Mary Allen
Dogs love snow and so winter holidays with them have their own appeal. While it is dangerous for animals on the ski slopes, tobogganing, walking or horse-drawn sleigh rides are great fun for two- and four-legged friends.
For the winter holidays with the dog, some considerations and planning are required in advance. Winter sports freaks who don’t want to give up their ski season ticket under any circumstances should rather leave their dog with friends or relatives for this time than possibly lock them up in a hotel room or apartment all day with only one or two short breaks.
However, if you want to experience something together with your four-legged friend, it is advisable to ask the tourist office in advance whether a place is dog-friendly. The choice of quarters is also an important aspect. Those who like to take care of themselves are well-advised to rent an apartment, a holiday home, a house, or a hut. If, on the other hand, you prefer to stay in a hotel, it should be clarified in advance whether your four-legged friend is welcome in the dining room or other locations in the complex, so that there are no surprises when you get there. «If you have to leave the dog alone in the hotel room, he should already know this from home. The blanket or box that he is familiar with is then particularly important so that he feels comfortable in a foreign place,” advises Evelyn Streiff, owner of the Triple-S training center in Eptingen BL.
Sledding and Hiking
As a dog owner, you don’t have to do without sporting activities during the winter holidays. In some places, there are extra cross-country ski trails that dogs are allowed to run along. If you plan to test the piste conditions on a brisk descent, you should inquire in advance whether there is dog care by the hour in the hotel or in the residential complex.
The four-legged friend must slowly get used to accompanying a sled and learn to keep a certain distance for safety reasons. So this should be practiced at home. Slightly larger dogs that have been trained accordingly can, equipped with a special harness, pull an unmanned sled a little uphill. You shouldn’t overwhelm your four-legged friend on the subsequent descent. “It’s better to start with short distances first,” recommends Streiff.
Extensive hikes are great fun. The dogs show their enthusiasm for the white splendor by rolling around in the snow. However, wild games in deep snow are only recommended in the valley. These are even funnier when the four-legged friend is allowed to romp with other dogs. On the mountain itself, the dog should not deviate from the secured path.
“It gets really entertaining when you set your four-legged friend a few tasks along the way. For example, he can fetch a dropped glove,” says the dog training consultant. Or you hide behind a tree or a pile of snow for a short time and let someone look for you.
Horse-Drawn Sleigh and Evening Rest
If the dog is “snowed in”, it is important to remember that the fur will get wet due to the thawed snow and the four-legged friend can easily catch a cold. “A dry towel to rub off and a cozy mat to protect you from the cold on the floor must always be at hand,” says Streiff.
After a walk on gravel paths, the dog’s paws should be cleaned of road salt with lukewarm water and rubbed with Vaseline to protect against cracked pads. If a lot of snow clumps form in the long fur, it is better to end a walk and dissolve the snow in the house with warm water. To avoid eating snow out of thirst, it is advisable to take a small thermos with lukewarm water with you, which you can offer your dog on the go.
Caution is called for on the ski slopes – especially at the ski lifts. “Even if some drag lift owners allow their four-legged friends to run along, it’s better not to let the dogs run free,” says Evelyn Streiff. The risk of accidents is too high. Dogs are usually allowed to ride in gondolas and chairlifts. Nevertheless, one can argue about the reasonableness of an overcrowded gondola for the dog, because a hard plastic ski boot in the narrow space quickly injures a paw and possibly causes the four-legged friend to snap reflexively in panic.
Horse-drawn sleigh rides are very popular. However, if the dog doesn’t know any horses, it’s better to forbid him from risky free running at the same time in favor of an interesting all-around view from above. In general, there is absolute consideration for wild animals, which are already weakened by less food in winter. Dogs must therefore be kept on a leash in areas rich in wildlife.
Sufficient rest breaks are also important for the four-legged friend because all the movement in the snow is exhausting and tiring. Of course, the dog must not be overstrained in general, its condition must be built up slowly. And in the evenings, the usually exhausted dog definitely needs its well-deserved rest, advises dog psychologist Streiff. “Ice bars, discos, and hut parties are taboo for four-legged friends. Homeland evenings and brass band music are also anathemas to dogs.” Your four-legged friend should also not be taken ice skating, because he can injure himself on the slippery surface of the ice, on sharp ice edges, or from the sharp-edged blades of the ice skates.
In any case, a well-planned winter holiday will bring two and four-legged friends even closer together because of the many activities together.