Taking Dogs For Walks in the Winter

I wrote this great article about taking dogs for walking in winter weather conditions and I’ve been waiting for the weatherman to start talking about bad weather conditions, (you know: below zero temps, blizzards, hazardous travel conditions and ice storms), but so far its been a nice winter.

I know, we’ve had a few below zero temps at night, but all in all, it’s been great so far. We’ve had NO snow at all and, In fact, today it was 52 degrees and sunny. Patchs and I took two walks for a total of about 5 miles and the only thing blowing out there was a few left over leaves that didn’t get picked up off of the yard!

So I guess I’ll just save it for a little while and tell you about our walk today.

As we were walking I came across a guy I used to see quite a bit. I haven’t seen him for about six months and it turns out that he has been working 3rd shift so our schedules didn’t cross until today. I think he took the day off to enjoy the weather!

He noticed that I had a different dog with me so I told him about Neka passing (that’s who he remembered me walking) which led to him to telling me that his dog had passed away on Thanksgiving weekend.

He told me that he would be getting a new dog this spring and he made a point of saying that it would be “another” rescue. It turns out that he has had many dogs over the years and they have all been rescues.

We spoke for about 10 minutes and when we left to continue our walk he mentioned that when he gets his new dog we should get our dogs together. I said “absolutely” …

So the moral of the story is: no matter what time of year it is, take the time to say hello to the people you see. When you do, you may be able to help them become a better dog owner … or, like me, you may find someone that will inspire you to continue on!!!

Related articles

• Taking Your Dog for a Walk – How Much is Enough? (iowadogtrust.wordpress.com)

Adopt a Shelter Pet, You’ll Be Glad You Did!

If you are thinking about getting a family pet, start by looking at your local shelter or rescue organization. There are millions of great companion animals in shelters all across America, and they are just sitting there waiting for a great home like yours.

Shelter and Rescue pets are not troubled, rejects, damaged goods or second-class pets. They are just pets that have been turned in for various reasons. These pets have all kinds of different stories. Many were forfeited or given up for adoption because the owners didn’t realize the amount of work it was going to take to care for them until it was to late. Others were given up due to the illness of the owner, or because the owner lost a job or lost their place to live. My last rescue was because the owner lost his job. The one before that was a stray that someone dumped in the country. Both were great dogs, as you have read here.

Are you looking for a purebred? You can find many pure breeds in the shelters and rescues. All you have to do is ask!

So whether you want a puppy or an adult dog, a purebred or a great mixed breed dog, a rabbit or hamster or even a bird, your shelter has the best selection of animals anywhere. And rest easy; they have all been screened for good health and behavior.

Don’t fall into the trap like many people have. Stay away from pet stores and websites that offer dogs, cats and other pets. A lot of these animals come from puppy and pet mill facilities were the pet’s health and well being is the last thing on their minds.

There is an old adage: “Don’t Shop … Adopt! And when you adopt, you’ll be very glad you did because you will not only be getting a great pet, you will also be saving a life. The sad truth is, for every puppy or kitten born, one dies in a shelter because it doesn’t have a home.

When you’re looking to add a pet to your life, adopting a homeless animal from your local shelter or rescue makes sense. At the shelter or rescue a pet placement expert will help you get the perfect pet for you and your families lifestyle. They have compiled all the information you’ll need to take care of and train your new pet too.

To find your local shelters and rescue groups and to see all of the pets available for adoption in your area, visit the The Shelter Pet Project and Petfinder.com