My Hunting Dog Training Blog

This morning I went out to feed and water the dogs and I found their 5 gallon water bucket frozen solid. Since the snowstorm, temperatures have dipped below freezing and then some. Today it was minus fourteen degrees when I was headed off to work around 7:00 am. The dogs seem to be doing well despite the cold snap with their insulated dog houses inside the barn. I have started bringing fresh water out to them 2-3 times a day as it freezes in a matter of a couple hours. I thought about buying the heated water bucket at the local feed store but I am paranoid that my pups would chew on the cord and get electrocuted.

I let the dogs out to run in the snow since they really haven't ever seen snow before. Abby discovered how slippery snow can be and ended up tumbling a few times while negotiating sharp turns on slick surfaces. They love to get out of the kennel and run and play. After a few minutes they disappeared and I went searching for them. I heard barking in my neighbors horse barn so I went to investigate. Turns out my neighbor has 50-100 pheasant in the back of his barn and my dogs were going crazy trying to get through the chicken wire.

The North side of my workshop is growing some wonderful icicles as the snow melts a little each day on the metal roof and re-freezes at night. It made me think of the classic holiday movie "A Christmas Story" where Ralphie ricochets a bb off the icicles and breaks his glasses. The cold weather has presented some new challenges, but overall I think the dogs are getting along fine.