NOT fashion at all. Dogs can get frostbite on their paws. Have you ever put your hand on the sidewalk when it's below zero? Imagine doing that over and over again for a walk!!
DeleteSome breeds of dogs are made for cold weather (think about huskies or Bernese Mountain dogs who just want to sleep in a snowbank!), but most breeds will have a threshold at which their coats do not protect them from the weather - sort of like how I'm okay without a coat until about 65 degrees and then I need a jacket - and they'll need coats just like humans. Hannah's cutoff for a coat is about 20 degrees - if it's warmer than that, I don't make her wear one!
Thank you for shedding some light on this issue. I always thought since they are animals and originally lived outdoors it shouldn't matter. But so did we.
Delete