It is very challenging to keep the canine family members cheering during the winter season. Even those living in the warm southern states can face stretches of enforced idleness due to the winter rains. Without enough enrichment exercises, weeks, as well as months of dark, short days, may turn a calm canine into a hyper fanatic. Luckily, the creative dog training world has come up with many ways to keep the dogs happy in this weather. This way, you and your beloved pet can consume more time snuggling together in front of a warm fireplace and spend less time worrying about drowning or frostbite.
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Indoor Fetch
One thing you can do is stand on the stairs and then toss your pup a toy or ball to the bottom, let her run down for the ball, and run back up towards you. If she starts chasing it and not bringing it back, get a basket filled with balls or toys, then call her back, and then keep throwing different ones. Once you have thrown all of the balls, go down, collect those, and start again.
Play A Game With Your Dog
Hide-and-seek is one great way to get the dog moving and engaged mentally. You can also hide a favorite toy or a treat, but it will be better if they find you. Begin by throwing the treat to make him or her go away from you, then hide it in a different part of your house. The game can tire the pup when she rushes around to search, and then it’s useful for the reinforcement of your come command.
Challenge Your Dog’s Nose
Dogs possess very powerful scenting capabilities, so the exercises that cause your pup to use its nose are incredibly stimulating. Make them work for the dinner by creating one obstacle course so that they will have to get through those to get the food.
Dog Treadmills And Indoor Walking
There are treadmills available in the market that are designed especially for dogs. But if one of those is not affordable, you can use a human treadmill—by taking the proper precautions. Spend some days familiarizing the dog with the treadmill. Over four or five days, slowly improve the time and the speed the pup is spending on that treadmill.
Sign Your Dog Up For A Class
Sign up for an indoor activity or any swim class. Flyball can provide enough exercise, and a level comes with the extra benefits of allowing the dog to get socialized and boost the mental agility by discovering something unique. Additionally, various cities include facilities with some dog swimming pools.
Practice Targeting
Being indoors provides you an excellent opportunity for practicing targeting with the dog. Teach your dog to touch its nose on the back of your hand when you command; it will help the dog focus on the target. This is a great exercise as it can give you the activity which both of you can do. When the pup has learned to do this, you may use that whenever you need it to end whatever they’re doing and then focus. For instance, if you’re walking and your dog gets excited seeing other dogs, you may use the targeting for redirecting the attention. Also, the dog can not bark whenever it’s touching its nose to your hand.
CONCLUSION
It’s not a secret that the furry members require lots of physical and mental stimulation to stay healthy and happy. However, during the winter months and the shortened daylight times, it may be challenging for the pup to get every exercise it needs. Even if the dog is reluctant to face the snow and cold, they have to burn off the energy. Lack of exercise takes a toll on the pup’s physical and mental health. Not only is the dog will be at risk for pet obesity, but the restlessness can result in irritating behavior. If the temperatures have been dropping or you’re not up for the chilly experience, there are a lot of fun activities for the dogs that can keep them entertained and active during the winter season.
