On Long Island, New York, we had a fairly mild Winter in terms of snow. Lots of colder weather and rain but very little of the white stuff. My dog Icy was not pleased. Being a Siberian Husky, she lives for cold weather and SNOW, which is why Huskies are often called "Snowdogs"!
Fortunately, Mother Nature obliged and finally delivered over 5 inches of snow for Icy's Snowdog pleasure. Here are some fun photos of her and Cooper, Icy's Golden Retriever love interest, enjoying a romp in the snow.
This photo is my favorite. Icy is so excited to play in the snow, she looks like a wolf rather than a dog, don't you think?
Siberian Huskies tend to be a lot more energetic than most dogs. When you see them playing it sometimes looks like they're playing rough. Icy doesn't have an aggressive bone in her body, but when she plays she is pretty rough and tumble. Both dogs are 9 years old now, and Cooper has slowed down considerably. Not Icy though, she's as energetic and rambunctious as when she was a puppy!
Here's Icy saying "C'mon Coop, let's get wild in the snow like we used to"! And Cooper is looking at her like "Haven't you had enough yet, you crazy Husky?"
In the end both Cooper and Icy finally relax after a fun romp in the snow they've waited so long for!
How about you, have your pets played in the snow this season? Tell us about it in the comments - we Love when you Woof back at us!
My very favorite photos, including this one, are the ones taken in Sedona, Arizona when we lived in Phoenix. The dog friendly hiking in Sedona is incredible!
What's more fun than a dog friendly beach?! I love seeing the dogs diving into the water, chasing after balls and frisbees, it's a blast! They have so much fun. We have a nice little dog friendly beach here in Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island. It's mainly used by the local residents but the word has been spreading thanks to the internet.
Icy doesn't actually "swim" per se, but she is really starting to enjoy wading into the water up to her belly. When there are a bunch of other dogs at the beach she gets very excited, her hesitation melts away and wants to join in!
Icy likes to get up on the edge and watch the other serious water dogs dive in after balls and frisbees and marvel at how they swim! She won't jump in from the edge, she will walk gingerly down the aluminum dock launch or walk in via the sandy beach. I'm glad she doesn't dive in, it can be dangerous for any dog to dive in when the tide is low and the water is shallow.
Look how much fun these dogs are having jumping into the water, swimming and chasing balls and frisbees!! I hope Icy will one day join in with exuberance like these dogs and really SWIM! Who has more fun at the beach than these dogs!?
Icy is a total people lover, she loves every person (as well as every dog) she meets! She insists on greeting all the humans at the dog park, pet friendly beach, and pretty much everywhere else. You may think that's great, but actually it is sometimes an issue. Other dogs are often possessive of their humans. Icy has been "corrected" by dogs several times "Hey, Husky Girl, get your big snout away from my hu-mom!!" I always have to keep an eye out for her being too friendly with the other pet parents. Their fur kids don't always appreciate it!
It was an awesome day at the dog beach, we are so glad it's beach weather again!
Summer is around the corner, so keep these Pet Beach Safety tips in mind as the weather warms up! Planning a beach vacation this Summer? The stunning, pristine beaches of The Hamptons and Montauk on Long Island, New York are really special and can be surprisingly dog friendly, if you now where & when to go!
(This is a PetSmart Affiliate Link; if you purchase something through this link, I may receive a few cents as a PetSmart Affiliate Partner) Do you take your dog or other pets to pet friendly beaches? What does your pet like most about the beach? Leave us a comment and share!
Years ago we discovered beautiful Waterville Valley Resort in New Hampshire. It's a resort area with a small town square, condos and other lodgings. It's geared toward outdoor activities such as skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, and other fun activities. There's an indoor ice skating rink as well. We had been there a few times many years ago when we didn't have a dog. We always knew it was family friendly but until recently we didn't know it was also dog friendly.
