By Meredeth Barzen

Have you ever thought about how your dog would be taken care of if (knock on wood) something happened to you? These days, as pets are becoming even bigger parts of our families, some owners are taking precautions and setting up trusts for their pets, says animal lawyer (that’s a lawyer for animals; not a lawyer who is an animal) Kortney Nordrum of Minneapolis-based Nordrum Law.

While still relatively uncommon, Nordrum says, pet trusts are gaining notoriety, especially after heiress Leona Helmsley left millions to her dog, Trouble—aptly named, considering the litigation that’s happening as a result of her last gift.

Those who have friends or family who can take care of an animal once they can’t may not feel the need to set up a trust for their pet, Nordrum said, but for dogs who have expensive special needs (like Original Sidewalk Dog Luc, as a virtue—or vice—of his lemony nature), a pet trust could help ease the financial stress for your pet’s next caregiver.

Here’s how they work: “When one is meeting with their attorney to write their will, they can also set up a pet trust,” Nordrum says. “In the trust, the person gives their pet and a sum of money to a trusted friend or a bank (this person is called the ‘trustee’) after their death. This trustee is then under a duty to arrange for the care of your pet, according to your instructions. This way, after you are gone, your pet’s caretaker has funds available, and directions as to how you would like your pet cared for.”

Some things to keep in mind about pet trusts:

If a pet trust isn’t right for you, consider drawing up a basic contract with someone to take care of your pooches once you are unable to. The drawback to this less-complicated option is that you can’t give as specific instructions to the caregiver, Nordrum says.

Laws on pet trusts vary from state to state. Here in Minnesota and in six other states, there are no laws on the subject. “Some states allow you to write a pet into your will, like a relative,” Nordrum says. “Many states, however, require a pet trust in order to assure the care of your pet once you are gone.”

For more information on pet trusts, visit www.pettrustlawblog.com and www.professorbeyer.com, sites on the subject run by attorneys.

“The purpose of a pet trust is to create a plan for your pets in the event you are unable to care for them. Each year, many pets are euthanized because their owners have become incapable of caring for them,” Nordrum says. “Pet trusts try to keep this from happening.”

Human meds can poison pets.

Now that holiday pet dangers have passed, it’s important to stay vigilant—many of the medications in your house that are good for people can give doggies an upset stomach, or worse. At Sidewalk Dog, we’re extra cautious—original Sidewalk Dog Luc once got into some human meds that luckily didn’t do much more than make him a bit sleepy. That’s why we were glad to see this list of human medications that are poisonous to pets from Justine Lee, DVM, DACVECC, associate director of veterinary services at Pet Poison Helpline. As always, if you think your dog has been sniffing around in your medicine cabinet, call Pet Poison Helpline right away at 800.213.6680.

Top 10 Human Medications Poisonous To Pets

1. NSAIDs (e.g. Advil, Aleve and Motrin)

Topping our Top 10 list are common household medications called non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), which include common names such as ibuprofen (e.g., Advil and some types of Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve). While these medications are safe for people, even one or two pills can cause serious harm to a pet. Dogs, cats, birds and other small mammals (ferrets, gerbils and hamsters) may develop serious stomach and intestinal ulcers as well as kidney failure.

2. Acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol)

When it comes to pain medications, acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol) is certainly popular. Even though this drug is very safe, even for children, this is not true for pets—especially cats. One regular strength tablet of acetaminophen may cause damage to a cat’s red blood cells, limiting their ability to carry oxygen. In dogs, acetaminophen leads to liver failure and, in large doses, red blood cell damage.

3. Antidepressants (e.g. Effexor, Cymbalta, Prozac, Lexapro)

While these antidepressant drugs are occasionally used in pets, overdoses can lead to serious neurological problems such as sedation, incoordination, tremors and seizures. Some antidepressants also have a stimulant effect leading to a dangerously elevated heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature. Pets, especially cats, seem to enjoy the taste of Effexor and often eat the entire pill. Unfortunately, just one pill can cause serious poisoning.

4. ADD/ADHD medications (e.g. Concerta, Adderall, Ritalin)

Medications used to treat Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder contain potent stimulants such as amphetamines and methylphenidate. Even minimal ingestions of these medications by pets can cause life-threatening tremors, seizures, elevated body temperatures and heart problems.

