Our dogs are no different than we are in needing routine to bring order to our daily lives. On the other hand, unrelieved routine with no breaks from the expected can become stiflingly boring. We need the occasional unexpected, out-of-the-ordinary occurrences to break the cycle of predictability to pique our interest in life.

When our miniature poodle Button was young she accompanied us on many out-of-the-ordinary excursions. With us she did some canoe camping, and she did an awful lot of alpine hiking. She climbed Mounts Clinton, Eisenhower, Mooselauki, Little Haystack and numerous other peaks through the years on our regular visits to the White Mountains of New Hampshire. And when our toy poodle Riley joined us he also did some climbing along with Button, like Indian Head and the twin peaks, the Welch and Dickey-loop in the Waterville Valley. They loved the adventure of it and revelled in sharing those opportunities with us.

They went on countless day hikes with us throughout Gatineau Park and both experienced canoe-camping and portaging in Ontario's incomparable wilderness area, Algonquin Park.

Riley would become bored with the same old daily hike through our neighbourhood woodland ravine and he would just trot along for the most part, barely interested But take him to a different trail, and better yet an area we were completely unfamiliar with and he would become excited enough to rush at the trail, perked up beyond the tiny dog we were more familiar with.

We know that our twin poodles Jack and Jill enjoy hiking in the woods. But each day when we prepare for the daily circuit, Jillie's response is to hide under the coffee table, while Jackie's response is excitable enthusiasm, hardly able to contain himself with expectation. Once we're out on the trails it's Jillie who runs ahead curious to see what's around the bend, with Jackie right behind her.

Now that spring is beginning to evince its initial signals of imminent arrival, snow is beginning to melt. Not so much in the forest, but certainly on our property where enough snow has melted here and there for us to see that lilies and irises, heucheras and other early-eager garden denizens are beginning to push up fresh green shoots (the heucheras are simply there where fall left them, fresh and vibrant ready for spring). Our two little devils seem puzzled by the transition, and concerned over the whereabouts of the snowpack.

When the snow does depart, it will be an unhappy occasion for many dogs, accustomed to its presence. Large dogs in particular like huskies, Shepherds and hounds will miss the snow. They're far too hot and uncomfortable in the summer months, and they have a tendency to enjoy the cool comfort of a deep snowpack, revelling in it, wallowing in it, swallowing it.