Town Square in Waterville Valley resort, NH
The absolute BEST part of taking our dogs with us to Waterville Valley is the dog friendly trail that runs along the back side of the resort. It's actually a cross country ski trail, but dogs and foot traffic are allowed on this particular trail. We took the dogs hiking each day. It's a nice long trail, we had so much fun and it was just beautiful!
Icy pulls Phoebe in a sled along the dog friendly trail
We bought this adorable little sled for the trip and Icy had fun pulling Phoebe on it. However, Phoebe didn't want to stay put in the sled, she kept jumping out! It was a riot.
As we meandered along the trail, we took in all the crisp mountain air and the gorgeous scenery. This lovely stream runs all along the length of the trail. The soothing sounds of the stream and the birds chirping happily were so relaxing. We desperately needed to relax and unplug from all the craziness of daily life, and this was the ideal place to do that!
A section of the lovely stream that runs along the dog friendly trail in Waterville Valley, NH
Icy and Phoebe pause to take in the beauty of the mountains during our hike
I wish I could lead into telling you we found a great dog friendly hotel to stay in, but that's not the case. There are very few pet friendly lodgings in Waterville Valley. Much of the lodgings are privately owned condominiums that don't welcome pets. The few we did find were all booked up, you need to book those well in advance. We found a dog friendly place to stay but it was pretty awful. The place itself was older but it's a nice rustic lodge. It definitely could use some updating but with a rustic feel it worked. What didn't work at all was the dog friendly room! When you travel with dogs you don't expect the Ritz for sure, but it should at least not be horrible!
The lobby area was one of the nicest parts of our hotel. The giant scarf around the moose's neck was adorable!
I won't say the name of the hotel, I would never recommend it for travel with dogs or other pets, and I'm not one to badmouth products or places on my blog. Suffice to say that the dog friendly room was super outdated, and by outdated I mean downright dingy! Next time we travel to Waterville Valley with our dogs I'll look for a much better dog friendly place to stay. Either that or I'll just leave the dogs home. The only good thing about our room was the view of the stream from our window.
Phoebe stops for a photo by the stream along the dog friendly trail
I was amazed at how much Phoebe loved being in Waterville Valley! She normally Hates the cold and doesn't even want to go out in the yard to potty. But something happened to transform my fluffy delicate dog into a snow dog! She was racing along the trail each day, and even during nighttime potty breaks she was happy to be walking around the village. Who was this dog?!? I guess there's a bit of magic in those mountains.
Here's a quickie video of us Icy pulling Phoebe on the sled:
John and I had some fun of our own too, we both had a chance to ski! You may be wondering how we swung that with two dogs. I like to downhill ski and John is a cross country skier, so we ski separately anyway. I got to go skiing while he watched the dogs. When it was his turn to ski I stayed with the dogs. The cross country trails are right at the resort and the downhill trails are a quick shuttle ride up the road so it worked out great!
We each had some fun bonding time alone with the dogs out on the trail and we both got a chance to ski. The skiing was terrific, and being mid week the slopes & trails were practically empty, I felt like I had the whole mountain to myself!
Despite the crummy accommodations, it was an awesome trip! I would definitely recommend a trip to Waterville Valley Resort, just be cautious about where you stay if you brings your dog or cat along. Happy Trails!
What would you think about a trip to Waterville Valley? Leave us a comment, we always LOVE hearing from you!
My husband has been away for 3 weeks and my Siberian Husky, Icy, is NOT a happy dog! She expresses her discontent verbally in this 30 second video.
Wow, 'nuff said, huh?!? Icy rarely howls like this. Thank DOG my husband comes home tonight! Don't worry sweet dog, Daddy will be home in a few hours. We'll go together to pick him up at the train station! He'll be overjoyed to see his sweet little Husky. Oh, and he'll be happy to see Mommy too, LOL! Does your dog get a little crazy when you go away? Leave us a comment and share, we always love hearing from you!!
