You have planned your white week… with your four legged friends! A holiday among snow and cold at last, during which you can relax together with your pets too. What doing to organize the perfect holiday for all? Four simple advice and the week will be holiday for all, not only for you.
1) The house
In your mountain house where the dog or the cat has already been, there will be no problems. He will recognize “his” smells the pheromones left during the previous holidays with his marks and finding them again, even after a long time, he will feel quiet being in a known place.
If you are guests of friends instead, even with another animal, it will be better to make the two know each other before, possibly in a neutral place where there are no territorial dominions.
The “ presentation” will be also useful to understand if a possible living together is possible or if it will become a hell.
If you have chosen to spend the time in a hotel or to rent a house, please consider that pleasant places for us will be much less for our friends who will find themselves in a unknown place.
In this case you can put them at ease, by creating a small home corner, with their doghouse or the blanket for the sleep, their toys , known odors, so that they are not completely lost.
You will also avoid the marks they could leave on furniture that is not yours.
Very territorial dogs or anxious cats will do that however. But you know your friends and, if you already experienced this problem, you could provide the pheromones of quietness before ( different for dogs and cats) that are available in collars or dispenser.
2) The company
Unless it is the known house, don’t leave your friend alone for a long time.
A strange place could provoke crisis for anxiety of abandonment with consequent destroying “revenges” on furniture and objects or continuous recall of yelps and meowing.
3) Snow games
In case of a cat, it won’t be easy ( and maybe not requested), but dogs love to be on holidays with you! Bring them on the snow, make them play in situation not always familiar but of discovery. The most part of dogs love to roll on the white ground, dig, run and jump, lay under the sun like ladies…
Some foresight is necessary here too: don’t let the dog eat too much snow, he could have stomach disturbs.
Always cover him. Only if he moves a lot and it is not too much cold you can leave him without his coat, provided he is not a very young dog and with short fur and above all if he is ancient!
At home return dry him very well above all among the fingers of the paws. In dogs with lot of fur, small painful icicles could form under the paws.
To avoid them , you could use “ small shoes” and protecting creams suitable for sled dogs, that are on sale in the specialized stores.
4) The sun
Last recommendation: the light subjects have to pay attention to the sun and his reflex, much more powerful than the one in the city or at the sea, possibly using a protection cream, above all on the edges of the ears and… Happy holidays to everyone!