Dogs do much to accentuate our relationship with nature. It is a joy to follow behind a dog who is showing interest in every snow-covered burrow, noting the animal scents along the trail, and observing the animal tracks and the odors of creatures you would never notice. You can enjoy this relationship with your dog when hiking, skiing, or snow-shoeing.
By the way, if you're planning on taking your dog to the mountains, you may be wondering if the altitude will affect him. Relax! I have never witnessed nor heard of altitude sickness in dogs. Many years ago, in fact, competitive sled-dog mushers Joe Reddington and Susan Butcher mushed two dog teams to the top of Denali in Alaska "over 20,000 feet" with no altitude sickness in the dogs. Similarly, the French veterinary nutritionist Dominique Gran-Jeans worked with a group of search and rescue dogs in South America in mountains well above 20,000 feet, and reported no altitude sickness.
SKIJORING: If you're athletic and a reasonably good skier, consider skijoring. This sport has gained considerable popularity in European snow country and is gaining enthusiasts in North America. In skijoring, you wear cross-country skis and a well-trained dog, attached to your waist by a special harness, pulls you along the trail. It is amazing how efficiently one medium-sized dog can pull a person over the trail!
MUSHING: The sport of mushing "driving sled dogs" has grown exponentially in the last decade. I have spent a major part of the last ten winters officiating at long-distance sled dog races, including the Iditarod, the Yukon Quest, and the Beargrease in Minnesota. These sled dogs are the true dogs of winter and the world's greatest mammalian athletes. Indeed, these dogs are bred and conditioned to humanely cover over 100 miles per day for 10 to 12 days. A racing team of 10 to 16 dogs, each weighing about 50 pounds, typically pulls 300 to 500 pounds. Larger "freighting" sled dogs pull considerably more weight at a much slower speed. As more people develop an interest in mushing, many cold weather communities have small recreational dog teams. In my opinion, there is no better way to enjoy winter than behind a team of dogs on a wilderness trail.
SNOW SHOEING: Both mushing and skijoring have been considered for entry as demonstration sports in the Winter Olympics, but you do not need to be an Olympian athlete to enjoy winters with your dog. Just last winter, my wife and I drove to Lake Tahoe and were startled to find crowds of people. To escape the hordes, I took my backpack, my wife, two dogs, and snowshoes on a 30-minute hike into Desolation Valley. We sat in our tent and enjoyed two days of magnificent scenery with coyotes howling and snow falling.
SLEDDING: Last but not least, you can go sledding with your dog. Many families with small children have their dogs pull them on their sleds. Just be certain your dog has a proper sled harness.
START SLOWLY, BE SAFE, AND HAVE FUN!
Clearly, cold weather and snow do not mean that you and your canine companion have to stay indoors by the fire. Make sure that you and your dog are prepared for the weather, then let the fun begin! Start slowly, be safe. Your dog will have fun, and so will you. Playing with dogs in the snow gets people over cabin fever better than almost anything I know.