When very cold or bad weather makes walking difficult or impractical for your dog, you can still give them the exercise they need – just be creative!
Hide-and-seek is a wonderful way to get your dog up and moving and mentally engaged. You can hide a treat or her favorite toy, but it’s better to make her come find you. Start by throwing a treat to get her to go away from you, and then hide in another part of the house. This game can really tire your pup out as she rushes around searching, and it’s good for reinforcing the “come” command.
Dogs have incredibly powerful scenting abilities, so exercises that require your pal to use her nose are especially stimulating. Make her work for her dinner by creating an obstacle course she has to get through to find her food. Hide her meal in a box, or, better yet, put it in a Kong Wobbler or a Buster Ball.
Most bigger dogs love snow, and they can get a great workout by plowing through it. Your dog will get a workout in a short amount of time that leaves her exhausted—and her muscles toned. When you come in, be sure to wash your dog’s paws to clean off any salt.
