Yes, our town does not believe in plowing streets, any streets. Instead they spray salt or brine onto our streets and sidewalks with salt or a saline mix. We were used to daily plowing, sometimes several times per day as needed, in a ski area.
County park streets/sidewalks and sadly, even parks during summer are rarely touched by park personnel. We lived in the Rockies for years and never had this problem until this year, when our dog places one paw up after the other unable to take the salty snow mix. The snow was cold for her and we tried paw wax but this salt/slush/snow is too much all together. She hates it.
As a cook I know that old-time ice cream makers had a churn and vessel for the cream-flavored mixture and on the exterior there was chipped ice and rock salt (the kind you use for your driveway) to make it even colder so as the kids churned it, the freezing would go faster.
Yesterday my husband researched dog booties, and we went to get her some. Well, he did and there’s no way I’ll put them on her. When she gets up in the morning it’s enough for me to go to the bathroom and do things like brush my teeth and put my hair up in a ponytail. She needs to go out asap so I do it.
In really cold weather I’ll need pull-on boots and perhaps ski pants and several jackets. That takes a few minutes. In summer it’s a snap. But in winter she has a coat as well, Ruffwear, that protects her from rain, snow and cold. Plus I have to check the temp real quick to decide what we need to wear.
My husband says early on a weekend morning when he’s up on his computer, oh, hi.” I ask him if he took the dog out and fed her. “No, she hasn’t asked me yet.”
Dear, she has to go. OK. Then he spends an hour in the bathroom shaving and showering and thinking and I just get up and take the dog out. With 17 layers on different parts who cares what the security guard thinks, just get the dog out!
He won’t take her out but will spend two hours researching dog shoes. I will not place them on her paws and she knows that and that I don’t mind carrying her the last 200 feet home and know that I can run a 1″ bath right near the door in the bath so her paws will be OK.
I’m right brain and he’s left. Given a problem we come to the same or similar conclusion with vastly different processes, but we love each other and love our dog. I figure that if we wear shoes or boots out in the snow (I’ve a few pairs for every occasion) so should Zoe.
Thank you, dear. Cheers and happy holidays to all! Dee
Cooking with Dee 