Dogs and Rain

I can wait it out. Wake me up when it’s dry again.

It rained yesterday in the 303 and while that’s a great thing in this high mountain desert climate, it doesn’t seem to sit well among the 4 legged inhabitants around here. When we woke up yesterday morning the dogs were greeted by a lovely, steady rain and not happy about it one bit. I think the pressure on the bladder was sufficient enough to at least get them to pee but pooping in the rain…well that just wasn’t gonna happen. Not no how, not no way. Despite encouragement from me on 3 separate occasions, Ms. Elsa (who normally hasn’t the slightest problem splashing her way through seriously deep puddles of water on our walks) had definite other ideas. Pooping just ain’t happening till this weather is gone. We all know Sam is a complete ‘snowflake’ when it comes to H2O and will hold it for ever how long is necessary but I just couldn’t convince Ms. Elsa it would be ok to make a quick poop and each time was greeted with this video reaction. [I know her pip-squeaky bark for a 50+ pound dog with accompanying tail wag are too funny, and I can almost see Sam’s eyes rolling at her giving me the what for even suggesting a quick trip outside to the favorite relief spot (what is it about females that demand a certain spot or no can do?). Male dogs seem far more comfortable letting ‘er rip. Anywhere. So long as there is no rain.]

It is a known fact that dogs and rain don’t mix. Why is that? Because dogs can hear a lot farther than us uprights can and their hearing is far more superior at higher frequencies than our own ears. Sound waves heard by dogs often are at a higher decibel level than what are brains can detect. Rain drops landing are amplified when landing on objects through their ear structure and can be overwhelming for dogs. Thus, you will often get this “You expect me to go out and poop in THAT” look? Yeah, I don’t think so!”

Can your dogs ‘hold’ out in rain as if their innards were made of cast iron even when they don’t mind getting wet?

Live, love, bark! ❤︎

56 thoughts on “Dogs and Rain

  1. Got caught in the rain while walking the hounds yesterday. Ottie becomes despondent if he gets wet – he really hates it – and, despite his arthritis he pulled me all the way home like a bat out of hell.

    1. Hope everyone is dry and fine now. Just arrived from a trip from the post office MAJOR hail storm with golf ball sized hail. The dogs were apocalyptic by the time I got home. This hail was so fierce it bruised me on one ankle. I can’t even imagine how they’d have dealt with it if we’d been on a walk!

  2. My crew doesn’t mind the rain much, which is a good thing because we’ve been getting it off and on for over a week now, and another week of it ahead. I am not a fan of wet and muddy dogs though, so we do limit our time outside when it’s wet!

    1. We just had a killer hail storm with golf ball sized hail stones. It’s gonna take some time before I can get these guys outside any time soon since we’re expecting rain all night long. 😬

  3. Tippy doesn’t seem to have too much trouble going out to potty in the rain, but that is all she is willing to do in it. It’s been raining today, so she’s been a couch potato. She does have her spot where she goes to pee, but, that spot changes about every week, if that makes any sense at all. And, I think all males, regardless of the species, will “let ‘er rip” anywhere. LOL I had never thought about the rain being too loud for them. I know she doesn’t like windy conditions either, and assumed that was because of the noise, especially when there are leaves on all of the trees. (We live in the middle of a stand of trees.)

  4. Aw, sweet Elsa is adorable! Her bark sounds a bit like Shadow’s. Both my girls will go out in the rain, but ONLY if they just can’t hold it any longer. And, in Shadow’s case, only if there’s no thunder in the vicinity. She never used to be affected by thunderstorms; but since the last hailstorm back in March when we were on our way home during the worst of it, she does get anxious. Thank goodness the vet said it would be okay to give her one of Ducky’s “chill pills” if she needs it. Thankfully, Ducky doesn’t seem to mind t-storms as long as at least one of us uprights is home with her and Shadow.

    1. Oh sweet Shadow. Listen sweetie, hail storms scare the Be-Jesus outa me too. Elsa’s what-for bark is different from the “I’m protecting the house” bark which makes her look ferocious. That pip-squeaky one just makes me laugh. Happy weekend!

  5. Oh my she is giving you what for 🙂 The Girls here just stare at me like I have grown another head of course and the little ones run to the potty pads (necessary since Bree joined us). Mazie jumps off the porch and does her business right by the front door. You are right. They all have their “spot” where Jessie just goes “where ever”, why is that?

