Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Monday, January 26, 2015
Preparing for a Snowstorm with Your Dog in Mind
We're expecting a blizzard this evening in our part of New York, with an accumulation of 20+ inches of snow by tomorrow night. All the humans here are scurrying about preparing for the big storm, stocking up on food, gas, and shovels, but don't forget about necessities for your pups! These are the things that Chewy always has on hand when a storm is rolling through:
1. Food and water
When the roads are treacherous or you are snowed in, you don't want to have to make a trip to the store because you ran out of your dog's favorite kibble. It's always good to have some potable water on hand, as well.
4. First Aid Kit
In case your dog cuts his paw pad on something (because he wasn't wearing boots!) or sustains some other non-emergency injury, it is good to have some basic first aid supplies on hand. We have anti-septic sprays, bandages, styptic powder (to stop bleeding), and paw pad moisturizers, among other things. Also make sure you have enough supply of any medications your dog needs.
6. Extra blankets or dog sweaters/coats
If the power goes out, we have no heat, and it is COLD in the middle of a snowstorm! While Chewy's higher core temperature (compared to humans) and fluffy double coat makes him a nice footwarmer, it may not be enough when it is truly cold in the house. Because he does not like to get too hot, I give him a blanket when I think he looks cold, and he can shake it off himself when he gets hot.
1. Food and water
When the roads are treacherous or you are snowed in, you don't want to have to make a trip to the store because you ran out of your dog's favorite kibble. It's always good to have some potable water on hand, as well.
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| So many yum yums! You've been hiding ALL of these?!? |
2. Toys
When you are forced to stay inside, boredom can ensue. And that's why Chewy has lots of toys! They can provide mental and physical exercise for your pup to ease the cabin fever. This is a moot point if your dog does not like toys, though. Instead, you can play games like hide and seek or find the treat, or perhaps just snuggle. Or even do some training.
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| Did you spot Chewy? He kinda blends in. |
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| Shaky shaky! |
3. Dog boots
The outdoors can be a horrible place for paw pads during and after a storm. Strong winds may scatter tree branches and debris, and jagged ice may form after cycles of sun during the day and freezing temperatures during the night. Road salt and sand can be irritating to doggy feet, and frolicking in the snow tends to dry out Chewy's paw pads. For these reasons, Chewy usually wears dog boots when he goes out in inclement weather.
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| This is how Chewy feels about dog boots... |
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| ...but they help prevent icicle foot... |
...so he can focus on this!
In case your dog cuts his paw pad on something (because he wasn't wearing boots!) or sustains some other non-emergency injury, it is good to have some basic first aid supplies on hand. We have anti-septic sprays, bandages, styptic powder (to stop bleeding), and paw pad moisturizers, among other things. Also make sure you have enough supply of any medications your dog needs.
5. Flashlights & batteries, candles & lighters, charged electronic devices
Strong winds could potentially knock down trees and take down power lines, so we always have multiple flashlights and fresh batteries, as well as candles and lighters. You don't want to accidentally step on a tail because you were wandering around in the dark!
Have your electronic devices fully charged so that if there is a power outage, you can still receive alerts, report emergencies, and contact concerned family/friends. You never know when your dog will get into something they shouldn't and you need to call the vet for advice! We also have a battery-operated radio so we can stay up to date with the latest storm news.
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| [Be sure to keep pets away from open flames!] |
6. Extra blankets or dog sweaters/coats
If the power goes out, we have no heat, and it is COLD in the middle of a snowstorm! While Chewy's higher core temperature (compared to humans) and fluffy double coat makes him a nice footwarmer, it may not be enough when it is truly cold in the house. Because he does not like to get too hot, I give him a blanket when I think he looks cold, and he can shake it off himself when he gets hot.
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| Comfy, cozy! |
A smaller or less furry dog might appreciate a sweater or coat to keep warm.
Stay safe!
Outtakes, because Chewy is sometimes a distracted model:
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Supervisor Chewy and the New Storage Unit
Chewy loves to supervise his humans. He watches us vacuum, following the evil device from room to room to keep an eye on its activities, while still maintaining a safe distance. He inspects all packages, shopping bags and sometimes even coats that enter the house. He also makes sure to watch us while we eat so he can get a share of all the good stuff. One more thing he enjoys supervising is furniture assembly:
This time we got a shiny, new teal storage unit from IKEA, and of course Chewy was in on the action. We don't have a coffee table because Chewy likes to launch himself on and off the couches, and there's nothing between the couches because he likes to hop from one to the other. So, I finally decided to get something to put against the wall for setting down food/beverages, and with bonus storage!
Chewy takes supervising very seriously, and is prone to micromanaging:
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| Inspecting the box |
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| Tasting the box |
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| Unpacking the box !!! Always be sure to keep small parts away from your pets !!! |
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| Reading the instructions |
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| Watching from above |
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| Taking all the credit |
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| Modeling "his" work |
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| Final inspection |
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| Project complete! |
This storage unit was much more difficult to assemble than I expected! It took a lot of force to keep the seams tight, and I even cracked the coating in one spot from hitting it too hard (but it's hidden against the wall!). It was definitely more fun with Chewy around, though. His silly antics always lighten up the mood!
Do you have a 4-legged micromanager in your house?
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Monday, January 5, 2015
Happy New Year!
We were very busy over the holidays with dinners and out-of-town guests and shopping, so blogging hit the back burner. Chewy had a blast, though, with all the presents and extra hands for giving him pettings. Hope you all enjoyed the holidays, as well!
2014 was quite a big year for Chewy. He got his own blog, learned to swim, experienced off-leash hiking, discovered the joys of BBQs... The list goes on! Thanks so much for following along with our adventures and shenanigans here at It's Chewy Time!
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| New toys! |
2014 was quite a big year for Chewy. He got his own blog, learned to swim, experienced off-leash hiking, discovered the joys of BBQs... The list goes on! Thanks so much for following along with our adventures and shenanigans here at It's Chewy Time!
Google+ generated this "year in photos" video for Chewy, and the photos correlate pretty well for an auto-generated thing, so I thought I'd share it here:
Happy New Year! Here's to a great 2015!
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