But spent all of his life (until recently) in Southern Arkansas, he had never experienced snow, ice and bitter cold until this week. At first, he was so unwilling to go out he started to eliminate in the house.

That didn’t work out for us, so I took him out on a leash a few times and let him out in the back, where there is shelter – a dog house – if he needs it. He started going outside again. He adapts, which is what most dogs do, given the chance.

Given a choice, very few dogs would prefer eliminating inside of a house. So this morning, in the bitter cold, I took Bud out to the pasture and Maria and I took turns calling him, asking him to stay or sit.

It was  too cold – about 9 degrees – to stay out long, and Bud was distracted at first. Then he settled down and was sharp and responsive. Bud is a food hound, so we are being careful to reward him with praise half the time, we are decreasing our use of food so that treats aren’t his only incentive.

The idea is that he thinks there might be food, even if there isn’t. It was a good session, we are nearing the point where he is internalizing commands, just where we want him to be.

The cold will not be a problem for Bud, I think. We’ll just make sure he isn’t outside long. BT’s do not have the long coats or body density and fat (or long snouts to warm air) that border collies and other dogs have.

This doesn’t mean he can’t come outside – he was out in the pasture for 30 minutes on very cold frozen ground without shivering or wanting to go in. He is also very happy to snooze by the stove fire.