In reply to UKH Articles:
Not seen this before...
There's an additional hazard not covered.
In deep snow a burn / stream gully can easily be covered by snow and potentially there is no indication its there until your dog collapses into it, with the snow giving way under his weight (this happened). I was able to extract my dog by hooking my walking axe under the large handle on the back of his ruffwear harness. Keeping him on a lead would work just as well (though a lead trailing through snow becomes stiff and heavy)
Another...er trick, if you find yourself in whiteout conditions with your dog...again dog in a quality ruffwear harness, attached to a long, strong training (for horses) lead. Keeping a secure grip (or clipped via a carabiner to your pack) let the lead trail over the ground and it can provide a very useful visual aid to assessing the immediate terrain
Mountain Rescue dog handler and first aid expert Helen Howe knows a thing or two about taking dogs up snowy hills. Here's she shares some hard-won advice.
