Dogs like nothing better than when something a little out of the ordinary happens. So, when the world has turned white one morning and the water has gone hard and slippery, you can’t blame a dog for getting a little excited, can you?
At first you might be a little unsteady on your paws but when there is a new and interesting experience to be had then a few slips and slides hardly matter.
A new experience might not always be one which is met with full confidence, of course...
..there might be some sort of existential
who am I, where am I? crisis for a second or two...
..and if a dog can do puzzled bemusement, then this one certainly can. Sometimes, an enticement is needed...
Nervous steps lead to curiosity...
...and it isn't long before full canine confidence is re-established.
.The enticement? If there is a stick, then it needs fetching: the fact it is on solid ice is irrelevant.
Likewise, if the stick is frozen in the ice then that, too, is an irrelevance. Bonus, maybe - relevant
not.
One thing is for sure, the sticks lying all over the shore are far too easy to obsess over.
Not every dog will give you immediate thanks for this new experience, of course.
Moreover, even wrapping up warm might not be enough to convince every dog that this is a good idea.
The ice can sometimes bring on one of those
I'm not supposed to be here, am I? moments. Yet then the fun can really begin.
Until...
...and
After a while, however, a good dog will find his
ice legs.
There may be the occasional slip...
Not to mention the odd bothersome slide...
At the end of the day, of course, all a dog wants is to have some fun - and this is one of the
icest ways to have it.
(Apologies for that truly appalling pun: couldn't help it.)
First Image Credit Linus Ekenstam
