Snow Blues

Yesterday, the eve of the Offical First Day of Spring, it snowed. The day before that, it was in the 60's. Gotta love Nebraska. Well, the midwest. I am a very, "Yay, SNOW!!!" I love snow! I really do. Snow is beautiful and magical. I love the way it blankets the ground and sparkles. Snow frosted trees and bushes. Ahh...it's a wonderful thing of nature. This is why when I am less than pleased about snow, it's kinda a big deal.
Sammy is also a fan of snow. He loves the way it floats down, and then moves when he walks. He tries to catch it. Then once he does, he eats it. Such a tasty treat. I wondered, with this being his first winter, if he would get tired of it. But he didn't. Even yesterday's snow he had a grand time eating and rolling in it. From inside he loved watching it fall and blow around.
....BUT, yesterday's snow was not welcome! Neither Sammy or I were pleased. Aside from the previous day being perfectly wonderful, in the 60's with lots of sun and blue sky, let me point out my biggest frustration with this snow. We just got Sammy to go to the bathroom in the grass again!
This may take some explanation. This is Sammy's first winter. It was a long winter. Snow came and stayed the whole time. Our 'yard' was like a glacier. Even once stuff started melting, we are on the North side, and down slope, it became an icy tundra. The grass has been buried for months. Once we began to get most of the grass back, Sammy sniffed and had a heck of a good time in it, but would not under any circumstances go to the bathroom on it! Maybe he thought it was sacred and would spoil it, but I lean more towards the idea that he doesn't remember it and only thinks he can potty in the snow piles. For a while, I aided him and we went to snow piles just for him. It became routine that upon opening the door, he would pull and tug to the nearest snow remainder. I thought, I can go along with this. After a day or two he will notice other dogs do it, so he will adapt. That is sooo not the case!
We were down to one snowpile around the building, and that was the ONLY place he would take care of business. We would stand in the grass for 15 minutes while both of us knew he had to go, and nothing. I would eventually take pity and we would round the corner and Sammy tugs right to that beautiful snow pile! Eventually, like all snow, it melted. There was no snow remaining. I remember this day well. Erik took him out in the morning and got him to take care of numero uno at about 7:30 am. I happened to have a 10 am test that morning, so when i left at 9 they went back to bed for a nap. When I came back at 11:45, they were still napping (they did stay up til 4 with me studying). I took Sammy out, we did a lap around the builing; No Potty. Erik went to work shortly after, then it was just me and the Samster. I had another test the next day (midterms, gotta love 3 tests the week before spring break!) so I drank a Mountain Dew and hit the next subject. Over that afternoon and evening Sammy whined and whined and paced and paced. We went outside ever 2 hours (at most) and he would not potty!! I went so far as to hold him in one spot where the snow pile had been (so he had pottyed there) for minutes trying to get him to go. NOTHING! He just couldn't do it. It wasn't until Erik came home at 9:30 pm that Sammy finally gave in. He held it more than 12 hours! I was minutes away from going to a petstore to get that potty spray they sell for puppies. I now refer to Erik as the Potty Whisperer.
Sammy came back in looking guilty as sin. Big sad eyes, ears back, no smile. I gave him a doggie chocolate chip cookie trying to tell him it was ok. We were not out of the woods yet. The next day it rained. It took his smells away probably making him more unsure of going to the bathroom as well as Sammy being terrified of being out in the rain. Water dropping on him as well as puddle just petrifies the pup. Erik got him to go once before we hit the road to his parents. Oh and, he made a little 1" size spot on the floor in his sleep next to me studying. At his parents, it's hard to keep an eye on him. They have a nice big yard where he and his doggie aunt can run without leash and collar. He has a wonderful time, but it's hard to tell when he pottys. Sammy ended up with an accident inside.
The next day he was able to be reminded, via his doggie aunt, that he may use grass. It was wonderful. No more problems. But now there is snow again. We have a fresh blanket covering the grass once again. It's not even above freezing today. How long will it take to get this melted? Will we have to reteach him yet again how to potty outside? I guess it's good that he tries so hard to "go" right, but I don't know how to tell him it's ok without another dog!

On the positve side. The dull day put Sammy in a funk. You know those days you just can't wake up and you just want to curl up and read a book or watch TV 'cause reading takes too much work? That was Sammy yesterday. We went to Walgreens and they had this giant Loofa Dog on sale for $5. I got him it to cheer him up and I think he was quite pleased!

"Oh thank you Mom!!"

"A squeaker in the head and belly?!?"

"How cool is this, it's as long as me!"

"I can't let him get any ideas, I'm boss!"

This is Sammy pulling individual fibers 'til they ripped out!

"What else do ya got? That was easy!"

Needless to say, it pulled him out of his funk. Well worth the $5!