me too!
--- On Sat, 11/6/10, Janice Reiger <[email protected]> wrote: From: Janice Reiger <[email protected]> Subject: RE: [Chihuahuas] How we do winter "IN the Dog Park" LOL! was My Furkids To: [email protected] Date: Saturday, November 6, 2010, 9:40 AM I want to come live at you house LOL ! Janice Regier To: [email protected] From: [email protected] Date: Fri, 5 Nov 2010 20:21:37 -0700 Subject: [Chihuahuas] How we do winter "IN the Dog Park" LOL! was My Furkids #yiv649888330 .yiv649888330ExternalClass DIV {} We get lots of snow up in these mountains...so everyone has a set of boots. We start in the early fall each year doing boot training so everyone is comfortable with them by the time the first flurries come in early December. It is such a crack up to watch them crunch through the fall leaves in their little boots!!! Quite a parade down our little mountain road...I am sure my neighbors get a good laugh at us on our fall walks!!!! For all the pack I have heated beds on the floor...with soft fleece blankets on top they can wrap up in. Some of my "heated" beds are homemade...regular fleece beds I make with a pocket that holds a Buckwheat pillow that I make to fit that can be removed and warmed up in the microwave for a few minutes...stays nice and warm for a couple of hours. Nice homey smell too as you can throw in a cinnemon stick...my dogs really seem to love the smell of cinnemon LOL!! I do have a few "purchased" heated beds...they are nice but pricey and don't wash as well as the ones I make. I use Cluster-Stuff for the filling which never piles up and really handles frequent washing and drying. Polar fleece for the outside! Everyone's beds...all 6...get washed every week...especially in the winter. Whole Buckwheat can be purchased at most health food stores or "Natural" markets. The Chis and the Boston are allowed on the couches...the poodle and Shih Tzu are not unless they are invited up...as they collect dirt much faster. In the winter my evenings usually include being a hot-water bottle for my dogs LOL!!! A good movie, a warm quilt with a Buckwheat pillow tucked in, hot tea...and my little pack all cuddled up with me on the couch...life doesn't get any better!!! Everyone has sweaters, snow-suits and warm jackets for winter...and of course adorable dresses and outfits for cooler weather LOL! My 2 boys wear shirts or little overalls in cooler weather...usually to match the girls LOL! I converted my HUGE china cabinet into their doggie-armoire...so everything is in one place...on hangers or folded in the drawers and shelves. One shelf and one drawer in the armoire are designated for all their grooming supplies...clippers, brushes, combs, lotions, powders etc. One drawer...their very favorite one... holds their treats...Bully Sticks, a bag of lamb lungs, Hymilayan Yak Cheese, and antlers. All leashes, collars, necklaces, ribbons and bows get hung on the inside of the large doors. For potty in winter I use washable pee pads that I make and/or I buy a great disposable brand called Top Dog from Petsmart. They are quilted and do not leak! I leave them down all year so they can always use them...especially the littles at night...we have hawks, eagles and owls here so much rather change pads and/or wash them than lose a baby! But in nice weather almost everyone chooses to go out the doggie door to potty on the deck. I keep a few washable pads outside on the deck all year...except in the snow...which 99% of the time they will use instead of peeing on the wood. We do "Deck-Doody" about 4 times a day...I HATE land-mines LOL!!!...and all the indoor pads (3) get changed 2 times a day. My hubby just finished glassing in the little 10x10 Doggie-veranda he made on our top deck so now they can go outside on the deck to potty without having to worry about the critters, the wind, rain or snow. This will be the first winter we have had that and I am so THANKFUL!!! I am gonna look into some sort of an outside heater for that little deck room if our altitude can handle it...then it will be PERFECT! With winter comes much more work...seems my washing-machine and dryer run non-stop...but it is fun to live in the snow...wonder how I will feel when I'm 90?? Waggin' Tails in The Dog Park, Deanna and The Dog Park Pack: Nugget, Shuai-Li, Mouse, Myrtle, Mable, and Caleb and honorary non-dog members of The Dog Park: Stella-Macaw, Stanley-Amazon, Miles the cat www.joys4toys.com