Just sharing a short, fun video of my Siberian Husky, Icy, doing what she loves most. Hiking and jumping up on big boulders!
Does your dog like to jump on rocks? Leave us a comment, we love hearing from you! Watch Icy do some cute, show stopping tricks like Where's My Dog? and Play Dead
Iditarod sled dogs and their mushers have been ripping up the Iditarod trail this week, heading for their final destination over 1,000 miles away, in Nome Alaska! Although some have made it in only 8 days it can take up to 15 days to complete the race depending on trail conditions! The race doesn't end until the last Musher crosses the finish line.
We had the pleasure of traveling to Anchorage, Alaska last week for the ceremonial start of the Iditarod, the "Last Great Race on Earth". It was a real party! TV crews, Newspaper reporters, Local politicians, and Thousands of people from all over the world converged on the otherwise quiet city of Anchorage to cheer the dogs and their mushers on to victory!
Seeing and hearing a team of sled dogs thundering by only a few feet away is so exciting! I couldn't take my eyes off these amazing animals! Check out this short video of the ceremonial race start:
I discovered that just a little further away from the finish line the track narrowed considerably and we were able to get up close and personal as the sled dog teams passed by. Turns out these were the best seats in the house! I captured a few more awesome videos like this one:
There were all sorts of characters milling around Anchorage at the starting line. Holy Hanna, I was almost LUNCH!!
Look! Even Chewbacca came out for the race. No that's not me in the photo with Chewbacca.
Did you know that over the years Anchorage hasn't had nearly enough snow to support dog sledding? They actually have to deliver snow by the truck load from another part of Alaska! In one day they covered 3 miles worth of trail in Anchorage with snow delivered from outside the city. In addition, the beautiful glaciers of Alaska have been receding at a rapid pace. Climate Change is Real, folks.
These dogs are having a snack of slump before the race begins.
The Iditarod sled dog race is run not only as an exciting competitive sport, but it is run in honor of the Great Serum Run of 1925, which saved the town of Nome, Alaska from a deadly Diphtheria epidemic. The epidemic may very well have wiped out a significant number of indigenous Alaskan people, which would have been tragic.
The Mushers and their teams are really dedicated, they all want to make the 1,000+ mile journey to Nome!
REFERRED TO AS "THE LAST GREAT RACE ON EARTH", THE ANNUAL IDITARODSLED DOG RACE STARTED LAST WEEKEND!!
THE IDITAROD IS A PUNISHING 1,000 + MILE SLED DOG RACE, ENTERED BY THE BRAVEST MUSHERS AND EXTREME SLED DOG ATHLETES. THIS HIGHLY COMPETITIVE SLED DOG RACE IS RUN ACROSS THE STATE OF ALASKA, STARTING IN ANCHORAGE AND ENDING IN NOME.
This statue in Central Park, NYC is of Balto, lead dog of the last sled dog team to reach Nome, Alaska with life saving Diptheria antitoxin.
THE IDITAROD RACE IS A TEST OF EXTREME ENDURANCE AND SKILL THAT PAYS HOMAGE TO THE SERUM RUN OF 1925, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS "THE GREAT RACE OF MERCY".
THE SERUM RUN WAS THE RESULT OF A DIPTHERIA OUTBREAK THAT POSED A SERIOUS THREAT TO THE PEOPLE OF NOME, ALASKA. DUE TO EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE ONLY WAY TO GET LIFESAVING ANTITOXIN SERUM TO NOME WAS VIA SLED DOG!
THE TRIP WAS SO HARSH, THEY NEEDED MULTIPLE SLED DOG TEAMS. APPROXIMATELY 150 DOGS AND 20 MUSHERS MADE THE TRECHEROUS 674 MILE JOURNEY IN 5.5 DAYS, JUST IN TIME TO SAVE THE PEOPLE OF NOME FROM DEADLY EPIDEMIC!
