Tara on a warmer day out at the horse farm.
It’s tough for a dog on a cold Canberra winter morning!
“Oooh no! She is going to make me go outside to wee, and it’s freezing out there. I’m sure I could hold on a bit longer if only she’d let me stay inside till it warms up a bit!
Can’t she see it’s almost snowing. There’s ice all over the deck and the stairs. It’s deadly dangerous for a dog. Surely she understands that. How hard-hearted can you be?
Uh oh – she’s going to get mad in a minute with all this cold air coming in the door. If I don’t move soon I’m going to get a nudge in my backside. Oh well, here goes nothing.
Ouch, ouch, ouch – the deck is freezing and my paws are sticking to it. I’ll probably end up with frost bite. My dew claws will turn into ice picks.
Aaah. There, I made it safely across the deck, now it’s time for the big challenge, the stairs. They’re covered with ice. This is where it gets REALLY scary. Here goes nothing. The first step OK, second Ok, Oh no. Yeeeow, I’m off down the rest of the steps on my backside. Ouch Ouch Ouch. Now my bottom is frozen AND bruised.
Oh well, at least the worst is over. Now I have to bare my sensitive rear end to the frosty grass. Not a pleasant thought, but I’d better get it over with before I get any colder. Aaaah, that’s better. Funny thing, I’m making my own steam.
Now that’s over, there’s no way I’m going back up those stairs again. It will be upstairs downstairs for sure.
It’s time for a move I’ve perfected over the years and used to my advantage. Guaranteed to melt the hardest heart. If I want food, it helps. If I’m seeking attention, it’s a winner.
I’ll just choose my spot down here in the carport where I am in her direct line of vision from the kitchen window, and sit up and beg. Humiliating I know, but to me it’s the lesser of two evils. She’ll have to see me sooner or later. It’s a bit cold on my bottom, but it’s better than those slippery steps.
Aah, she’s seen me. That didn’t take too long.
Here she comes, down the steps hanging on to the hand rails. Now I’m up in her arms and in a jif we’re safely up the stairs and back in the warm house. Works every time!”