We moved up to CO last summer and brought our lovely German Shepard, who goes by the name of Gator, along with us. Well, we sure weren't going to leave her behind!
Now, she was born up here but spent only her puppy youth during her first winter at a bit of a lower elevation east of Colorado Springs with not quite as much snow as we get up here west of the Springs at 9100 feet in elevation. I know she has experienced snow in that first year of her life but when we brought her down to the Gulf Coast she didn't see any snow.
So, now that she is back in the snow for the first time in eleven years I've been a bit perplexed in her behavior. She absolutely loves the stuff as she is constantly biting and snorting the stuff. Tony Montana has nothing on her near the end of his life as when she is outside her nose is always completely covered in the white stuff. However, when we have more than about 8" on the ground she doesn't like to venture to far out.
At first, I attributed this to her age and how her hind end has been giving her some problems of late. Any time we get a decent amount of snow I'll shovel around the car so we don't have to worry about the snow getting in my wife's shoes (she refuses to wear boots). Normally, Gator will wander off a ways to do her business but when we have a bit of snow on the ground she tends to do her business right around the car where I have shoveled.
Its not that she really doesn't like walking in the deeper stuff, as she has no problem when we go on our walks. I stay on the drive and she'll wander off to one side or the other. But I couldn't figure out why she had to do her business in the immediate area around the car.
Until today! I can't believe I was so inconsiderate of my poor pup this winter and truly feel ashamed. It seems when we have about 8" or more of the fluffy white stuff on the ground...well...no real nice way to put this...
she tends to have to put her tender parts right down there in that cold stuff to do her business! I'm thinking of getting one of those weed burners that run off a 20lb propane tank and following her around. That's how bad I feel!
Now, she was born up here but spent only her puppy youth during her first winter at a bit of a lower elevation east of Colorado Springs with not quite as much snow as we get up here west of the Springs at 9100 feet in elevation. I know she has experienced snow in that first year of her life but when we brought her down to the Gulf Coast she didn't see any snow.
So, now that she is back in the snow for the first time in eleven years I've been a bit perplexed in her behavior. She absolutely loves the stuff as she is constantly biting and snorting the stuff. Tony Montana has nothing on her near the end of his life as when she is outside her nose is always completely covered in the white stuff. However, when we have more than about 8" on the ground she doesn't like to venture to far out.
At first, I attributed this to her age and how her hind end has been giving her some problems of late. Any time we get a decent amount of snow I'll shovel around the car so we don't have to worry about the snow getting in my wife's shoes (she refuses to wear boots). Normally, Gator will wander off a ways to do her business but when we have a bit of snow on the ground she tends to do her business right around the car where I have shoveled.
Its not that she really doesn't like walking in the deeper stuff, as she has no problem when we go on our walks. I stay on the drive and she'll wander off to one side or the other. But I couldn't figure out why she had to do her business in the immediate area around the car.
Until today! I can't believe I was so inconsiderate of my poor pup this winter and truly feel ashamed. It seems when we have about 8" or more of the fluffy white stuff on the ground...well...no real nice way to put this...
she tends to have to put her tender parts right down there in that cold stuff to do her business! I'm thinking of getting one of those weed burners that run off a 20lb propane tank and following her around. That's how bad I feel!
