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A grandmother in a puffy jacket and knit cap shovels snow while a white Maltese bounds through a snowbank. 24 / 32

Abuela Went Out to Shovel the Snow. Copito Went Out to Disappear in It.

AI imagemaltesesnow daywinter

Fresh snow covers the backyard, and Abuela Rosa is out early with a black shovel, clearing a path through the drifts. She wears a navy knit cap and a quilted jacket, but the floral apron is still tied on top, because some habits do not change with the seasons. She pauses mid-scoop to smile down at Copito, who is bounding through a snowbank, front paws lifted, ears flying, his white coat almost disappearing against the snow. A woodpile dusted with white, a coiled hose, and snow-heavy evergreens frame the cold, bright morning.

Small dogs can enjoy snow, but they feel the cold quickly. Toy breeds like the Maltese do not have a thick undercoat, so short play sessions and a warm sweater or coat are a good idea in freezing weather. Snow can ball up between toes and in long leg fur, so drying paws afterward helps. Watch out for ice-melting salts and chemicals on driveways and sidewalks, which can irritate paws and upset stomachs if licked. Antifreeze is especially dangerous, so clean up any spills promptly. If your dog starts shivering, lifting paws, or slowing down, it is time to head inside.

Rosa will finish the walkway, and Copito will probably come in with snow stuck all over his legs. Then there will be a towel, a warm kitchen, and the satisfying feeling that winter got a little bit of a laugh out of both of them.

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A grandmother in jeans and a floral apron walks a white Maltese on a leash down a dirt country road at sunset.The Sun Was Going Down on the Old Dirt Road, and Copito Was Leading the WayA grandmother whittles a piece of wood on a porch, curled shavings in her lap, as a white Maltese watches closely.Abuela Was Carving Something Out of an Old Block of Wood. Copito Had to Know What.
A grandmother kneeling on a patterned rug gently holds the raised paw of a white Maltese in her living room.Abuela Spent All Week Teaching Copito One Trick. Today He Finally Got It.A grandmother reads a folded newspaper while a white Maltese sleeps curled up on her floral apron.Abuela Opened the Morning Paper, but She Couldn't Turn the Page Without Waking HimA grandmother knits on a sofa while a white Maltese sits beside her tangled in loops of cream yarn.Abuela's Knitting Was Going Great. She Hadn't Looked to Her Left Yet.A grandmother naps in a woven rope hammock under an oak tree, holding a sleepy white Maltese against her chest.The Hammock Was Built for One, but Under the Oak Tree, Nobody Was Counting