My Dogs Are Not Impressed By Winter’s First Snow

Yesterday morning my husband looked up briefly from his smartphone and announced, “It’s supposed to snow today between two and three.”

“What does that mean?” I asked him. “Two to three inches of snow? Or it’s just supposed to snow for an hour between 2:00 and 3:00 precisely?”

He didn’t respond, probably because of the touch of snark in my voice.

About .37 seconds later,  I completely forgot about the conversation, as I was being hounded by very hungry dogs and cats (yes cats can “hound”) who hadn’t been fed in decades and were going to die right then and there if I didn’t feed them.

We enjoyed the warmest December on record in New Jersey. Not that I’m complaining. We’ve had a series of snow-and-ice-filled and endless winters. I could go without shoveling for a year.

Snow kidding

That afternoon, I looked out the window and saw a few flurries wisping through the air. Fifteen minutes later, when the snow was coming down in earnest, I checked my watch. It was 2:00 PM. “Holy carp!” I said, or something like it.

I looked down at the three dogs who were snoozing at my feet. “Let’s go play in the snow!” To Lilah, Jasper and Tucker, that short sentence contained a hat trick of magic words: “go,” “play,” and “snow.” They were running down the stairs before I finished speaking.

I got myself all geared up with snow pants, boots, coat, hat scarf, and out we went. I expected jumping! Running! Chasing! Pouncing!

The are not impressed

Instead I got a bewildered Tucker, who wasn’t sure if he should like or hate the precipitation. My terrier will bunch himself against the house to avoid getting wet in a downpour. The snow was definitely moist, but it didn’t feel like rain.

“This isn’t quite rain, so I don’t think I need to hide inside.”

Lilah and Jasper carefully inspected the newly dusted grass.

Good sniffs are best when shared.

I tried to generate some enthusiasm by throwing a few sticks. Lilah lay down in the snow to gnaw on one.

Snow sticks to Lilah’s fur, while Lilah sticks to chewing on a… stick.

The snow was such a nonevent that Lilah decided this was the best time to clean Jasper’s ears.

Dr. Lilah ensures there is no dirt or snow in Jasper’s ears.

Then Tucker saw (or heard) a Thing, and charged at the fence to bark about it. Jasper and Lilah didn’t share his enthusiasm.

Tucker thinks there’s something interesting on the other side of the fence; Jasper and Lilah aren’t sure it’s worth the effort.

Eventually Jasper simply sat quietly and let the snow accumulate on his fur.

Jasper sat down and waited for something exciting to happen.

Lilah soon followed suit, the flakes dusting her black fur in a look I call the Powdered Dognut.

Snow on her fur, Lilah looks like a sugar frosted chocolate donut.

By then Tucker had found his Ball. The only thing that keeps Tucker from his “appointed round” is a torrential downpour, and yesterday’s weather did not qualify.

Perfect day for a nice game of fetch.

After Tucker chased enough balls to encourage his tongue to hang to his knees, it was time to come inside. I dried everyone off.

Jasper channeling his inner babushka.

Tucker has a dry sense of humor

Apparently I didn’t remove the wetness to Tucker’s exacting standards, so he took matters into his own paws, and used my furniture as a towel.

The weather prognosticators are predicting a “significant snow event” toward the end of the week. Winter is coming…

Do your pets enjoy the winter? Does anyone have a creative way to dry off?

You may also like:

• Spring, You’re Late!
• The Last Snow of the Season
• Once More, With Feeling: Snow Again
• Sir Tucker Terrier Reaches the Summit of Mount Neverest
• A Dog’s Joy: Snow, a Stick and Room to Run
• Turn Off the Winter
• Walking on Ice
• Snow Strategy

Related posts:

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