5. Benzodiazepines and sleep aids (e.g. Xanax, Klonopin, Ambien, Lunesta)

These medications are designed to reduce anxiety and help people sleep better. However, in pets, they may have the opposite effect. About half of the dogs who ingest sleep aids become agitated instead of sedate. In addition, these drugs may cause severe lethargy, incoordination (including walking “drunk”), and slowed breathing in pets. In cats, some forms of benzodiazepines can cause liver failure when ingested.

6. Birth control (e.g. estrogen, estradiol, progesterone)

Birth control pills often come in packages that dogs find irresistible. Thankfully, small ingestions of these medications typically do not cause trouble. However, large ingestions of estrogen and estradiol can cause bone marrow suppression, particularly in birds. Additionally, female pets that are intact (not spayed), are at an increased risk of side effects from estrogen poisoning.

7. ACE Inhibitors (e.g. Zestril, Altace)

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (or “ACE”) inhibitors are commonly used to treat high blood pressure in people and, occasionally, pets. Though overdoses can cause low blood pressure, dizziness and weakness, this category of medication is typically quite safe. Pets ingesting small amounts of this medication can potentially be monitored at home, unless they have kidney failure or heart disease. All heart medications should be kept out of reach of pets.

8. Beta-blockers (e.g. Tenormin, Toprol, Coreg)

Beta-blockers are also used to treat high blood pressure but, unlike the ACE inhibitor, small ingestions of these drugs may cause serious poisoning in pets. Overdoses can cause life-threatening decreases in blood pressure and a very slow heart rate.

9. Thyroid hormones (e.g. Armour desiccated thyroid, Synthroid)

Pets — especially dogs — get underactive thyroids too. Interestingly, the dose of thyroid hormone needed to treat dogs is much higher than a person’s dose. Therefore, if dogs accidentally get into thyroid hormones at home, it rarely results in problems. However, large acute overdoses in cats and dogs can cause muscle tremors, nervousness, panting, a rapid heart rate and aggression.

10. Cholesterol lowering agents (e.g. Lipitor, Zocor, Crestor)

These popular medications, often called “statins,” are commonly used in the United States. While pets do not typically get high cholesterol, they may still get into the pill bottle. Thankfully, most “statin” ingestions only cause mild vomiting or diarrhea. Serious side effects from these drugs come with long-term use, not one-time ingestions.

By Meredeth Barzen

Not to make you paranoid, but now that you’ve stocked up on gifts for the dog lovers in your life, the only thing left to do to ensure the holidays go off without a hitch is to make sure your house is free of common pet poisons. Here to share her list of the Top 10 Holiday Hazards for Pets is Dr. Justine Lee, board-certified emergency critical care veterinary specialist and associate director of veterinary services at Pet Poison Helpline (PPH). Justine is dog mom to JP, a rescued pit bull; if you see her, ask her about the one time JP got into something he shouldn’t have—but be warned: It’s not a pretty story. And if your pet encounters any of the following items, don’t waste time reading about it. Call PPH immediately at 800.213.6680. Have a happy and safe holiday season!

Top 10 Holiday Hazards to Pets

1. Chocolate

Chocolate contains two main poisonous chemicals: theobromine and caffeine. In general, the darker and more bitter the chocolate, the more dangerous the chocolate! White chocolate has little “real” chocolate in it, so generally isn’t a problem. General symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea (what we fondly term “chocolate diarrhea”), an elevated heart rate, agitation, nervousness, hyperactivity, to even tremors or seizures with large ingestions. When in doubt, keep that wrapped gift of chocolate-covered espresso beans away from your dog and don’t keep them under the Christmas tree.

2. Poinsettias

Poinsettia

While we get called about Poinsettias a lot, don’t believe the hype—they aren’t that poisonous. They may cause a mild upset stomach, but most dogs avoid it thanks to its milky white, bitter sap.

3. Raisin-containing foods

Not sure who still makes fruitcake nowadays, but the currants and raisins within holiday desserts can cause kidney failure in your dog. Keep any grapes, raisins, currants, etc. away from your dogs, and don’t let your houseguests feed your pets any table food, as they may not know something as “benign” as fruitcake can be deadly to your pet.

4. Holly and mistletoe plants

Mistletoe sprig

While holly may look nice to decorate your house, those waxy, thick leaves with sharp points can result in a very upset stomach to your dog. In fact, holly leaves are difficult to digest, and massive ingestions can actually result in a foreign body obstruction (as they get “stuck” in the stomach). Other type of yule-time plants like mistletoe can cause profound vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, and even heart arrhythmias when ingested in large amounts, so keep these out of reach.

