This weekend, HK and I went over to Piedmont Park to enjoy the first real snow of the year.  We took a plastic sled-thingy and had such a great time speeding down the hills!  It was NOT on purpose that I torpedoed into that kid—for crying out loud–I was yelling at him for a good 7 seconds before the crash! I mean, his Dad got out of my way–why didn’t he pull his kid to safety, too?? I guess that’s all part of Darwin’s whole theory–survival of the fittest, right? Anyway, he had to be 10 or 11, in my opinion, waaayyyy too old to cry like that!  Suck it up, kiddo, life’s short–play hard!

What i do feel sorry for, however, are certain dogs that are brought out to play in the snow (good) but ill-equipped (bad) to endure long periods of exposure.  (This adorable bulldog reminded me of my bulldogs growing up.)  This pup had the outfit. Sweater and rubber boots to keep his paws warm and that gave him good traction.

Take my dog, Kismet, as another example.  Kizzy is extremely furry with big, fuzzy paws.  Ice literally cakes between his toes. I know this because when he had his first snow, we let him out to play and when he came in, he was miserable, trying to bite away the ice.  So now i make a point to de-ice his paws often.  This picture is not Kismet, by the way.

Dog booties are available at many local pet supply stores, as well as online.  If your dog isn’t keen on wearing booties, you may want to try Musher’s Secret Paw protection wax. This is a non-toxic food-based wax that you apply to the pads of dog’s feet prior to playing in the snow.

As you can see from a past post, my dogs happen to like wearing their coats when it’s cold outside.  Some dogs are prone to get chilled easier than others, (greyhounds, whippets, many short-haired and smaller dogs come to mind.)  Atlanta’s climate doesn’t often warrant the need for cold-weather clothing for your furry best-friend, but no matter where you live, when it is cold or snowy, protect your pets.