Dog Handling Effects of Winter

Dear Ollie,

Enough is enough. I love snow and can rise to the challenge of romping or digging in the frosty, white stuff with the best of them. But we’ve had more snow in Chesterton than is necessary to make a nice winter. In fact, I think we may have more than Vancouver, Canada where the winter Olympics is being hosted.

Here’s my problem; my paws hurt and my owner makes me wear a leash when we walk on the lake. I don’t need a leash because I do come when I am called. The whole experience is humiliating and did I mention that I walked on our snow covered driveway yesterday, and my paws hurt?

 

Malden, the Slovac Cuvac

 

Dear Malden,

I get it. You’re sick of winter and your paws hurt. Well, mine hurt yesterday too when my woman-human took me out on the front lawn. O.K., we were outside the front door where there is a two foot high snow drift and no lawn. Anyway, we walked on what used to be the lawn and I was fine until I trotted over our driveway and wow, did my paws hurt. I raised them up one at a time and put myself in the “brake for sore paws” position. My woman-human got my message. “Poor Ollie,” she said. And indeed she was right. She scooped up some fresh snow from the drifts and washed my paws. It was great and I was cured. Yours and my paws hurt because salt and other substances used to remove snow from sidewalks, driveways and walkways stuck to our feet. If not treated, we could lick the substance off and may suffer digestive tract inflammation or worse. Tell your owners to wash your paws and your tummy fur with warm water and a damp cloth after outdoor excursions.

So you live near a lake? Well, I do too.  My woman-human lets me run loose because I weigh only 16 pounds and she knows that when the ice fisherman set up shacks on Lake Louise, the ice is at least 9 inches thick. You, Malden are a big dog probably 80 to 100 pounds. The rules are different here. Winter has other dangers besides sore paws. Two dogs about your size, a Labrador retriever and a Chow/Lab mix were rescued two weeks ago by the Valparaiso Fire Department. They both fell into a pond located in the Stonehenge subdivision of Valparaiso.

Assistant Valparaiso Fire Chief Dan lamb said that if a dog goes into the water, the owner must call 911 immediately and NOT try to rescue the dog. “We have special suits, life preservers, a floating rescue sled with a paddle and we’ll be there in 3 to 5 minutes,” said Lamb. “There’s a good chance that the human will fall through the ice too,” he said. Jim Mercon, a Valparaiso resident did go through the ice on Lake Louise to save his large dog 10 years ago. “I remember this fiasco as though it were yesterday,” he said. “My body temperature went down to 80 degrees before I was rescued.” That story had a happy ending as both man and dog were saved by the Union Township Volunteer fire department.

Unfortunately, only footprints heading to the Kankakee River were left when 310 pound David Smith of Manteno, Illinois was exercising his chocolate Labrador dog and presumably fell into the icy river near the Sumava Resorts in Newton County.

Malden, stay safe and warm this winter and I hope that someone remembers you on this Valentine’s Day with two pairs of lovely red booties for your sore paws. 

 

 

Remember, Rescuing one pet can’t change the world…but the world will change for that one pet