5. Fire-starter logs

Most fire-starter logs aren’t poisonous, as they mostly contain compressed sawdust and wax, but this can get stuck in your dog’s stomach when he thinks these logs are chew sticks. This can result in a foreign body obstruction also, so when in doubt, keep these out of reach of your pets. Also, some types of fire-starter logs have heavy metals in them (to add a “sparkling” type of color to the fire), so when in doubt, call Pet Poison Helpline if your dog ingests them.

6. Tinsel

While tinsel itself isn’t poisonous, it’s dangerous—especially if you own a cat or a dog who likes to chew and swallow stuff. What looks like a shiny toy can prove deadly if ingested. Tinsel does not pose a poisoning risk but can cause severe damage to a pet’s intestinal tract if swallowed. Ultimately, pets run the risk of severe injury or rupture of their intestines and treatment involves expensive abdominal surgery. This is typically more a problem with cats, but for those of you with multiple species in your house and heart, avoid the tinsel.

7. Holiday foods

With the holiday season comes a delightful variety of baked goods, chocolate confections and other rich, fattening foods. However, it is not wise (and in some cases is quite dangerous) to share these treats with your dogs. Keep your dog on his or her regular diet over the holidays and do not let family and friends sneak treats. Foods that can present problems:

• Many sugarless gums and candies contain xylitol, a sweetener which is toxic to dogs. It causes a life-threatening drop in blood sugar and liver failure.
• Leftover, fatty meat scraps can produce severe inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) leading to abdominal pain, vomiting and bloody diarrhea.

8. Alcohol

Because alcohol is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream, it affects pets quickly. Ingestion of alcohol can cause dangerous drops in blood sugar, blood pressure and body temperature. Intoxicated animals can experience seizures and respiratory failure. Additionally, foods such as desserts containing alcohol and unbaked dough that contains yeast should be kept away from pets as they may result in alcohol toxicity, vomiting, disorientation and stomach bloat.

9. Holiday ornaments

When decorating for the season, consider your pets. Holiday decorations such as bubble lights may contain poisonous chemicals. If your pet chews on them the liquid inside could be could be dangerous to their health. Methylene chloride, the chemical in bubble lights, can result in depression, aspiration pneumonia and irritation to the eyes, skin and gastrointestinal tract.

10. Imported snow globes

Recently, imported snow globes were found to contain antifreeze (ethylene glycol.) As little as one teaspoon of antifreeze when ingested by a cat or a tablespoon or two for a dog (depending on their size) can be fatal. Signs of early poisoning include acting drunk or uncoordinated, excessive thirst, and lethargy. While signs may seem to improve after eight to 12 hours, internal damage is actually worsening, and crystals develop in the kidneys resulting in acute kidney failure. Immediate treatment with an antidote is vital.

By Meredeth Barzen

Loyal Sidewalk Dog readers might have heard last summer that Luc, the original Sidewalk Dog, had some medical problems that we wouldn’t wish upon our worst enemy (and that Luc wouldn’t wish upon his—shadows of any kind.) Thanks to Dr. Kate Knutson and the truly wonderful people* at Pet Crossing Animal Hospital & Dental Clinic in Bloomington, Luc’s doing better. And since he’s out of the woods, we’d like to tell you a bit about our experience at Pet Crossing and the importance of proper dental care for your pup.

Luc getting cuddled post-op by Pet Crossing's Dr. Kate.

Long story short, Luc had such advanced dental disease that his food was getting into his nose and caused a chronic infection. Our loveable little lemon got pneumonia as a symptom of his problems, and suffice it to say that he was not a happy camper for some time. Enter Dr. Kate, as she’s known by her patients—co-owner of Pet Crossing, Dr. Kate is world-renowned for her skill in animal dentistry, and loved by her patients for her caring nature (she habitually refers to pets as “four-leggeds.”) She sits on the board of directors for American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and co-authored their dental guidelines. (Incidentally, AAHA’s site HealthyPet.com is a great resource for pet owners, with FAQs, articles on pet health and a database of AAHA-accredited clinics.) Dr. Kate worked her magic on Luc, and he emerged with 31 fewer teeth and a lot less pain.

