It’s been an unpleasant Winter. Many dogs are bored and lacking activities.
Sugar has exhibited boredom and have to be creative in keeping her active.
Here are 5 Winter Activities To Keep Your Dog Active
1) Enjoy the beauty of Winter.
Don’t let the winter weather stop you from enjoying the outdoor. Fresh snow is the best time to play fetch and a fun way to burn lots of energy. Also, a brisk walk around the block or at the park are both beneficial for you and for your dog.
2) If the winter temp is frightful, find indoor facilities that you and your dog can walk.
a) Take your dog to a Pet Supply/Store.
Walk your dog while you shop and/or check out the latest pet products.
b) Check your city/town for a dog-friendly mall.
c) Many Hardware and/or Garden Center are dog-friendly as they carry dog (pet) products.
3) Take your dog swimming.
Check out hydrotherapy facilities in your area. Most of these facilities also offer fun dog swim. Swimming is an excellent total body conditioning activity. The heated water is an added benefit, it decreases pain, muscle spasms and stiffness.
4) There are many establishments that rent their agility ring for fun play at affordable rates. For half an hour agility run, your dog can burn lots of energy. It’s a great bonding game too.
5) Mental Games and Tricks:
Remember at any age, a dog can learn new games and tricks.There are many mental games geared for dogs like Toys r Us Treat Puzzle game. OR You can create your own game using household items and your dog’s toy, like Tennis Ball Cupcakes.
*If you follow us on Instagram, you’ve seen several of Sugar’s mini 15 sec videos, Game For The Day. Check it out and you get to see also Sugar’s agility video.
Keep in mind, Keeping Your Dog Active is an All-Season Responsibility and creates bonding between you and your dog.
Winter is OUR season…we love it. Now if we could just work out some activities when it rains, like it is now…
XXXOOO Bella & Roxy
Some top tips – I wish we had more dog friendly venues near where I lived!
We have to worry more about rain than anything else here. We just put on rain gear and trudge through the rain. I like the tennis ball game idea, I’m going to have to find some.
those are all wonderful ideas – it does help when you live in a large city though – many smaller towns like we live in don’t have options…but Mom finds ways for us to keep active – we love our treadmill for a good walk a couple of times if it too cold to be outside
We have seen SEVERAL of our furends using YOUR idea of the tennis Balls in the muffin tin. THAT is a GOOD one.
Great ideas and tips, thanks Sugar. Bad weather? Not an excuse to be a couch potato!
Great tips Sugar! We love the idea of winter swimming. Need to find an indoor facility near us!
Your pals,
Diane and Rocco
Way to stay active!!!!
Thanks for your great tips!!!!!
Hope you have a PAWsome weekend!
((husky hugz))
Sugar WTG you are as busy as a bee even in winter. Remember you can teleport to see me here in the South any time any day
Hugs madi your bfff
Good tip, great reminder. I have to say even if the weather is frightful MOM and I still get out and exersize. MOM cleverly disuses it as fun.
Blessings,
goose
We try to spend the cold time with learning some tricks and we play games. Many thanks for the tip with the tennisball-game, it’s really funny ( but we lost some of the balls)
All the Lowe’s and Home Depots around us are dog-friendly. I LOVE going to Lowe’s and looking around. Momma takes foster dogs there too to help them get socialized.
Great ways to stay fit when it is cold outside.
Great, much needed, tips!
All wonderful suggestions. Pups and peeps need to stay active in winter and year round!
Your Pals,
Murphy & Stanley
Nice one Sugar and you sure need it over there. We so hope you all get a break in the weather soon. Have a fabulous Friday.
Best wishes Molly
Great tips! 🙂 We don’t have to deal with snow but we do get a lot of rain down here. Next time the weather is gross I’m planning on taking Nailah to PetSmart for a walk and training session! 😀
Great tips, Sugar! We are always out walking no matter what and we have done lots of mental workouts lately. Not to bored around here.
I must say, that there is a lot to do with your dog – Over there. Rent Agility, dogswim, Dogshopping-mall, we don’t have anything of that here in Denmark. I do envy you guys. Have a great activity weekend.
Mom is pretty good about taking us for walks as long as there isn’t any snow or ice on the walkways. We wish we had a hydrotherapy pool near us – seems like a lot of fun.
Woos – Phantom, Ciara, and Lightning
Hi Y’all,
Great ideas. Those in rural areas don’t really have those options available without an hour or two drive. Bur the puzzle games come in handy. Indoor obedience practice can keep the mind busy.
Y’all come by now,
Hawk aka BrownDog
Great ways to keep active during winter!
I really love that tennis ball muffin pan game! Thanks for sharing it!
Sugar looks like the winter doesn’t bother her at all! She is in great shape : )
Good ideas. Because of the cold and snow BJ and I walk up and down the long hallway in my building.
Those are great ideas
Lily & Edward
I love that tennis ball cupcakes thing. Shiver has more than enough tennis balls to do something like that.
I was just thinking that if it doesn’t rain tomorrow, I’d like to take my boys out for a walk.
Excellent tips! Our Bella is starting to get bored. Our winter has been particularly brutal, and even she would rather not go out (she will spend hours at a time outside in the summer). I think she would really love a trip to Lowes. Colby, too. I’ve been looking for some new places to take them to continue working on socialization…bingo!
Great post, Sugar and Mom! I could offer any number of excuses for being lazy during the winter, but I won’t. I find the easiest time and way to keep Callie and Shadow active is playing fetch/keep away with them — indoors or out — while Ducky’s at daycare. They like the game, and 15 minutes at a time is enough to tire them out for a nap while I study. We have those food toys, too, but I have to do that separately because they are all prone to some resource guarding when it comes to food/treats. I learned my lesson about that the hard way the first time I used the toy. (Luckily, I was able to separate them long enough to diffuse the tension.)
You sure do have fun Sugar!
Those are great ideas. We like to do all that stuff. We have never been to a dog pool, we should see if there is one around here!
Wyatt and Stanzie
Excellent suggestions!
Great article.. though i guess my husky would need that much to stay active during winters. He just loves winter and playing in the snow.