Tag Archives: snow

Shih Tzu Day 220: Getting Out in the Snow

Posted on by
Reply

A shih tzu peeking over several inches of snow. We didn’t got to bed until midnight, and I was hoping the shih tzus would forget to wake us up, but they were right on time at 6:30.

Nigel had an abundance of energy this morning. He kept tearing across the floor then turning around and racing back in the opposite direction. I was so involved in watching him that I didn’t realize that Flower had moved over and was sitting right next to me, with her head resting on the laptop stand. Then, she moved it to rest on my arm. Later, she was using Dottie’s side as a pillow, and looking backwards at me. I thought it was so sweet. Moments like that, I think of when we brought Flower, Candy, and Dottie home, and how Flower flattened herself against the wall and snapped her teeth when I tried to approach her.

Later, Flower and Candy were roaming around, and Dottie was in her preferred position on the couch. Flower and Candy came up and put their paws on the couch, and Dottie snarled at them and growled. I corrected her and moved her over next to me. Flower was courageous and leaped up onto the couch.

John was going out to brave shoveling snow, after our biggest snow of the season. We decided to take the dogs outside. The snow is so high that it made a barrier to the street, so we knew they couldn’t get away. We put their leashes on their collars and I took them into the garage one by one, except Nigel, who dashed out the door after Dad as soon as I attached his leash.

The main reason I put their leashes on them is so they could get used to trailing them behind them, since it has been a while since we put leashes on them. Flower was the only one that really acted frightened.

Flower and Dottie wouldn’t leave my side at first, but once the sidewalk was shoveled, Candy walked up and down it, and then Flower and Dottie went to check it out.

What I wasn’t think about was the noise from the neighbor’s snow blower. As soon as it started up, they all ran back into the garage, except Nigel. Candy wandered back out and decided to explore under John’s truck. A little while later, I saw her trying to hop through the snow, which was at least as tall as she is. She made a couple of attempts and then went back under the snow.

A shih tzu near a snowblower.Once John and the neighbors had cleared enough snow away, Nigel wandered off to examine the neighbor’s garage and then trotted down the sidewalk, before we noticed. John went and got him and we kept a better eye on him after that.

Flower follow me wherever I went, until I decided they’d had enough adventure and put them back inside. Dottie mainly stayed in the garage at first, but then came over to me and stayed by my side.

Shih Tzu Day 219: Snow Day

Posted on by
Reply

We woke up this morning to lots of snow. There was a little area on the porch relatively snow free, so I still fed the female shih tzus outside and Nigel in the kitchen. The snow reminded me of the first snow day we had with the shih tzus, when I put them in their sweaters and sent them out to explore. They are used to snow now, so they ate and came right back in.

Con-Way called John at about 7 and told him that he had the day off. Even if they could get the trucks out to make deliveries, a lot of businesses would be closed. John was very happy. So was Nigel. He got to sit on John’s lap off and on throughout the day.

Since it was a snow day for John, and there was too much snow to tempt us from going anywhere, we watched movies off and on. I did some work that didn’t require a lot of concentration.

Nigel and Candy, the most energized of the four shih tzus, provided some entertainment with their play fighting. At 2:50 p.m., Candy decided it was food time and started prancing around and barking. Then, Nigel ran up to John’s knee, put his paws on it, and growled his protest of their starvation. Dottie and Flower looked a little curious, but didn’t join in. I made them wait, because we were having an early steak dinner. They got a few small bites.

Shih Tzu Day 119: Snow Shih Tzus

Posted on by
5

shih tzu snow angels

a <em srcset=shih tzu playing in the snow.” width=”270″ height=”203″ />a <em srcset=shih tzu kicking up snow. ” width=”240″ height=”180″ />I normally go outside with the shih tzu sisters when they eat, but it snowed last night, so today I put their bowls on the porch and came back inside and stood at the door. Flower did her normal routine. As soon as she was done, she wandered over near Candy, still eating her food. When the shih tzus first came to live with us, Flower would gobble down her food, rush over to Candy, push her nose in Candy’s bowl and start helping her finish her food.

I have corrected her so many times though, that now she looks up to see if I am watching her. When I catch her, I knock on the glass and shake my finger at her, and she usually walks away, like she did this morning. If I stay away from the window too long, chances are I will catch her nose in the bowl, with Candy beside her watching. When they are all done, I open the door and Nigel out.

three shih tzus playing in the snow. After the shih tzus ate, they wandered out into the snow. I don’t know if they have ever played in the snow before. They all came from Kansas, but since the shih tzu sisters were in a puppy mill, I don’t know what the conditions were. I have no idea what kind of life Nigel had before being turned over to the animal shelter, but he might have played in snow.

I do know it was the first time for the shih tzus to play in snow at the Freeze home. I really enjoyed seeing them bounding across the yard like rabbits. Flower and Candy especially looked like they were having a good time.

a shih tzu with snow frozen to her legs. Abut a half-hour after we all came inside I looked at Candy and realized she had ice stuck to her fur on her chest and paws. I sat her on my lap and picked the ice off, then got a microfiber cloth, dipped it in warm water and held it on the remaining ice to melt it. She put her head on my lap when I was done and stayed there until I moved my position.

When she got up, I thought she might jump off the couch, but she went over and lay down on top of Dottie. She stayed there for quite awhile, with Nigel next to them. Later, Flower came up and lay down on the arm of the couch. It was unusual and sweet to have four shih tzus sleeping on the couch. Flower’s first choice would have been her couch, but since she peed on it again, it’s off limits to her.

I had the shih tzus all go outside again in the afternoon. This time when the children came in, I noticed that Flower had snowballs stuck on her. The same thing probably happened this morning, but I didn’t realize it. I looked online to see what people do when snow sticks to dogs and read to sit them in warm water. I put a few inches of water in the sink and splashed it on Flower’s fur until the snow melted, then wrapped a towel around her, held her on my lap and dried her off.

(Please visit our FLICKR page for more first snow pictures.)

back to being a recluse

Candy was back to being a recluse this afternoon. She went over to her area by the dining room, and if I tried to go near her, she ran under the table. She is a strange little shih tzu.

Dottie, Candy and Nigel shih tzu on the couch together.One shih tzu peeking around the corner and three shih tzus on the couch.The couch dynamics changed this afternoon. Nigel sat on my lap for about an hour. Later, he lay down on the left of me and Flower sat on my right. I don’t think Dottie liked the arrangement, so she decided to sit on the couch arm, looking dejected.

four shih tzus on a couch.Sometimes I hope that I am not doing them a disfavor by taking them all in. Dottie is very possessive of me, and I think she would have made an ideal only dog. However, I know she knows I love her, and for the most part, I think she’s happy here with her sisters, although she doesn’t like to share her side of the couch or Mom — and she could do without Nigel.