Nüzrfrozn

We’re in the middle of that time of year humans call “winter.”

Dogs don’t call it winter. We have our own word: “Nüzrfrozn.” I learned it from a German Shepherd friend of mine, so I guess it’s a dog-German word. I’m sure there’s some deep historic meaning behind it, handed down through the ancient guardians of castles in Germany, but I’m not sure. All I know is, when it’s -4 degrees outside and snow is 10″ deep and its time to go out and do our business… well, it’s a better descriptor than “winter.”

On the other hand… I totally love deep snow. I love to run and bound like a deer and just have a blast.

Raven, not so much. She’s a bit of a little princess, and doesn’t even like to step off the bricks into the damp grass, let alone go through the snow when it’s as deep as she is.

Picture the scene… she slowly, carefully picks her path across the yard, gingerly putting one foot after the other, feeling ahead for a solid patch, adding pressure, gradually making her way to her favorite spot, until…

She looks up. Her eyes widen…

I’m zooming across the yard, leaving snow in my wake like a furry F-16, coming in fast and low…

Dusty on approach, coming in hot…
Target acquired…
Requesting permission to engage…
Switching to paws…

WHAM!

I gracefully blast through her like a torpedo.

We both disappear into snowy whirlwind for a moment and then I keep going, leaving her dazed and half-buried as I circle around for another approach.

It’s so much fun! Raven loves it too I think, because she always compares it to eating, which she also loves, when she says she’s fed up with my shenanigans.

When Nüzrfrozn season started, it came in fast. It snowed all day long and by evening it was super deep. So deep that mom and dad decided to shovel a path out into the yard to help us out. I helped pack the snow down as they shoveled it off the walkway.

The next day I got to play outside. This was more snow than I’d ever seen.

Around lunch time we went for our normal walk around the neighborhood, and found a lady who had just made a snow human with her daughter. So I charmed my way in and got a photo with it.

Going for a walk is a bit tricky for mom and dad, since they only have two legs and fewer claws. A lot of our neighbors are pretty selfish and can’t be bothered to clean the sidewalk in front of their house (though the driveway isn’t any problem somehow). So going for a walk involves a lot of in-and-out of the street.

That’s OK for a few days, but then the street gets slushy and icky and has a ton of salt, which I don’t like and can’t eat. Come on people, be good neighbors, huh?

Oh, and apparently I’m part sled dog now because dad uses the stuff shown above called, Musher’s Secret on and between my pads to keep the ice balls from building up. It’s awesome stuff. I bark about it a lot.

Oh yeah, dad and I also have a game called Snowball Fetch. Dad thinks it’s super fun.

Dad is wrong.

It’s a game where dad throws a ball made of snow for me to go fetch, and I chase after it every time before realizing that the snowball looks exactly like everything everywhere and can’t find it! Here’s a video that kinda shows it.

I do love running through the snow though. 🙂

Until next time I’ll be standing guard here, watching for more snow!