Yesterday it positively poured. Portland gets its fair share of rain so when we get “very heavy rain,” it’s notable!
Mr. N ran out long enough to go to the bathroom and ran right back indoors. In the few minutes that we were out, we both were fairly wet despite wearing rain gear.
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| Mr. N plans to hibernate until the flood is over |
It’s not really fair to make him walk in this weather because he gets drenched despite wearing a rain coat and a fleece and starts shivering. Then he starts running to the nearest awning he can find and looks like a miserable drowned rat. He has very little body fat and his hair isn’t weather-proof at all. He’s not made to be a water loving dog. Although oddly enough we know someone with a Lab who hates the rain (but loves water otherwise) so she has to put a rain coat on him for walks.
Thanks to the moderate climate here, we really don’t have to worry about cold weather (at least not enough to prevent us from walking) or hot weather for the most part. But we do have the odd day here and there when it’s raining cats and dogs and we decide to do indoor activities inside (playing with the FitBone and working on rolling with the blanket in his mouth). Being cold is bad enough, being cold and wet is just wretched.
How do you decide it’s too miserable outside to walk outdoors?
January 16, 2015 9:01 am
Vince actually walked both of the dogs this morning before the rain started and he also took Zoe on an errand, too! I was thrilled. If it's pouring cats and dogs then we don't go out. If it's freezing and windy we might go out, it just really depends on how cold it is. It's been crazy windy over here this whole week!
January 16, 2015 12:56 pm
Hi Y'all!
I don't like to go out in the rain either. It isn't the "getting wet", it's the little pellets hitting my back! Being a Chessie I've got a great waterproof coat. It's hard to get me wet enough to bathe. It's the "stuff" hitting my back that annoys me.
Y'all come on by,
Hawk aka BrownDog
January 16, 2015 1:01 pm
Mom forces us to walk in all weather, but we are happy in any weather. Katie doesn't like rain, but she walks anyway. Luckily, we all have nice fur coats, and don't get cold. Only when it is more than -10 do we cut walks down to 20-30 mins but that is only a couple days a year. Hope it is warmed up for you so you can keep paw padding forward outdoors!
January 16, 2015 10:28 pm
Mr. N will walk in light rain but yesterday was really too much. He ends up being more water than dog!
January 16, 2015 1:30 pm
I have one that loves anything water – and one that looks as if she's been party to the most gruesome of views if I even dare to suggest she go outside in it! She actually stands on tippy-paws!
I like Mr N's plan of hibernating – that sounds a cracking idea 😀
January 16, 2015 2:39 pm
We don't have to deal with the cold either…and not much rain, so we go out pretty much every day,
January 16, 2015 5:28 pm
I'm liking the hibernation idea, too! I usually let Barley tell me if it's too miserable to walk–because I'm pretty sure I was a cat in another life and could find an excuse to stay inside and nap regardless of the weather (too cold, too wet, the perfect patch of sun across the foot the bed). If it's pouring, Barley stands in the door way and puts the breaks on–even if I go out and dance in the rain at the other end of the leash–so we go back in and wait until it's just a drizzle. If it's crazy cold like it's been this month, we still go for a walk, but the second she holds up her paw for me to wipe off the snow build up, we turn around and go home.
January 16, 2015 10:32 pm
Yeah, I worry about him catching dog pneumonia or something. He is OK with cold to some degree (we've walked in the 20s, haven't had the chance for anything colder) but when he gets wet, he's miserable.
January 16, 2015 7:37 pm
We're pretty good about our daily walks, but will cancel them when it's pouring! When it does, the pups stand in out patio doorway & look at me appalled …"you can't be seriously expecting us to go outside..we'll hold it until tomorrow!"
January 16, 2015 7:49 pm
Living in the northeast, there are definitely days when we forgo the daily walk. We usually try of have some fun playing "hide-and-seek" with toys or other treats or doing a bit of roughhousing in the living room!
Funny that you mention a lab friend that hates the rain – we know of a black lab the same way! She will not even step outside when it is raining!
January 16, 2015 10:14 pm
hehe, I don't like walking outside in the rain but Rocco doesn't mind it a bit! He also gets drenched… he doesn't have a water-rolls-off kind of coat either, but he doesn't mind being a drowned rat! Hope the sun shines soon!
January 16, 2015 11:15 pm
We don't usually walk if it's more than a light rain, but I want to try to do better about that, since the dogs don't mind rain, it's just me. This winter has been awful here though….just too, too cold, and I just can't talk myself into going out in it. It's so much work to bundle everyone up and then you still can't stay out too long. When it's storming it's difficult too, because we can't walk on the roads….there's no sidewalks here and with plows out it's just not safe. I'm hoping we get more snow so I can make some snowshoe trails and then if it warms up enough we'll get back out there! We do still play in the yard some though, since we can do a few minutes at a time.
Jan, Wag 'n Woof Pets
January 19, 2015 10:37 pm
Here is Virginia, we get all types of weather. Last winter was the first for me as a pet parent where the temps were so low, we were warned about the length of time pets should be outside. We complied of course. Harley doesn't really enjoy a hard rain, but we are used to walking in all sorts of weather. The more it rains, the shorter our walk, but we walk regardless. Tell Mr. N. we can definitely relate.
January 3, 2018 2:27 pm
It is so bitterly cold here in NY that Henrietta can hardly be out long enough to piddle!
January 3, 2018 2:27 pm
I’m glad to see the Fit Dog series again (or was it along the whole time and I missed it?). Normally we don’t have any problems with exercise in the winter. On the contrary, more exercise is possible on the cold days than on the hot ones. Last few weeks, though, with the arctic temperatures of -30 degrees Celsius on average we had no choice than stay mostly inside.
January 4, 2018 4:37 am
We are envious of your weather! It’s the cold and/or ice that puts an end to our walks. I think we are on at least day 10 of no walks at all. It got into the low teens yesterday so got fleeces on both dogs and Dolly booties and we only went 2 blocks and back. It’s been below zero for several days it’s so cold the girls are hobbling back in just after going potty. Looking forward to the 30s this weekend! Sandra and Dolly
January 4, 2018 7:47 am
Since my dogs are short, I have to be mindful of how deep the snow is. It isn’t fair to them to make them walk if the snow is up to their bellies. Although people are supposed to shovel the sidewalks, many of my neighbors don’t. Between the snow and cold, my dogs don’t go for that many walks in the winter.