4 TIPS ON ENJOYING WINTER WITH YOUR POOCH

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Bauer is a six-year-old mini-schnauzer who we have lovingly dubbed our “first child” and when we decided to move across the country, it was no question that he would be joining us. Bauer has shared many new experiences with Alex and I. He was around when we brought Grace home from the hospital, ran around our first home and has built a solid relationship with all three of our human babies. He’s also pulled through two surgeries and multiple beard pullings from little people.

One of the things that we took into consideration when moving to Nebraska was the climate and how it would affect all of the members of our family including our doggy Bauer. We all come from a very tropical climate (FL) and having to transition into a new environment (in the middle of winter) has been quite the adjustment. I wanted to share four tips on how we are enjoying winter with our pooch!

1. Dress warm– The temperatures outside can get to be below freezing, keeping us all cooped up indoors. Bauer obviously has to go out for exercise and potty breaks and in order to keep him comfortable, we make sure he has a thick doggy coat. We like the kind that is fluffy on the inside and waterproof on the outside. Also we try to pay attention to the straps and where they touch his little body and adjust it often to avoid irritation.

2. Proper nutrition-  Choosing the right brand of food for our pooch is very important. The proper nutrition can do wonders for his attitude, his coat and his health.  We feed Bauer Purina® Pro Plan® brand DOG FOOD and have really seen how proper nutrition affects his overall wellbeing. We like the Purina Pro Plan Focus for small breeds because it has real ingredients, (real chicken is the #1 ingredient) has natural probiotic fiber, sourced from wheat bran which helps promote digestive health and it has 25% less fat compared to Purina Pro Plan SAVOR Shredded Blend Chicken & Rice Formula for adult dogs.  Having less fat in his diet is specially important during the winter months because we don’t get outside as often as we would like which can lead to unhealthy weight gain. Also, you can’t really go wrong with Purina Pro Plan.  They have fueled the past 10 Westminster champions and you can find the Purina Pro Plan brand at your local Petco!

3. Grooming– One of the reasons why we opted for a Schnauzer is for their lack of dander and because they don’t shed. However, if not properly groomed, Schnauzer’s hair will continue to grow into a tangled mess.  We’ve noticed that during the winter months, we have to let his hair grow out a little longer than we usually would to ensure that he stays as warm as possible. We maintain his facial Schnauzer look and spend time during the day brushing out the rest of his hair. Speaking of grooming… have you seen how beautiful the Westminster champions are?  We love to watch the Westminster dog show and this year you can enter to win a trip to the 2018 Westminster Dog show through the Pro Plan PetCo Sweepstakes below

4. Activity– When we take Bauer out for a walk, we make it a point to keep him active, even if it’s just for a few minutes. This gives  him an opportunity to burn some energy, keeps his heart healthy and warms him up enough to take the edge off the cold weather.

 

Has anyone seen this Dogumentary video? I love seeing how trainers prepare their dogs for the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.   They really put in so much work into making their doggies show ready. It encourages me to continue to take care of and love on our pooch!

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