My senior dog, Shadow, enjoyed a rare snow day.
It doesn't snow in this part of Texas often, but Texans were given a winter wonderland on Sunday, 10 January 2021. My 14-year-old senior dog, Shadow, enjoyed the snow day as a puppy at heart.
Timid Dogs
The day started with rain. I knew snow was in the forecast but didn't expect to get more than a few flurries. The flurries started falling early afternoon.
Shadow wasn't sure what to make of the uncommon change in weather. He hasn't seen snow in ten years, so it was interesting to watch him observe the weather with his tail tucked in between his legs.
Rascal, on the other hand, had never seen snow. The sight of white flurries falling from the sky scared him. Stepping on snow scared him. He didn't like being outside and held his 'business' until he could no longer hold it at night.
Inner Puppy Unleashed
It only took a couple hours for the ground to be mostly covered by a blanket of fresh snow. Shadow and I went to the backyard to observe the weather conditions. He was timid at first, but then relaxed as he imitated me by sticking his tongue out.
Before long, his tail straightened out as he stuck his tongue out to enjoy the taste of snow. I realized he was no longer timid. I also considered the patch of yellow snow in a corner of the backyard another sign that he accepted the weather as is.
My Dad decided to play in the front yard with the dogs. My dogs are well-behaved off-leash. They respond to verbal commands and hand signals well. I didn't hesitate to put on their coats and let them out the front door.
Shadow walked out to the mailbox to check for dog treats from our mail carrier. He then stood in the front yard as the snowfall increased. For a moment, I worried his arthritis caused him pain or the increased snowfall scared him.
I was wrong. It didn't take Shadow long to run around and play in the snow. He'd run in circles and try to catch the falling snow in his mouth. Shadow would then stop and run his nose through the snow on the ground.
He stopped to watch our neighbors build a snowman for a while. I was surprised to see him interested in this since snowmen scared him years ago when we last experienced snow.
After his interest in the snowman faded, he tried to get Rascal to play with him in the snow. Unfortunately, Rascal refused to leave the front porch.
Shadow played in the front yard for about twenty minutes before heading inside to dry off, warm up, and rest his old joints.
An Afternoon and Evening of Play and Observation
Every hour, Shadow and I went out to play in the snow for no more than fifteen minutes. I threw snowballs at him as he tried to catch it. He stood by my side and tried to help me build a couple snowmen.
Shadow also played in the snow by himself by running around in circles and shoving his nose through the snow on the ground. It was hard to tell that he's a fourteen-year-old senior dog with arthritis and joint pain.
When I'd tell Shadow that it was time to go indoors, he wouldn't go in right away. Shadow would stand in the snow and observe his surroundings for a while before abiding to my command.
Watching Shadow look into the sky with his tail wagging slightly was emotional for me. It's remarkable to watch Shadow appreciate the beauty of nature. This is something he's done his entire life when we traveled to new, beautiful places.
Shadow and Rascal slept well that night. Shadow didn't show any signs of pain from playing in the cold snow. Hopefully, the breaks and rest I forced him to take indoors throughout the day helped.
The Next Day
There was still snow on the ground the next day, but no snow fell from the sky anymore. Shadow led me to the first snowman we made together. He then led me to the spot where our second snowman was but melted.
Shadow didn't have the same energy he had the previous day. He spent much of the day outdoors again, but this time he didn't play. Instead, Shadow would step in the snow and stare at it. I was a little heartbroken to see him watch as snow fell off the privacy fence and roof.
Considering Shadow's old age, I'm grateful he was able to have a fun snow day.
What's Next?
On Thursday, I'll share when I unboxed a pretty neat music sleep mask. Check back then if you're interested in seeing if this is something that interests you.
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
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