January is always a challenge as I plan to get fit with Kilo the Pug, especially when it gets down to minus 30 with the windchill. Some dogs stay warmer than others in very cold temperatures and love the snow,  but we both hate the cold. Kilo refuses to wear boots or coats and does not like going outside at all.

Get Active Indoors on this snowy day with Dog Tricks, Dog Games, and More!

Community member Marcy shared her tips for keeping all of her talented fur babies Sweetie, Lulu and Shivers entertained and active during the winter season.

Tips to Keep Active and Warm in Winter With Your Dog

Play Indoor Games

Tug-of-War

“Playing tug with your dog can provide a wonderful outlet for her natural canine urges to grab and pull on things with her mouth. You can also use this game to exercise your dog and teach her important lessons.” -ASPCA (Read more HERE)

Make sure you have an appropriate toy,  something that is soft and comfortable to hold in your dogs mouth. Try a soft rope that’s one to three feet long!

A game of Tug can be a great way to work on some basic training and mental exercise for your dog in a fun way.  Use key phrases like “Drop it” or “Give,” while playing, and throw in a “Sit”, and “Stay” before letting your dog have the toy to work on self-control.

Kilo really loves playing Tug. He is not so keen on Drop It yet but we are working on it.

 

Tanun, one of our Rescues Rock! cuties loves to play a good game of Tug! For any high energy dog this can be a great way to engage their natural prey drive and burn some energy by jumping and tugging on the toy.

Hide and Seek

Have your dog stay while you go hide, then yell for your dog to come find you. This is a lot of fun for your dog as it plays on their natural instinct to track, plus they love it when they find you!

Or hide a toy or treat while your dogs stays elsewhere then call them to search- dogs like retrievers and Gussy the Goldendoodle love this game. I often throw or hide treats for Kilo to “go find”.

Lazer Toy Chase!

Lazer toys aren’t just for the felines anymore!  Let your dog burn off energy by chasing that little red dot that just seems to be impossible to catch! Easy to do even in small spaces and so much fun.

Go for a Swim!

Marcy showed us another great idea for small dogs – a swim in the bathtub. This can be perfect to burn off energy, get in shape and get clean all at once!

The benefits of swimming include strengthening heart and lungs,  providing an aerobic workout in just a few minutes.  and building muscle without stressing joints and ligaments. This is a safe, effective complement to exercise on dry land. Water’s buoyancy makes it easy on joints, tendons and ligaments – allowing dogs to increase mobility, burn fat and build stamina.

You can even put your dog in a life jacket or a harness for safety before he goes for a dip and holds him up allowing him to paddle and rewarding him.  For all dogs, constant supervision is a must!

Fill up your tub so that your dog can’t touch the bottom and let the fun begin. Make sure the water is at a comfortable warm temperature but not too hot.

For larger dogs, check out a local Doggy Swim Class like Fit Dogs Training Centres in Toronto HERE!

Work on New Tricks

“It’s never to late to teach an old dog a new trick!”

Use your time inside to master some new tricks! We are constantly amazed to see the cool new tricks that our Talent Hound Community Members share on the site. They inspire me with Kilo the Pug and he loves learning (or at least the rewards LOL).

So with some extra time spent indoors this season why not work on some cool new tricks to wow the entire dog park with.

Here are Sweetie and Lulu showing off some cool tricks. Give them a try and share photos of your Talent Hound mastering new tricks! I have been teaching Kilo to ride his rocking horse too.

Rocking Horse

Play Piano

 

Of course Hero the Super Collie is never bored or boring. Sara is always adding fabulous new tricks

Here’s talented Sheby Star showing off some  tricks

Ranger doing a Paw Stand which you can practice indoors.

Get inspired by the super smart Chase! Watch his Trick video HERE

Let us know how you keep your dog fit and happy indoors?