PICKAWAY-For everyone, the winter months are difficult. I don't like to scrape the frost on the car windows very much, so I bought a de-icing cleaning fluid. My favorite snow shovel motto is "It will melt in April." Sometimes we are busy taking care of ourselves in the cold months without thinking about the additional challenge of our best dog friends. In winter, outdoor dogs need more attention. Most importantly, they need extra food, and maybe they need more fat in their diet to keep warm. And don’t forget the fresh water...a chilled water bowl is equivalent to no water. Any dog ​​kept outside in winter needs a shelter and bedding to keep warm. Straw or wood shavings are popular as bedding, but blankets/fabrics tend to retain moisture and freeze. Not all breeds of dogs can adapt well to cold winter weather. Huskies and other double-hair coat varieties like cold weather, but Chihuahuas don't like it. If you have short-haired breeds, we recommend that you keep them indoors in winter. My Great Dane hates cold and snow. Unless we force her into the yard, she will do her "business" at the back door and immediately want to go back inside. As a tall dog, we usually don't need to shovel snow for her, but a puppy may need a "potty path" for you to shovel to the backyard. We will regularly check her paws for dryness and cracks, and apply Vaseline (aka Vasoline) as needed for protection. Finally, as promised, we have switched to the new online dog tag system. Change is always a challenge at the beginning. We believe that over time, you will find this new system easier to use. The 2022 dog tag purchase open season starts on December 1 and ends on January 31, 2022. As always, you can purchase dog licenses in person at the county auditor's office or dog administrator's office. If you have, please bring your renewal notice with you.

In the Dog House was written by Gary Cameron Picaway Dog Warden

Picaway County Visitor Center and Tourism Bureau