I took the doggie out in it.
First he had to have his booties put on. These little fur-edged beauties zip and velcro, much like a person's boots, and they have rubbery soles. Without enough grip. The poor boy had a time going down the stairs, at first refusing, then finally developing a technique for hitting each stair with his front two paws, then the back two. Later, when he tried to climb back up the stairs he was unable to do it. He kept slipping backward. So I carried him up.
In between these two times, though, he underwent a transformation.
At first Floyd was fearful and held back, and when he went forward it was tentative and he tended to slip. The sidewalks were very slippery. I thought about my own need to get some real boots - I still haven't decided about that. After about three blocks, though, he got into it. He headed forward with confidence, no longer slid, seemed curious about investigating the smells and, of course, other dogs (of which there were not as many as usual). It was remarkable to see how he mastered this new situation - both boots and snow - so quickly.
