Welcome to the Wednesday Dogs of Dogster! Every Wednesday, we share a narrative from one among our Dogsters. This week is about Meagan and her dynamic duo of dachshunds, Draper and Rue.
Winter in Canada generally is a lovely season, a time for snow-covered landscapes, heat, yummy drinks, and comfy instances indoors, with limitless debates over whether or not snow is a present from the heavens or a frosty curse. In our family, this seasonal debate is personified (or puppified) completely by our canine, Draper and Rue. These two pups, like in all issues, couldn’t be extra completely different relating to their opinion of winter. For Draper, his tiny legs, barely capable of conquer a staircase, now face piles of snow that may as effectively be Everest. His lengthy, low physique is a design flaw for frosty terrain. But Rue, the adventurous soul she is, sees no flaw in how she was designed and acts as if her low heart of gravity means she will be able to run down our icy, slippery yard with out ever shedding her steadiness! And so, our frosty journey begins!
Rue: The Snow Queen
Let’s begin with Rue, our pint-sized fanatic of all issues chilly and fluffy. Rue adores winter with the unbridled pleasure often reserved for youngsters on Christmas morning. Despite her slender body and lack of insulation—she’s extra modern greyhound than sturdy sausage—Rue bounds into the snow as if it have been her private playground. Cold? What chilly? Rue barely notices. She treats sub-zero temperatures like an invite to frolic.
My husband, all the time eager to bask in Rue’s snow-loving antics, takes to the yard with a shovel after each snowfall. He carves out winding trails by the drifts, making a dachshund-sized labyrinth that Rue treats like a racetrack. She zips by the paths, pouncing over the perimeters like a tiny deer, her lengthy ears flapping with every joyful leap. Occasionally, she’ll pause to burrow her head deep into the snow, rising with a frosty snout. Rue’s vitality is boundless, and she or he insists on a number of outings every day, regardless of how chilly it will get.
Draper: The Couch King
Then there’s Draper, Rue’s polar (pun meant) reverse. Draper has a really completely different relationship with winter. Where Rue sees journey, Draper sees inconvenience. Where Rue feels exhilarated, Draper feels personally attacked. If the temperature exterior dips under -10°C (14°F), what little enthusiasm Draper has for the outside shrinks to in regards to the dimension of his paw. He’ll grudgingly comply with Rue out into the yard, sticking to the meticulously crafted trails, however just for one cause: important rest room breaks. And even that’s negotiable if it’s too chilly (yep, we’ve had our fair proportion of winter “accidents” with Draper over time).
Draper’s refusal to cooperate in excessive chilly is each pitiful and hilarious. He’ll begin out bravely sufficient, however after a number of steps, his tempo slows, he lifts his paws larger and better, after which he simply… stops. There he stands, a dog-sicle, gazing again at us with a glance that clearly says, “Help me, Mom!” This often ends in a rescue operation involving one among us trekking out in socks and sandals to scoop him up and carry him again inside just like the royalty he believes himself to be.
If Draper dares to stray from the rigorously groomed trails, he usually finally ends up with snowballs clinging to his chest and stomach fur—an unlucky aspect impact of getting such a low-slung underside and lengthy luscious locks. This frosty predicament often results in one other one among Draper’s least favourite actions: a shower. It’s the quickest solution to soften these cussed snowballs, however Draper treats it as yet one more winter injustice.
Draper’s Winter Philosophy
In Draper’s opinion, bears have the precise concept. If it have been as much as him, winter could be for hibernation—he’d set his standing to “out of workplace” from mid-November to early April and come up within the spring feeling recent and able to bask within the solar. But, since Draper isn’t a bear, he embraces the chilly season as an excuse to transform into a professional napper. While Rue dashes about within the snow, Draper is curled up on the sofa, swaddled in blankets like a cinnamon roll with legs. His winter hobbies embrace sleeping, snoozing, and the occasional nap for selection. The solely factor Draper loves greater than a heat mattress is the sound of the cheese drawer opening or kibble pouring into his doggie dish.
The Great Jacket Debate
To assist our infants courageous the chilly, we’ve invested in winter jackets, sweaters, and booties. Draper, surprisingly, doesn’t thoughts the additional gear. In reality, he appears to understand the added insulation, rolling over to allow us to costume him after which fortunately trotting round in his winter ensemble. The booties, particularly, have been a game-changer for his delicate paws—as soon as he found out stroll in them, after all! They enable him to endure transient ventures into the frosty outdoor with out succumbing to a full-on freeze.
Rue, nevertheless, views doggie clothes as a wound to her ego. The second we attempt to slip her right into a jacket, her sunny disposition clouds over. She offers us probably the most dramatic puppy dog eyes possible, adopted by a sulky retreat to her mattress. If we persist and check out including the booties, she usually runs away to our mattress, attempting to cover behind a mountain of throw pillows. As a end result, we save Rue’s winter gear for less than the direst circumstances, when even her snow-loving spirit wants slightly further safety.
Polar Opposites in Harmony
Despite their opposing attitudes, Draper and Rue’s winter antics carry a number of leisure to our family. Watching Rue dart by the snow trails whereas Draper gazes out the window is a every day spotlight. Rue’s vitality usually coaxes Draper exterior for a couple of minutes, and Draper’s cozy napping spots usually tempt Rue to affix him for a cuddle.
Their contrasting approaches to winter additionally function a reminder of the fantastic thing about steadiness. Draper teaches us the worth of slowing down, of savoring the heat and luxury of house throughout the chilly months. Rue, then again, conjures up us to embrace the season with gusto, to seek out pleasure within the easy pleasure of creating snow angels or a brisk winter stroll. Together, they embody the yin and yang of dachshund life: one half lazy luxurious, one half unstoppable enthusiasm.