Hi everyone, it's been awhile!
Oh good, I've found the thread I've been dreading to make myself for the last month and a half! ^_^
Well, this is Alaska...and we've just had snow today and then it cleared up which makes it that much colder here at night. (We've got to be in the low 20's Fahrenheit by now) Jenna has been content to go outdoors with me until it started getting dark before her evening potty time. She's been used to the all night daylight for months now...and alas...it is gone. And with it the warm weather. Early afternoons are still okay for her first elimination, but that light doesn't last and it'll get down to maybe an hour or so of it by solstice in December. Temps by then could be -40 or worse.
Being only part Yorkie (possibly part chihuahua or min pin) she has less fur on her than most full bred Yorkies I've seen, however, she will NOT wear a coat. Or booties. And outside of just holding her in the air off the porch and telling her to let 'er rip twice a day...what should I do to keep her warm? I'm worried her little paws are going to frostbite because she just wants to walk and walk and I'm already shivering and my teeth chattering and begging her to get back inside after two minutes! And when I pick her up, coat or no, she IS shivering and obviousy chilled...how much cold can one of these little dogs take?
I stick her inside my jacket to warm up as I walk her back home. Luckily we're on a dirt road so no salt necessary, but that means slushy mud while we go through freeze-up and melt so I'd like to find her booties like the sled dogs wear, but more her size. Still not sure how I'll convince her to wear them though.
Any advice is appreciated! After being mom to several large huskies for many years, I am not sure at all how to proceed with this little one. Although I have briefly considered teaching her to use a litterbox like the cats. |