Happy New Year! Beau is back after his holiday eDiet. While living the analog life he helped evaluate some good doggos for the AKC Canine Good Citizen, assisted with a photoshoot of a brand-new conformation champion Havanese, supervised the rearrangement of the office, and provided quality control during bread making. He even allowed me a little time for museums and friends. After all that, he is happy to be back and hopes you all had a chance to rest and recharge.

Winter made sure we started the year with a Sneau Day. Snow piled up, Beau bundled up, and we packed in plenty of snowy walks. His snood kept his ears warm and he lost half of his boots like any child would lose mittens. The daylight was beautiful but the snow at night was completely magical.

To make things even better, Beau’s new WalkeePaws boots arrived. The pants-leggings-boot combo looked a little odd without a coat but they slipped on easily, adjusted well, and he took to them in minutes. The videos tell the story: first a little hopping, then off to the races. Now I can take him on long winter walks without worrying about ice, salt, or chemicals on the ground.

After icy walks through slushy streets, nothing felt better than curling up together on a faux fur throw and planning a nap.

Almost a month had passed since his last CDX class, and it felt good to return. Beau nailed each skill like a champ. Now it is just up to me to keep my end of the leash steady if we want that title.

That is a very good start to the year.