What’s your favourite snowy movie? Our top tips for surviving snowmageddons!
Here in Montreal, we’ve been hit with more snow than we’ve had in 127 years (you can see the Pom Police braving the frozen tundra here)! So unsurprisingly, it’s presented us with some challenges keeping both toasty and entertained. Here are our top tips for getting through the February freezies.
Top 3 tips for braving the elements:
1) Dress warmly.
Something I’ve been paying more attention to are my pups’ joints. As a senior lady, Fizzgig has some osteoarthritis in her hips. And in fact, many dogs may start developing osteoarthritis at much younger ages than we think! So I’m being more conscious of keeping her joints warm and toasty. This means all our winter walks (even on milder days), see her sporting a sweater. Think of ballet dancers and all those layers they wear going into class. They know that it’s important to keep their joints warm right at the start to avoid injury. It’s the same for our pups!
2) Protect their tender tootsies!
You can protect them with booties or paw balloons (once they’ve been conditioned), and paw balms. Our personal favourite (no affiliation here) is called Musher’s Secret. It’s made in Canada and not only has a moisturizing function, but we find it works super well to not only to prevent salt from bothering them while they’re walking, but also from snow packing in between their pads. Make sure to clean your pups’ paws each time you come in from a walk. Even though balms might prevent salt from bothering them, it can still cling to fur between their pads. And a nice little wipe (we like Earth Rated wipes, another Canadian company) can make sure they’re not bothered more.
3) Warm their hearts (literally and figuratively).
Did you know that your dog can enjoy a nice toasty heated blanket just as much as you do? To soothe sore joints, or just to warm up after braving the snowy tundra, heating pads and blankets are a great option. Pups might not immediately like heating pads (as I discovered with Fizzgig!). They might be able to feel the inner coils and that’s a bit of a strange sensation! You can do some desensitization work to help them understand that there’s nothing to be worried about. It can also be useful to start by placing the heating pad under a blanket on their bed or any spot they like to hang out.
Top 3 tips for keeping pups entertained on snow days (according to Fizzgig and Gonzo):
1) Trick training.
Perfect for both you and your pups to help stave off cabin fever. Not sure what to train? No problem! Check out pages like Luna the Trick Dog and Kikopup for some great ideas to get you started. You’ll have a blast watching them learn (it is impossible to watch your dog learn to turn on a toy blender and not crack a smil), and they’ll have a blast with all the snackos and quality time with their human. And of course, we've got some great treat pouches to help you store all those treatos!
2) Lick mats.
Fizzgig and Gonzo LOVE trick training. So after a session, sometimes they need some help to wind down. We received this type from our trainer, Lyz from Rover Rehab, that lickimats can be a great “transition activity” to help pups get into the mode for relaxation.
3) Puzzle toys.
Fizzgig and Gonzo love a good puzzle toy. We’re big on Nina Ottosson games and on the famous “Omega Tricky Treat Ball.” But you can also devise your own enrichment puzzles and toys. Check out our palws a Bindi's Bucket List for some great low-cost and no-cost options!
Now let’s get to what you were waiting for! Our top 3 snowmageddon horror viewing picks, according to Kyla.
1) The Shining.
2) Misery (Fizzgig’s favourite, obviously!)
3) The Thing (1982, of course)
And of course, if you’re looking to fully embrace that snowpocalypse life, we’ve got you covered with some The Shining and Misery-inpired gear.
