Skippy's New Digs

With the economy the way it is, we try to save anywhere we can. Turning the heat down during the sleeping hours is one recommended way to save on your gas bill through the winter months. The idea being that the house is at a comfortable ambient temperature during the day and at night you double up on your blankets. My wife has taken this logic to the next level by reasoning that we could save even more money by not turning the heat back up during the day, and keep warm by wearing sweaters (jumpers). The logic worked. We're saving money, but our tiny Jack Russell is freezing.

One tends to forget that some dog breeds don't have a whole lot more insulation than us. Skippy's hair is straight, and although the individual hairs are thick, her coat isn't. She's also very wee. I'm not exactly sure how body heat works but I can't imagine that she generates a lot of it (that being said, if I'm sick she makes a great hot-water bottle substitute). But Skippy is a pretty skittish dog as a general rule, so when we began to notice that she was shaking throughout the day, as if a thunderstorm was on the horizon, we just chalked it up to her nerves. 

Eventually we caught on that she was actually cold in our 15° C home—imagine that. We needed to get her a jumper too. So Anna picked this little t-shirt up for her, and now Skippy thinks she's so pretty. She prances up and down the length of the house, parading around in her new digs, trying to make Kitty jealous. I don't think she cares, Skippy, but we think you're cute.

If anyone at all can offer an explanation as to what this means, can you please post a comment? It has completely baffled us.