Luc is an example of what can go wrong if you neglect your dog’s dental care (see “The Truth about Tooths” for more on this.) Just like in people, dental disease run rampant can lead to heart, lung and kidney disease. “For people and animals,” Dr. Kate says, “if you have a healthy mouth, you live longer.” But she adds that many veterinarians are less aware of the importance of animal dentistry than owners are. “The general population has been educated and moves quicker than the vets,” Dr. Kate says.

She says that your dog’s first dental exam should be done at its first visit to the vet as a puppy, and that they should be examined under anesthesia when they go in to be spayed or neutered. After that, your “four-legged” should have a yearly wellness exam with an awake examination, followed by exam under general anesthesia every year (your pet has to be sleeping during this exam because it would be a very stressful experience—for all parties involved—if he were awake.) Once your dog is sleeping, his teeth have to be charted, cleaned and x-rayed, followed by a treatment plan for continued dental health. And don’t forget that you have to keep brushing those teeth in between exams.

Though more clinics are doing dentistry these days, Dr. Kate says that it’s important to do your homework to find the best care. Pet Crossing’s Web site has a great list of questions you should ask your vet before you sign your dog up for a teeth cleaning.

Eliza, a Pet Crossing nurse, helps Luc wake up from his dental surgery.

You’ll notice that Pet Crossing can answer “yes” to all questions on this list—a veterinary assistant monitors teeth cleaning the whole time to make sure your pet’s OK, and as a special touch, someone will massage your dog beforehand to relax him and cuddle with him post-op (if your lap is unavailable for whatever reason). Dr. Kate says that anesthesia and surgery are much easier for a dog if it’s relaxed before and after the event. For those helicopter dog-parents among us, Pet Crossing has an open-door policy, where you can watch any procedure or surgery done on your dog.

And dogs aren’t the only ones in mind with Pet Crossing’s stress-melting environment: comfortable private waiting rooms (with coffee, tea, snacks and a comfy couch) and plenty of personal touches grace their state-of-the-art facilities. “It’s important for the dog’s health that it’s quiet and peaceful,” Dr. Kate says. “We want everyone to feel as comfortable as possible.” But she’s careful to point out that customers aren’t paying for the fancy touches—they’re paying for great care. And while that care isn’t cheap, pet owners have to be realistic about the cost of keeping their furry friends happy and healthy.

All Pet Crossing doctors are passionate about dental care, but each has a specialty. Dr. Steve Barghusen lends his expertise in opthamology, internal medicine and laser surgery, and Dr. Cheryl Roth works in pain management, and is one of only 17 certified pain practitioners of veterinary medicine in the U.S.

Pet Crossing stands apart from the crowd for more than just great medical care: The clinic works with Cornerstone (a local domestic abuse shelter) to take in animals from abusive households. It works with Animal Ark to find new homes for dogs and cats. Developmentally disabled adults from Partnership Resources Inc. are on staff to help with cleaning, laundry and other jobs. And there’s a general sense of peace, calm, and comfort at Pet Crossing (a cat named Prophet wanders the clinic, cuddling with patients and showing his support with some soothing purrs.)

Prophet the Pet Crossing Cat checks in with Luc.

Dr. Kate stresses the importance of having a primary care doctor for your pet, who sees them every year and is intimately familiar with your pet’s health, and can then refer you to specialists for special needs. Dr. Kate says that especially in a dog with special medical needs (and Luc is the poster-dog for that group), vets can get distracted by those issues instead of addressing the pet’s holistic care. “With human health care,” she says, “a rampant problem is that as people get older, they go to specialists who are good but don’t speak to each other. This happens with veterinary medicine, too.”

And even though animal dentistry is overlooked, Dr. Kate says, “All we can do is educate. There’s never shame cast over clients or other doctors.”

*Special thanks to Lisa, Eliza, Carrie, Nicole, Rachel, Bev, Trish, Jamie, Brittany, Vicki, Dr. Steve Barghusen and Dr. Cheryl Roth.

By Meredeth Barzen

Hundreds of thousands of dogs around the country are afflicted by an easily preventable condition. We’re not talking about rabies or fleas or accidental chocolate ingestion—we’re talking about Black Dog Syndrome. Luckily, someone’s here to help.

This very literate black dog obviously reads Sidewalk Dog.

Black Dog Syndrome is a catchy phrase to describe a common problem in animal rescues and shelters: Black dogs are often overlooked by potential adopters, and—much like some bully breeds—are harder to place in homes than their lighter-furred peers.

