In this week’s podcast (Dec. 26 – episode 6) I shared what it is about medium to large sized dog breeds, that allows them to walk in the snow during winter without a lot of discomfort. It has to do with them inheriting the trait that wolves have, that protects their feet from freezing, in the cold climates where they live. Wolves do not come with UGG boots after all. Listen to episode 6 to find out what the really cool trait your dog has.
The reason the smaller dogs may need some additional protection from the cold is that through the specialized breeding that has created them, the adaptation that protects the wolves feet, has been lessened or lost.
I’m talking about the designer dogs, the pocket pet dogs, the ones that are slightly larger than a rodent but smaller than a cat. You know, the rat dogs, now don’t get offended……… there is a breed called a rat terrier.
That’s a guinea pig in the middle. I don’t know what happened to its fur either.
These miniatures are cute…….but don’t have the insulation in their coats or the heating system in their feet that the big dogs have. So they may need some extra help from you. Don’t let anyone tease you about putting that purple wool coat and matching fleece booties on your small dog when you take it outside in cold weather. You are doing right by it.
Look at these designer dog names!
| Chorkie | Chihuahua and Yorkie |
| Daug | Dachshund and Pug |
| Doxie-Poo | Dachshund and Poodle |
| Foodle | Fox Terrier and Poodle |
| Jack-a-Poo | Jack Russell and Poodle |
| Malti-Poo | Maltese and Poodle |
| Morkie | Maltese and Yorkie |
| Pug-a-Poo | Pug and Poodle |
| Puggat | Pug and Rat Terrier |
| Pugston | Pug and Boston Terrier |
| Pugshire | Pug and Yorkshire Terrier |
| Puginese | Pug and Pekinese |
| Schoodle | Scotty and Poodle |
| Shih-pooh | Shih-Tzu and Poodle |
| (Really? Say it out loud, you know what it sounds like…..that’s just not right… and anyway it’s redundant) | |
A Shih-Poo.
Looks like it resents its name.
Poor poodles, how did this breed get picked on to help create all these new dogs? Oh, I can guess, probably because the “poo” part make funny names.
Resources for Raising Your Paws Podcast, Episode 6
Here’s a particularly useful article about frostbite for your pets I like to refer to when I’m teaching my pet first aid classes. It’s good because it tells you some of the signs to look for, what to do and NOT to do, before you take your pet to the vet – which you will – immediately – if you suspect frostbite.
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/frostbite-in-dogs
We have the winner of our Podcast Launch Celebration give-away!
Myra from Topeka, Kansas won 6 months of free NutriSource pet food.
Congratulations Myra and Callie, (a lucky 2 year old American Staffordshire Terrier mix.)
We’ll be offering another free food give away in 2018.
If you like our podcast please tell a friend.
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