March 28, 2024

Little dogs and snow don’t mix

I have written about my litte six-pound dachshund, Letty, in the past. My husband, Tim, and I love our little dog, but she has her frustrating quirks. One of them is her dislike of snow and of all things cold.

I get it. She has extremely short legs so even the smallest of snowfalls causes her belly to drag against the white fluffy stuff. Letty has one of the most visible shivers I have ever seen in a dog. It looks almost cartoonish how much she shakes when she’s cold. I think she over exaggerates sometimes; because as soon as we start heading for the house, she miraculously stops. I hate seeing her like that, so I think our little diva plays into my weakness.

I have considered getting her a sweater to wear when we take her outside in the winter, but our dog is a miniature, the smallest version of an already small breed, and even the extra-small sizes are too big for her. My father-in-law got her a New York Yankees cape for Christmas. She wore it for all of an hour around the house before she was completely tangled in the thing. It had rotated from her back to under her feet; and try as she might, she couldn’t take a step without falling on her face. When I adjusted it back to its proper position, it would just slip around to her feet after any sort of movement. She is a long-haired doxie, so she naturally has a little extra protection from her fur coat. I always stay out with her, so I’m not worried that she will freeze. I know some of these Iowa winter temps can get pretty low, so I’m not sure how much help her fur really is in the negative degree range.

I’m also concerned about the sweater because Letty will “fight” you when you are trying to put anything on her. She never holds still, unless she’s trying to get people food from you. We have a small harness and a collar for her and even when you are trying to clip these small articles on her, she looks at you with her big puppy-dog eyes seeming to ask, “what are you doing to me?”

The most recent snowfall has been the biggest challenge this winter. The accumulated snow in our yard is deep enough to cover her legs up to her mid-torso area. Even when there isn’t snow on the ground, you have to force her off of the sidewalk to even set foot on the cold ground. Therefore, when Tim and I were shoveling out our driveway, we also removed snow from a fairly large section of our front yard. I grew up with a bigger dog who loved snow, so I never thought I would have to remove snow for a canine, but there I was trying to give our very particular dog plenty of area to do her business.

The first time I took Letty to her designated area, she sniffed around, sat down and looked at me as if asking “is that all you’ve got?” Well, Tim and I and were not shoveling the entire front yard for little miss picky, so I leisurely led her to a section of the yard that wasn’t cleared. Letty happily followed until she hopped into the two-plus inches of snow. She was not impressed. She walked around as best as her little legs would allow and began her shakes.

I quickly led her out of the snow, she used her designated area and we hustled inside for warmth. I think she got the idea, because I have not had to lead her into the snow again.

Letty is a wonderful dog, she’s loving and does what we tell her to do — most of the time. She loves to travel and see her grandparents, aunts and uncles. She hardly barks and is very good at begging; however, she has a stubborn streak. It is in those moments when you begin to wonder if she has a split personality. What Letty is still learning is that I am far more stubborn than she is.

Contact Pam Pratt at
pampratt@newtondailynews.com