Salt on the sidewalk, salt on dog's paws
Getting through wintery, slippery weather without your dog getting hurt
When I walk out the door, I have on a hat, scarf, coat, boots and gloves. If it’s super cold outside — as it has been with temperatures as cold as 4 degrees below zero in the past two weeks in Chicago — I may wear a pair of yoga pants underneath my jeans for extra heat. Dogs, on the other hand, can only wear so much.
I stopped making fun of dog clothes once I saw the way short-haired dogs like my dog Junee react to Chicago winters. (My Labrador Retriever mix loved to play in the snow like Junee, but he rarely if ever looked uncomfortable. My German Shepherd, who was less hairy than the Lab but still shed a ton, was also a really big fan of snow and preferred winter over summer.)
Recommended Read: “When is it too cold for one dog to be walked but not the other? ~ Copycat dogs: Is it playing favorites or setting ground rules?”
But even with a dog coat and dog boots — the latter of which Junee and my mother’s dog Jackie want no parts of — there’s still the issue of salt, calcium chloride or sand sprinkled on sidewalks and stairs. All three are an absolute mess on floor mats, carpet and laminate floors, and winter boots. But not using these three on icy streets is a recipe for falls (and lawsuits).
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However, try explaining that to your dog, who is hopping on one leg and trying to get as far away from these uncomfortable, rock-like substances and onto snow or any semblance of grass. Even for dog owners who choose to use pet-friendly ice salt or Earth-friendly salt, that doesn’t mean the rest of the neighborhood will. Instead of trying to convince every homeowner, landlord and property manager to reconsider their winterizing shopping list, here are five things that pet owners should prepare themselves for to tackle salt during a dog walk.
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Keep dog wipes near the entrance door
Digital photo frame. This was a Christmas gift that I got from a family member. I would’ve loved it during my college dorm days when I was surrounded by cold, brick walls. But in an eco-friendly home where I loyally participate in Earth Day and only buy green-friendly cleaner, the idea of plugging in a frame to watch it switch images just made me think of unnecessary electricity use. I stared even harder at the dollar-value photo frames already on my walls, which do the same job.