Though no statistics on black dog adoption rates exist, a San Francisco Chronicle article from last August stated that in a July 2009 survey by Petfinder.com, 54.2 percent of respondents said that they had experienced “Big Black Dog Syndrome” and had found large black dogs harder to place.

The problem isn’t that the dogs are black—it’s that potential adopters often don’t see these dogs’ full potential in poorly lit shelters and grainy, out-of-focus photos. And unlike many breed-specific rescues who focus their resources on the dogs they represent, black mixed-breed shelter dogs don’t have special advocates. That’s why Heather Rosenwald, a local marketing expert, created Start Seeing Black Dogs, which provides free PR and marketing tools to shelters and rescue organizations.

Luna, one of Heather's inspirational black dogs

Having read about Black Dog Syndrome, Heather—dog-mom of three, two of which are black rescue dogs—did some research and learned that many rescue groups had successfully used PR and marketing to save more animals’ lives. Inspired by Sugar and Luna, her rescued black mixed-breeds, she decided to focus her efforts on black dogs. Now, she helps make black dogs more adoptable by offering tips and tools to make them shine—including placing them in better lighting in shelters, avoiding what she calls “Black Blob Syndrome” with photography pointers and creating special black dog adoption events.

If you’d like to help, here are some ideas from SSBD’s website:

1. Volunteer for a rescue group or no-kill shelter: Most rescues and shelters have a variety of volunteer opportunities such as helping to update their Web site, assisting with adoption and fundraising events, offering to walk and socialize dogs as well as becoming a foster family. Not sure how to get in touch with groups in your area? Just enter “animal rescue group”, “no kill shelter” or “no kill rescue group” into a search engine.

2. Consider adopting a black dog.

3. Help raise awareness about Black Dog Syndrome: Share information with friends and family members. If they are planning to add a companion animal to their family, suggest they consider adopting a black dog. Explain why and forward them links to Web sites such as startseeingblackdogs.com and blackpearldogs.com. Start a “Black Dog Card Campaign.” Add links to black dog Web sites to your Facebook or Myspace pages, or give us a few tweets on Twitter!

4. Donate to a rescue group or a no-kill shelter: Veterinary care, food, supplies—all these things cost money. Your donations will help rescues and no-kill shelters pay for these expenses, allowing them to free up resources to help even more dogs.

5. Start a Black Dog Walking Group in your area: Want to raise awareness about Black Dog Syndrome, have fun with your dog and get a little exercise at the same time? Start a “Black Dog Walking Group.” Click here to learn how to start your own group.

Luc getting cuddled by Dr. Kate, who brought him home with her that night so she could keep an eye on him.

By Meredeth Barzen

Sidewalk Dog has a confession to make: We didn’t give doggie dental hygiene much thought until Luc, the original Sidewalk Dog and the most lovable little lemon you’ll ever meet, paid a visit to Dr. Kate Knutson at Pet Crossing Animal Hospital and Dental Clinic in Bloomington last week. We’ll have the full details in a couple of weeks (and believe us, there are a lot of details!), but for now, let’s just say the visit involved a doggie dose of Valium, 31 tiny teeth that weren’t doing Luc any favors, and a very rude awakening on the importance of keeping your dog’s mouth clean and healthy. We found out that, just like in people, unhealthy teeth and gums can directly lead to serious health problems like heart disease and pneumonia—not to mention an offensively stinky mouth—in dogs.

Again, we’ll give you the full rundown in an upcoming post (sparing you as many of the gory details as we can), but we feel compelled to get the word out now about how very, very important it is to schedule regular dental exams, cleanings and X-rays for your dog, and to brush his teeth in between visits. Not only will you not have to suffer through icky dog breath when they slobber you with kisses, but it will help them lead happier, longer (yes, longer!) lives.

And we can’t wait to tell you all about our wonderful experience at Pet Crossing—where, besides the world-renowned dental care, you and your dog can take advantage of luxe touches like a fireplace in the lobby, a cushy private waiting room with snacks, a comfy couch and a T.V., and pre-op massages (for your dog).

But in the meantime, do your dog’s mouth (and body) a favor and schedule a dental exam—then whip out that toothpaste and start brushing!

By Meredeth Barzen

We here at Sidewalk Dog had a problem. Sadie the Wonderdoodle had the most wonderful time swiming and rolling around in the dead leaves, pine sap, mud and general unpleasantness Up North over July 4th weekend. That wasn’t the problem.