The Iditarod sled dog race is over 1,000 miles, often in treacherous blizzard conditions
THE IDITAROD RACE TAKES FROM 8 TO 15 DAYS DEPENDING ON THE SKILL OF THE TEAMS AND THE CONDITIONS ALONG THE OFTEN TRECHEROUS IDITAROD TRAIL.
IF THERE ARE ANY EDUCATERS OUT THERE, I HOPE YOU WILL FIND AN OPPORTUNITY TO TEACH YOUR STUDENTS THE AMAZING STORY OF THE SERUM RUN OF 1925.
KIDS CAN FOLLOW THE PROGRESS OF THE EXCITING IDITAROD RACE ONLINE. WHAT A FUN, EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY IT WOULD BE FOR STUDENTS TO FOLLOW ALONG, TRACKING THEIR FAVORITE SLED DOG TEAM!
In honor of upcoming Memorial Day here in the U.S., I wanted to share one of my favorite Memorial Day photos of my dog in Black & White. I like the old fashioned look it gives, kind of reminds me of my Dad's old WWII photos, which were black & white.
I just love how my girl Isis looks in this photo, the expression on her face is so sweet! She is such a cute little patriot! Here's the same photo in color:
Do you dress your pets up for patriotic holidays like Memorial Day? Leave us a comment, we always love to hear from you!
THIS IS THE BLACK AND WHITE SUNDAY BLOG HOP! THANKS TO OUR FRIENDS NOLA AND SUGAR FOR HOSTING!
Stop ripping your hair out every time your dog digs up the yard! Dogs like to dig, it's what they do. Some breeds are more prone to digging than others. Terriers, for example, are champion diggers. The name Terrier comes from the word Terra, meaning earth so it's no surprise they love to dig!
Icy used to scour the yard, digging holes everywhere!
Rather than lose your sanity over Fido ripping out every flower and shrub you've ever planted, embrace it! Am I crazy? Maybe, but that's beside the point. When Icy was just a puppy she began digging all over the yard. It looked like an army of Moles had invaded our yard. I tried all the recommendations;
Bury her poop in the places she usually digs; it just made a giant mess and didn't even work.
Bury large rocks where she likes to dig; She started digging up & playing with the rocks!
Bury wire mesh a few inches into the dirt; her nails got caught in the mesh and it frightened her.
Stop your dog's digging up the yard by letting them dig to their hearts content... in a place you designate!
Finally, some solid advice came my way - Let Her Dig! Huh? Yes, let her dig to her heart's content, but only in a place you designate. A sandbox or designated patch of earth to call her own. So I looked around the yard for a good place to make a Dig Pit for Icy. I decided that behind my husband's prized shed made the perfect spot! She could dig to her heart's content there behind the shed, out of site. Once I had chosen the perfect spot for a Dig Pit, here's what I did:
# I sectioned off the Dig Pit area behind the shed, about 6' x 4'.
# I started digging it up, just to loosen the dirt and make it nice and inviting. Dogs seem to love freshly dug up soil, which is probably why they love to dig up our plants moments after we've planted them!
# Now I needed to let her know there was a Dig Pit just for her. I took 2 or 3 chew sticks and placed them into the ground, with about 2 inches sticking out of the dirt so she could easily find them.
# I walked her over to the Dig Pit and showed her the first chew stick. It was so exciting for her, she had found buried treasure! She found and scarfed down all the chew sticks in minutes.
# I continued to bury treats, rubber toys, and chew sticks in her Dig Pit once or twice a day. She quickly learned that good stuff awaited her in the Dig Pit! Before long, her preferred spot to dig was the Dig Pit, and eventually she almost never bothered to dig anywhere else in the yard!
Icy, enjoying her special Dig Pit behind the shed!
Finally, I had conquered my dog's annoying digging habit..... by embracing it! Is your dog a DIGety Dog? Have you solved the problem of your dog's digging in another way? Please leave us a comment, we love to hear from you!!
