Naked and Barefoot at Minus 40

Created using 22 stencils, edition 9/60.

"My dog is 9 ½ years old now, and although he still loves to play more than any dog I have ever known. However I am noticing that he is feeling the cold more than he did when he was young. In Timmins where we live, it can go down to -40 on a cold night in the middle of winter. He has an area behind the garage we call the doggie outhouse where I trained him to do his business when he was a puppy, because I did not want the kid’s to play in chocolate chip snow forts.

On a very cold night in the middle of winter the dog will go to the door, and when I open it up he will back away, as though it is nothing but a mere coincidence that he was standing next to an outside door. I do not have to pee, no way no how. I don’t blame him, I certainly would not want to be running out naked and in barefoot at – 40 to relieve myself, however since we do not have an indoor ‘doggie outhouse,’ out he goes. He launches himself out of the house like a greyhound from the starting block, runs behind the garage, does his business, and is back at the door barking before I have had a chance to settle back into the chair where I was watching the late news. My dog hates all clothing such as for example, a Halloween ‘Cave Dog’ costume, or a Christmas Santa hat and scarf set. However I have made him a dog blanket out of my son’s old winter jacket, and on the very coldest days in the winter, I put it on my poor embarrassed dog. Once he gets out for his walk, or gets down to the business of chasing snow balls, or cars, he seems to forget to be humiliated, and I like to think that he might be a little more comfortable in the extreme cold." -Margot Cormier Splane

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