PICKAWAY – Suffering through the winter months can be difficult for everyone. I dislike scraping frost from car windows so much that I buy de-icing washer fluid. And my favorite motto for shoveling snow is, “it will melt away in April”. Sometimes we get caught up in caring for ourselves during the cold months that we don’t think about the extra challenges for our best dog friends.
Outdoor dogs will need a lot of extra attention over the winter months. Foremost, they need extra food and perhaps a little extra fat in their diet to keep themselves warm. And, don’t forget about fresh water…frozen water bowls are the same as no water at all. Any dog housed outside during the winter requires a shelter and bedding to keep warm. Straw or wood shavings are popular as bedding material but blankets/fabric tend to retain moisture and freeze.
Not every breed of dog adapts well to cold winter weather. Husky and other double hair coat breeds love the colder weather but chihuahuas not so much. If you own a short hair breed we recommend keeping them indoors during the winter months.
My Great Dane hates the cold and snow. Unless we force her further out into the yard, she will do her “business” at the back door and immediately want back inside. Being a tall dog, we usually don’t have to shovel snow for her but a small dog may need a “potty path” shoveled by you into the backyard. We routinely check her paws for dryness and cracks and apply petroleum jelly (aka Vasoline) as needed for protection.
Lastly and as promised, we have switched to a new online dog licensing system. Change is always a challenge at first. We are confident you will find this new system, with time, easier to use. Open season for 2022 dog license purchases began December 1st and closes January 31, 2022. As always, you can purchase dog licenses in person at the County Auditor’s or Dog Warden’s Offices. If you have one, bring your renewal notice with you.
In the dog house is written by Gary Cameron Pickaway Dog Warden
