It’s officially been winter for about a month now and unfortunately we still have a few months left before the first few signs of spring. A few more months of cold, snow, slush , rain and mud. Not exactly the ideal situation to get your pup outside, exercising and enjoying some fresh air! So how does one keep little Fido entertained, healthy and happy in the winter. In this post we are sharing 5 of our favorite winter activities that will keep your pup mentally and physically engaged, and hopefully make the winter go by just a little faster fr the both of you!
1.Walk Outdoors
Bundle up and brave the outdoors! Most dogs will enjoy a stroll on a brisk day. However, since sidewalks treated with salt or chemicals to prevent ice can be harmful to your dog you should use booties to protect his paws or rinse them off once you come inside to prevent irritation and keep him from ingesting any reside that might be left. This will also keep him from tracking mud and snow indoors. If your dog has short hair, consider having him wear a coat as well.
2.Learn New Tricks
There are countless tricks and training lessons you can do from the comfort of your warm and toasty home. Start with more simple tricks and work up to something more complicated after the simpler ones have been mastered. Teaching your dog tricks has many benefits including good behavior and they will also help you and your dog bond. Keep the dog training/trick sessions short and sweet, usually this means no longer than 15 minutes, to ensure learning time stays fun for everyone.
3.Find a New Outdoor Activity
Outdoor activities are an excellent way to keep your dog in shape. Some of our favorite winter outdoor activities include playing in the snow, hiking, Rally-O or agility training. Agility classes can teach your dog to navigate a course of obstacles to jump over and run through, while Rally obedience (or Rally-O) competitions consist of a series of commands you ask your dog to complete. Many cities have training centers that offer a variety of classes that can introduce you and your dog to new challenges… some are even offered indoors! Yes please!
4.Fetch Tease
Fetch tease can be incorporated into your own winter workout routine. Start out doing sit-ups with your dog’s toy in your hands. When you sit-up, pretend to throw the toy so that your dog will chase after it. Every few sit-ups actually throw the toy and allow him to bring it back, you don’t want to tease him too many times in a row or he’ll lose interest in your game. So get on your workout gear, grab your pups favorite toy and give us 20!
5.Make Treat Time Fun
Make treat time fun with these two simple methods! 1-Use a treat-dispensing toy or 2- play a game of hide a seek using the treats. How to do it: Start by keeping your dog in one room while you hide treats in another. Then let him loose to find all his hidden munchies. The first few times you play be sure to hide the treats in obvious places until he understands the concept of the game. Gradually make the your hiding places trickier each time you play.
We hope you’ve enjoyed these five simple ways to keep this winter from freezing up your pups exercise routine. Have you tried any of these suggestions already? Which are your favorite? Which ones do you think you’ll try next? Please feel free to let us know in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you!
