In the winter months it’s hard to stay active while staying warm, and just like humans, dogs are not always fond of the chilly weather. Your furry friend needs to get exercise, and staying cooped up in the house all day is just not fun for anyone.
Here are a few easy ways you can keep your dog active, while also staying nice and warm during the winter season.
Short Walks
Even though it might be cold outside, a quick walk will help to keep your dog active while also staying warm. Remember, if you’re cold, they’re cold too, so don’t stay out too long! Consider keeping their feet warm in booties, so their paws will stay protected from the cold ground, or any ice or snow.
In areas that often have snow, the ground can have salt or chemicals to prevent slipping, these things can be harmful to your dog’s paws if not careful to keep them safe. If you have a short haired dog, put a warm sweater or coat on them to keep them warm.
Challenging Toys
Dogs need interaction, and often their toys are too simple to keep them occupied when they’re in the house all day long. A challenging toy will keep them busy and active, so that they’re doing more than just napping! Certain dog toys have traps, or pockets that store treats and food, so that your dog has to figure out a way to open those traps and retrieve the treat.
Although these feeding toys keep them entertained, too many treats can be unhealthy and make them gain weight fast. Try using their dog food if it’s small enough, or healthy treats, such as chopped up carrots, as a great alternative.
New Tricks
Despite what you’ve heard, it’s never too late to teach a dog new tricks! Learning tricks in the home is an easy way for your dog to stay active, without being out in the cold this winter. These small activities will help to keep them busy, while remaining healthy and fit.
A good 15-20 minutes a day is simple exercise, and you can reward them with their favorite treats when they obey! Make sure not to go overboard with the treats as this could defeat the purpose of the activity, and feed him or her the calories they just worked off while doing tricks.
Explore
If you’re going to venture outside your home in the cold for a short period of time with your dog, then why not make it exciting? Explore your town, and discover new parks, hiking trails, or even dog parks. If this is too difficult, or too far, then try creating a new walking path than the typical one you walk when going outside.
Your dog will love finding new places, and exploring, and the excitement of the adventure will help him or her get plenty of exercise and burn off calories. Since they were so excited while on the new adventure, they will surely be tuckered out when you get home, so make sure to give them plenty of water and rest before your next activity.
Fetch
It seems simple enough, but playing with your dog in the house for short periods of time throughout the day will keep them active if they can’t go outside. Tossing their toy around the living room and making them run about, will not only keep them fit, but they’ll be thrilled to have your attention.
If your home is too small to throw toys, then tug-o-war is another way to play and won’t knock over anything in the house. With entertainment like this, they won’t even notice that they can’t go outside in the cold all day!
In the winter months it’s often difficult to keep your dog happy, while maintaining an active lifestyle. Just like their owners, if dogs stay stagnant in the home all day for an extensive period of time, they could potentially get overweight, and lead an unhealthy lifestyle. Dogs love activity, and getting out and about, but sometimes it’s just too cold for them to be outside for extensive periods of time. These tips and techniques are an easy fix to the restlessness, and boredom your dog might face while being in the house all winter long!
Author Bio: Carl Turner is a freelance writer and a professional dog trainer from Los Alamitos, California. With over 10 years of experience training and taming canines, he has developed an expertise for helping dogs of all shapes and sizes. When he is not busy working with his clients’ pets, he enjoys writing informative articles for avid readers on the web.
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