Is my dog mentally challenged??!

[schteve_d]

Alright, this may be a dumb question but what lives under the snow at -30 degrees C? Whenever we go for a walk lately, Buddy suddenly stops, cocks his head and listens intently, then digs frantically, stops, listens, moves an inch or two one direction or the other, digs frantically, stops, and so on and so on. He will do this up to ten times on an hour long off-leash walk. I seem to remember hearing that mice can live under the snow, but at -30? If nothing lives there, then Bud is almost certainly losing it (unless he's practising for something that I am unaware of!).

[bamster]

I'm just taking a stab at this, but perhaps there are mole/mice/chipmunk tunnels under the ground, below the snow. It makes sense that these animals don't die, and they can't all live in my attic, so maybe that's possible.

[Glacier]

Mice and voles! I have several huskies who love to hunt them under the snow. They have very complex little tunnels under deep snow. Muskwa occasionally catches one, the rest of the dogs just like the excuse to dig!

[beagleamy]

Maybe he just loves the snow. Our dog hates rain so we were worried how he would take his first snow but he LOVES it. He wants to be out digging in it all the time, even when it is super cold. There might also be other dog smells within the layers of snow that he's investigating--like pee and poo. Our dog gets really crazy when the neighbors let their dogs into our yard, which happens a lot! He may just look like he's listening but his 'listen' may look a lot like his 'thinking'

[schteve_d]

You don't know Bud! I don't have to worry much about him "thinking" LOL.

[beagleamy]

Poor Bud

[misterduke]

My Duke has done that before. He found a mouse. So yes it is possible that they live under the snow at that temperature. Duke found a mouse and then threw it up in the air and started playing with it. Quite the show, let me tel you.

misterduke

[sittingprettier]

Mice! and other little Varmints!!! I have a dog that will hunt them down as soon as we let him out the backyard!