The groomer was booked a month in advance. That means that Sadie, whose doodle hair forms mats like an aspiring Rastafarian, wasn’t likely to see a professional bath until August-ish. It was time to take matters into our own hands.

The Product:

Enter Topline Canine. The natural, organic ingredients in their doggie bathtime products are meant to calm nervous pups (an absolute must for Sadie, who considers baths the worst punishment possible for a crime she never committed.) The line has a lovely, light, clean scent, and they offer not only shampoo but a separate conditioner (remember the dreadlocks? Shampoo alone won’t do the trick.) There’s even a UV protectant built right in–perfect for white-haired pooches who are prone to doggie sunburn–and for the rest of the spectrum of dog hues; hey, it can’t hurt.

The Test:

What can we say? The dog really, really hates baths. Loves swimming, but hates being wet. Go figure. We tried to make it a happy experience with a nice doggie back massage post-shampoo, pre-conditioner, but still–probably not her idea of a fun way to spend an evening. We, however, loved Topline’s high suds-factor and nice scent.

The Result:

Fluffy, pettable, matt-free and non-stinky once again. You can tell she’s happy about it, too. Or maybe she’s just happy to be dry. Groomers? We don’t need groomers–at least not until August.

June  26th (tomorrow!) is the 11th Annual “Take Your Dog to Work Day” and the folks at Bark Busters are celebrating by offering up some pertinent pointers for pooch parents who plan to participate.

“We celebrate this day in support of its creator, Pet Sitters International, and its 2009 sponsors, Petfinder.com and Dog Fancy magazine,” says Liam Crowe, CEO and master dog behavioral therapist of Bark Busters USA. “This event educates the public on the benefits of responsible pet ownership, raises the awareness of the importance of the human-animal bond, and supports the efforts of our local animal shelters, rescues and humane societies. At Bark Busters, every day is ‘Take Your Dog to Work Day.’”

Will your canine companion get to accompany you to work tomorrow?

We admit it. We at Sidewalk Dog are obsessive informers.

We used to blab just once a month (via our newsletter). Then we added a blog and started blabbing more frequently (once a week or so). Still unsatisfied, we hopped on Facebook and Twitter and began blabbin’ daily.

You see, we firmly believe it’s our duty to keep you fully informed on the Twin Cities dog scene!

Gear up for cold weather.

By Meredeth Barzen

It’s that time of year, when we all wave farewell to one of the more pleasant autumns in memory and turn to confront another winter head-on. For some, this gradual movement toward the bottom of the thermometer is when Fido’s first and last walks of the day are no longer described as “invigorating,” but instead make the move into “numbing” or “as-short-as-possible” territory. Not so for those savvy readers who know about these dog-friendly places who have the gear they need to protect themselves and their puppy pals from the elements, however.

Jan Guenther, the owner of dog-friendly Gear West in Long Lake, stresses the importance of smart preparation: “Dressing for humans is all about layering, especially wicking materials,” she says. “If you’re doing something with your dog that makes you perspire, like running, your first layer needs to wick moisture away from your skin.”

Dog-friendly Midwest Mountaineering located in Dinkytown in Minneapolis.

At Midwest Mountaineering in Dinkytown, the cashiers hand out dog treats like candy as Jewels, the shop dog, surveys her terrain. Her—and the store’s—owner, Rod Johnson, advises wet-weather walkers to choose “a thinner, water resistant material” as an outer layer, and suggests “soft and warm merino wool” as a no-fail inner- or mid-layer for any type of cold weather. “Its longer thinner filaments are not scratchy, are machine washable and don’t retain odors,” he says.

Marathon Sports in south Minneapolis can help you keep your feet from freezing with Mizuno Breathe Thermo socks—which heat up—as well as YakTrax, which slip over your shoes or boots to give you better grip on ice and snow. General manager Corey Swan points out that the store welcomes dogs, with lots of room to roam and water bowls scattered about.

Shop Dog Tulear models packs at 45 Degrees in Stillwater.

45 Degrees in Stillwater, MN offers plenty of cold-weather gear for people and pups. Melissa, a manager and self-proclaimed “shop-dog wrangler” splits her time between taking care of Tulear, the shop’s Hungarian Vizsla and providing a font of information on booties, jackets, leashes, collars and packs that are available to aid cold-weather walks (the shop carries many options for keeping owners warm and happy as well.)

Now that you’re prepared, there’s no excuse for letting the weather keep you and your four-legged loved ones from enjoying winter’s underrated appeal.