What is this?

Jed was quite happy to follow up to the trees, and there he would roam around the one that Rose had picked out. It looked to have sturdy enough bark, and it didn't seem like it would be too thin or too thick. The male followed the pup's movements and grunted as he leaned up and popped his paws onto the trunk, scraping the claws of the left across the surface. Yes, this would do nicely. In a swift motion, he was down on the ground again and proceeded to pull a previously hidden knife from a band of leather, strapped to the right leg. He positioned it in his teeth where he could stab it into the tree, enough so that he could drag it down with force.

It would take him several minutes to carve a good chunk of the bark from around the big tree, and by the time he placed the knife back in its concealed leather sheath, he was panting. "Give me a moment to rest, kiddo, and then we can find the biggest hill around here, and I can show you how to play this great game." Jed flopped down into the snow, taking a breather. He didn't often carve away from the trees like that, his blade was mostly for his practical uses, along with helping defend himself.