Three Dogs in the Snow

As many of you know, we have three dogs here at Little Farm.  We have had them all since they were puppies.

Our oldest is Chloe who will be 14 at the end of January.  She is part lab and part boxer.  In her senior years, she has become quite stubborn.  We ‘re not sure if she has lost a lot of her hearing – or if we are simply experiencing her selective hearing.  In her own way, she still loves the snow.

Our middle dog is Clancy who will be 12 in early February.  He is part chocolate lab, part hound and part other dogs of uncertain pedigree.  As he ages, he is becoming more of the weekend warrior sort.  He loves his long walks/runs off-leash in our woods but his hind legs are often stiff the next day.  Like Chloe, he too loves the snow.

As if two dogs weren’t enough, nearly 5 years ago we decided we needed a puppy to keep the other two vibrant and on their toes.  And so Smudge came to live with us.  She is part lab and part American White Shepherd.  She is gentle and cuddly around us while being fiercely defensive around food.  Like Clancy, she is a consummate kitchen counter cruiser.  Whereas Clancy favors bread products, Smudge particularly enjoys butter – whole sticks of it if possible.  Like the other two, Smudge loves the snow.

We had no snow to speak of throughout December and into January.  However, we seem to be making up for it now – much to the delight of our three dogs.

Chloe particularly loves rolling in the snow.  She dives in – pushing her head through the snow and then flops over on her back.  Stretching out with her four feet in the air, she rolls back and forth.  In fresh snow, she might roll four or five times on her 5-minute walk after breakfast.  I’m not sure what kind of snow she likes more – the soft, fluffy stuff or the heavy wet kind.  I guess both have a certain appeal to the old lady!

Though Clancy hates being cold when he is in the house and is often found curled up in a chair or lying in front of the woodstove, he is a different animal outside.  He apparently loves chest deep snow the best and is partial to the dry fluffy kind. He reminds me of Katie the snowplow in the children’s picture book, Katie and the Big Snow.  He seems to love bulldozing through untracked snow and drifts in the woods, the deeper the snow the better. 

Smudge believes that all of life is good – and that includes a snowy day, particularly if it involves a walk in the woods.  She loves to be off-leash, racing at top speed in large circles, dodging branches and leaping over fallen tree trunks.  She particularly loves finding the longest branch – 5 feet plus is ideal - she possible can, pulling it out of the snow, and dragging it down the trail as she prances along.  Leaping on the older dogs is another thrill for her – though not necessarily for them.  Smudge just loves to frolic, and snow just seems to give her exuberance and energy level a boost!

At the end of a snowy day, however, no matter  how they enjoy it individually, Chloe, Clancy, and Smudge all seem to agree that a hot fire in the woodstove, completely relaxed with eyes closed, is the best way to spend the evening.

Nancy