  6. Well if you live in Vancouver, Canada where it rains practically ten months out of twelve . . .you had better love the rain or at the very least , know how to navigate around it! Wilhelmina loves rain and anything water related. She will seek out puddles and ravines that are full of rain water and mud in the forest and play in them endlessly. Duffy on the other hand, tolerates rain because he knows it means going out on an adventure and he loves his adventures and accepts that they often come with rain! Wilhelmina will go to the bathroom anywhere…she isn’t particular at all. Duffy on the other hand, has to find the exact spot and it can take time…drives me crazy! ;p
    Loved seeing Elsa on video. What a cutie!

    the critters in the cottage xo

  7. I have a 14 pound MALE cat that squeals like a little girl, if that’s any consolation 😉 It cracks me up … except that it’s usually accompanied by claws and fangs because he thinks I’m trying to kill him (by brushing his teeth … you know, hard core evilness). I hadn’t thought about the difference in hearing and how rain might sound like a carpet bombing to dogs. Bear Cat doesn’t mind the rain … unless he wants to. He loves to get out and dare me to come get him in the pouring rain … but other days, his paws get wet and he acts like they’re being eaten by flesh-eating bacteria 🙂

  8. I am the opposite of holding it in the rain. I get out, make it happen, and come back in. Mom wishes I was that quick when it wasn’t raining!

    Love and licks,
    Cupcake

  9. Choppy has an amazing ability to hold it when she doesn’t want to go outside, and the world’s smallest bladder when it’s nice/there’s something fun outside to chase/watch/potentially eat.

  10. The rainy season has started here….they play outside only to run in when the first heavy drops hit them.
    Getting them out to do the necessaries would take a fork lift truck….luckily it usually stops raining in the evening and they then roar out to get plastered in mud and come indoors to tell us how great it is…

  11. I LOVE the foot stomp! She’s definitely telling you no.
    Sammie is the snowflake in our family – she will go out if it’s an EMERGENCY, but that is it! Emma, on the other hand, LOVES to be outside no matter the weather. Sometimes, I think the wetter the better!

  12. Now that we are walking in it, they do a lot better. Before we started walking, Sampson had the same opinion as Sam and Elsa. Once, he held his pee for 20 hours, and finally, I dragged him outside and showed him how to get under the deck, so he didn’t melt. Oy vey.

  13. Not a pip squeaky bark, more like an evolving and emerging bark of an adolescent. If Elsa was a boy I’d say she was going through puberty. 🙂 Our first Golden hated water and would run to the other side of the yard if I was watering. When it rained he would reluctantly go out to pee but stand on the cement with two legs and one on the grass and one in the air to do his thing. Pretty smart fella’ getting only one out of his four paws wet (and not a drop on the cement…). Kali is indifferent and will go out and do what I tell her (she’s so obedient and loyal that girl!). Kloe is impervious to water and I think she actually prefers being in the rain because all the dirt turning to mud for her to slip and slide in. Send those two fur kids of yours out to the Golden K and we’ll toughen them up!

  14. The videos show more of the dogs’ personalities. 🙂 Lexi was completely indifferent to the weather. Lucy doesn’t mind it…much…but Riley is teaching her, “Don’t go out in the rain.” They only learn the bad things from each other.

      1. My Sammy that I blogged about a few weeks ago learned great stuff from Freda my schnauzer, like to potty outside. That’s the only experience I have ever had of them learning good stuff. (The bad is so much more fun.)

  15. Awh cute video!! Also Hayley is just like Sam she will hold her pee for 24 hours if she has too if it means not going out in that horrid rain.

  16. Oh this is so recognizable. Benji perked up his ears while I played the video. He is ready to play. We have rain today. Hope it will be dry for Benji’s play date later in the afternoon. A

  17. Sam and Elsa’s cousins couldn’t disagree more! Being Chesapeake Bay Retrievers Axel and Rudder take their water seriously… in all forms water is their deepest desired, their incurable addiction, their siren song….
    When I opened the door to rain yesterday morning they charged out the door tails wagging, stomping in the puddles, rolling on the wet grass, and scampering over the whole yard in pure delight. Then, just to double their pleasure, they got into the waterfall-pond in the rain! Pure soaking wet Chessie joy! Me, not too thrilled about the wet paws and coats at 6am 💧💧💧💧

    1. Sam at least will wave his paw to his cousins from the beach. Elsa is an unknown though I know she wasn’t that keen on actually being out in falling rain, but doesn’t seemed to mind walking through deep puddles. When it comes to your two, I marvel at their submarining in water and genuine love for all wet stuff. Thank goodness for microfiber, right? 😇

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