What do you do with your dog in the middle of winter?
I have to admit that I fled the Northeast and now appreciate year round outdoor activity in California. I miss my family, but not the ten jillion layers of clothes required to play outside.
But I have lots of empathy when I see the national weather reports and I know our furry friends in cold places need to get outside and move- if only it wasn’t freezing.
What can a warm body do in cold weather?
Indoor dog parks
Dog parks can be fun, until the play gets rough and someone gets hurt. So supervise your dog closely. Make sure your dog is current on all vaccines because the more dogs you pet meets, the greater the chance of sharing infectious agents.
Dog day care
Many of these facilities have room for your dog to run. Some even boast heated swimming pools. The same precautions that you take at dog parks apply here, too.
Physical therapy and rehab centers
If you live near a metropolitan area, you might be able to schedule workout time for your healthy pup on one of their treadmills.
You could use your own treadmill, but many of these won’t accomodate the stride of bigger dogs.
House Sprints
If your home has a good set of stairs or a long hall, then the game of chase-the-ball is on! Make sure you have non-skid surfaces at the end of the hall, otherwise your dog could end up doing the splits and injure his inner thigh muscles.
Mind games
If you can’t arrange for physical activity, then give your pup something different to think about. Teach him new tricks. Get interactive dog toys. Set up “hunting” games with his food. Keep your dog’s brain busy and he’ll be less restless when he’s stuck indoors.
Don’t let the winter weather put the deep freeze your dog’s activity. Keep your dog’s body and brain active and it you’ll both feel better when Spring arrives.
Empathetically,
Liz Devitt, DVM