My friend Vicki was setting tracks for her GSD today and suggested I do
a short track for Zipper. There's about 2" of snow on the ground and I
know his feet get cold, but I figured, well, what the hey. I'll do a
really short one. Temp was 21F.

I set a very short straight track, 60 yards. Dropped some pieces of
sausage every 10 yards or so, then a nice bonus at the end with the
glove. I figured the track would take less than 5 minutes to run.

Zipper, bundled into his Snuggler coat with harness over the top,
started great. I angled him to the start, he got the start article and
took off. But his treats had sort of gotten buried in the snow. So at
each treat he had to stop. All was going well until the third treat.
He's rooting around in the snow and slowly his left rear leg lifts up.
His foot has gotten cold. But he wants that treat. But then the right
rear foot cramps, and that leg too lifts up. Now he's snuffling for his
treat while doing a handstand. And he's getting uncomfortable. His
little feet are cold, he doesn't want to put them down, and he's kind of
stuck. But not giving up. Finally he gets his treat, then realizes that
he sort of can't move. He wobbles around to look at me, butt and rear
feet completely in the air, nonplussed.

After Vicki and I managed to quit laughing, I went up and gave his feet
a brisk massage. He finished the track easily and I carried him back to
the car.

I sure wish I had a camera. And yes, he's fine but no, I won't track him
in snow any more.

Robin Nuttall wrote:

I sure wish I had a camera. And yes, he's fine but no, I won't track him
in snow any more.

I don't know... I think I'd be tempted to do it one more time,
video camera running!

FurPaw

--
Why do people who embrace Social Darwinism object to teaching the
theory of evolution?

To reply, unleash the dog.

On 2008-12-17 21:40:48 -0500, Robin Nuttall said:

Finally he gets his treat, then realizes that he sort of can't move. He
wobbles around to look at me, butt and rear feet completely in the air,
nonplussed.

I'll always remember this...