Daily Walk: The Seedy Underside of Dog Walking in City Snow

When we talk about the daily walks we take with our pups in the winter, the things people usually want to hear about are how we keep the pups warm and some of the ways we dress ourselves.
And we could talk about that forever!
But then there are some not so nice things that happen after the snowfall:

On Errant Rats

You might have picked up on my "errant rat" reference in our earlier post, but this has become one of my biggest issues this winter.
Sure, we know we have rats in the city.
I mainly think of them as having their own separate lives in the alley where I sometimes hear the echoes of their singing and have only seen them in mere glimpses and shadows.
But, it's only after the fresh snowfall that I realize how much we really do live together.
And I see how big their footprints really are.
Which means they are really big.
It's a bit unsettling to find these huge footprints with a long line following (yes, that would be the tail dragging behind) walking in the places where I have walk and have spent time.

On What Might be Hidden in the Snow

One of my other favorite references is the first winter I had Miss M and she plunged into a snowdrift and emerged with an entire gyro!

While the new-fallen snow does look so beautiful, we always forget that before the snow there was a lot of trash on the ground (yes, city living). And those chip packages, soda cans, and uncollected dog poo are still there. We just can't see them.
There was even an article about kids who came home covered in dog poo after they went sledding at a West Loop park frequented by off-leash dogs.
We also remember to be really careful when opening the trash cans to throw out the dog poo. The other week we found a used syringe on top of the trash can in the alley.
Should we be happy they at least tried to throw it away?

The Upside of Yellow Pee in the Snow

I know a lot of people lament that the fresh snow looks so beautiful until it's covered with yellow dog pee.
Which is true.
Though it has added a fun element to our walks.
It's almost like we can see what was formerly 'invisible ink' and now I understand why our pups are so interested in smelling and peeing in certain places.
And if I see the yellow pee, I can anticipate that they will want to go there.

Anyone else have interesting tidbits about your winter snowy walks?

Also:
These taboo habits of city dogs 
The unspoken world of city dog poo
Secrets of walking in the fall
Check our Facebook page for more photos, comments, and story lines beyond the blog.