Draper and Rue’s Snowy Adventures – Dogster

Welcome to the Wednesday Dogs of Dogster! Each Wednesday, we share a narrative from certainly one of our Dogsters. This week is about Meagan and her dynamic duo of dachshunds, Draper and Rue.

Winter in Canada could be a stunning season, a time for snow-covered landscapes, heat, yummy drinks, and comfortable instances indoors, with infinite debates over whether or not snow is a present from the heavens or a frosty curse. In our family, this seasonal debate is personified (or puppified) completely by our canine, Draper and Rue. These two pups, like in all issues, couldn’t be extra completely different concerning their opinion of winter. For Draper, his tiny legs, barely in a position to conquer a staircase, now face piles of snow which may as effectively be Everest. His lengthy, low physique is a design flaw for frosty terrain. However Rue, the adventurous soul she is, sees no flaw in how she was designed and acts as if her low heart of gravity means she will run down our icy, slippery yard with out ever dropping her steadiness! And so, our frosty journey begins!

Rue: The Snow Queen

Let’s begin with Rue, our pint-sized fanatic of all issues chilly and fluffy. Rue adores winter with the unbridled pleasure often reserved for youngsters on Christmas morning. Regardless of her slender body and lack of insulation—she’s extra glossy greyhound than strong sausage—Rue bounds into the snow as if it have been her private playground. Chilly? What chilly? Rue barely notices. She treats sub-zero temperatures like an invite to frolic.

My husband, at all times eager to bask in Rue’s snow-loving antics, takes to the yard with a shovel after each snowfall. He carves out winding trails by means of the drifts, making a dachshund-sized labyrinth that Rue treats like a racetrack. She zips by means of the paths, pouncing over the perimeters like a tiny deer, her lengthy ears flapping with every joyful leap. Sometimes, she’ll pause to burrow her head deep into the snow, rising with a frosty snout. Rue’s vitality is boundless, and she or he insists on a number of outings every day, irrespective of how chilly it will get.

Draper: The Sofa King

Then there’s Draper, Rue’s polar (pun supposed) reverse. Draper has a really completely different relationship with winter. The place Rue sees journey, Draper sees inconvenience. The place Rue feels exhilarated, Draper feels personally attacked. If the temperature exterior dips under -10°C (14°F), what little enthusiasm Draper has for the outside shrinks to in regards to the measurement of his paw. He’ll grudgingly comply with Rue out into the yard, sticking to the meticulously crafted trails, however just for one purpose: important rest room breaks. And even that’s negotiable if it’s too chilly (yep, we now have had our justifiable share of winter “accidents” with Draper over time).

Draper’s refusal to cooperate in excessive chilly is each pitiful and hilarious. He’ll begin out bravely sufficient, however after a couple of steps, his tempo slows, he lifts his paws larger and better, after which he simply… stops. There he stands, a dog-sicle, gazing again at us with a glance that clearly says, “Assist me, Mother!” This often ends in a rescue operation involving certainly one of us trekking out in socks and sandals to scoop him up and carry him again inside just like the royalty he believes himself to be.

If Draper dares to stray from the rigorously groomed trails, he usually finally ends up with snowballs clinging to his chest and stomach fur—an unlucky aspect impact of getting such a low-slung underside and lengthy luscious locks. This frosty predicament often results in one other certainly one of Draper’s least favourite actions: a shower. It’s the quickest option to soften these cussed snowballs, however Draper treats it as one more winter injustice.

Draper’s Winter Philosophy

In Draper’s opinion, bears have the correct thought. If it have been as much as him, winter could be for hibernation—he’d set his standing to “out of workplace” from mid-November to early April and come up within the spring feeling contemporary and able to bask within the solar. However, since Draper isn’t a bear, he embraces the chilly season as an excuse to transform into a professional napper. Whereas Rue dashes about within the snow, Draper is curled up on the sofa, swaddled in blankets like a cinnamon roll with legs. His winter hobbies embrace sleeping, snoozing, and the occasional nap for selection. The one factor Draper loves greater than a heat mattress is the sound of the cheese drawer opening or kibble pouring into his doggie dish.

The Nice Jacket Debate

To assist our infants courageous the chilly, we’ve invested in winter jackets, sweaters, and booties. Draper, surprisingly, doesn’t thoughts the additional gear. In reality, he appears to understand the added insulation, rolling over to allow us to gown him after which fortunately trotting round in his winter ensemble. The booties, specifically, have been a game-changer for his delicate paws—as soon as he found out the way to stroll in them, after all! They permit him to endure transient ventures into the frosty outdoor with out succumbing to a full-on freeze.

Rue, nevertheless, views doggie clothes as a wound to her ego. The second we attempt to slip her right into a jacket, her sunny disposition clouds over. She provides us essentially the most dramatic puppy dog eyes conceivable, adopted by a sulky retreat to her mattress. If we persist and take a look at including the booties, she usually runs away to our mattress, making an attempt to cover behind a mountain of throw pillows. In consequence, we save Rue’s winter gear for under the direst circumstances, when even her snow-loving spirit wants just a little further safety.

Polar Opposites in Concord

Regardless of their opposing attitudes, Draper and Rue’s winter antics convey a number of leisure to our family. Watching Rue dart by means of the snow trails whereas Draper gazes out the window is a every day spotlight. Rue’s vitality usually coaxes Draper exterior for a couple of minutes, and Draper’s cozy napping spots usually tempt Rue to hitch him for a cuddle.

Their contrasting approaches to winter additionally function a reminder of the great thing about steadiness. Draper teaches us the worth of slowing down, of savoring the heat and luxury of dwelling in the course of the chilly months. Rue, however, evokes us to embrace the season with gusto, to search out pleasure within the easy pleasure of creating snow angels or a brisk winter stroll. Collectively, they embody the yin and yang of dachshund life: one half lazy luxurious, one half unstoppable enthusiasm.