Hi All,

just been lurking on all the topics and sometimes I wish there was a like button because they make me laugh but I could never add to the topic.  Anyways, wanted to see if you guys have any suggestions on my Husky for first time in the snow. We have a Husky Meet coming up early January in Tahoe and this might be Kota's first time in the snow. I have never taken a dog to the snow ever so I wasn't sure how to prepare myself.

Do I need to worry about her paws getting cold? Should I get snowboots? I know she is a husky and is meant for the snow but I had to question myself.  My sister took her lab mix to the snow last year and she had a lot of fun but I think when she felt her paws were too cold, she would jump on to her human and lay on top of her or keep her paws off the snow.

Also, she has a lot of fur under her paws. Should I trim it down so that the snow would not freeze and get stuck under there? Thanks in advanced!

(I need to figure out how to get pictures of my girls on this site from my phone. Been meaning to share.)

I think it all depends on the individual dog and how they react to the snow.  Snow and ice do get stuck in that long toe-hair, but I've never trimmed it from the feet of any of my dogs during the winter.  It not only protects the bottoms of their feet, it also seems to provide them with traction.  I didn't trim their feet until after winter was over.

I did once try to put snow boots on my American Eskimo Dog, and I did my best to acclimate him to them, etc. -- He was a bit "delicate" compared to my other Spitz/Nordics so I thought he needed the extra protection.  Once he was out in the snow, he gnawed them right off his feet -- He was a like a buzz saw with fur anyway, but I was surprised at how fast he got them off.  I gave up after that.  I figure, as long as I'm not using my dogs as sled dogs, they don't need boots and they can keep their furry toes.

Otherwise, you should probably just prepare to have a wet but happy dog.  Don't be surprised to see lots of rolling plus a dog constantly shoving her entire head into the snow.  Take lots of towels!

Oh, and Dive-Hunting!  That's the funniest thing.  Sometimes the dogs will "hunt" for things under the snow by taking a flying leap into the air and diving head-first into the snow.  That's how foxes, coyotes, and sometimes wolves hunt for mice and voles that tunnel under the snow.  It's pretty funny to watch.

Look into a product called Mushers Secret. It will help with clumping snow on the fur between toes. It's basically a soft wax that helps protect the paw pads and will make it harder for snow to grab onto their fur. Other than than Faye has it covered. Take pictures and just enjoy, but bring along a good towel to dry off all that snow before getting back in the car.

Mushers secret is a good idea.

Your dog is going to have a great time. You'll likely see a level of energy that you've never witnessed before.

My dogs are outdoor dogs (I know! The inhumanity!). They have a doggy door into a kennel area in the garage that is finished. We run a space heater to keep things above freezing in the winter. The place has never dipped below 40 F. But outdoors here in South Dakota can get down right dangerous for most of the winter. My husky refuses to come inside during the winter, while my other dog only goes outside to relieve himself. Every time it snows the husky goes crazy like it's manna from heaven. There is something hard wired about huskies when it comes to snow.

Thank you Faye, Jenn and Dave!

Now I am super excited to see how Kota is going to react in the snow! We will be staying for 2 nights. I've seen videos and pictures of huskies doing that and hope she does as well.

I will definitely check out Mushers Secret! Can this also be used at all times or only in the snow?

Also, I definitely need to have a lot of towels. She is all fur. Way fluffy then my sister's husky. She weights 40lbs, but I think 30lbs is fur. lol.

I have never done anything special for snow, we used to live in WA state so we used to see plenty of it too. I have had Mushers Secret on hand for years and honestly I have NEVER once used the stuff...complete waste of money in my case. Granted I bought it more for bikejoring and to protect from the potential damage of running on concrete in the urban jungle but have never found myself needing to use it for snow or urban exercise. I have also never trimmed the fur on the pads of my sibes feet and have never had an issue with snow build up. I do, however, quickly wipe the snow off the dogs' feet with a towel before they come inside.

Yeah, we wipe our dogs' feet when they come in, too, whenever it's snowing or raining. Mud, mud, mud ...

Come to think of it -- I remember that my old Lapphund used to come inside and very casually lick the bottoms of his front paws whenever the toe fur got packed with ice and snow. I think he kinda liked doing that. Doggy popsicle?