Along the theme of winter related gear and equipment, something you may not have considered is tire chains. Yes, they are a pain in the rear to put on, particularly in the snow. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you’re going to have to go out and walk dogs, even in storms.

If you don’t own an all wheel drive or 4-wheel drive, chains will be your best friend. For the first 5 years of my business I owned a Honda Civic. Great car, decent in the snow, but if I had to climb a snowy hill, forget it. I got stuck numerous times and wound up having to shovel a client’s driveway just to get out. Do yourself a favor and buy a set of chains for the winter, trust me, you’ll be glad you did.