02/08/2022
Winter can be cold and long for both us and our faithful companions. Temps dropping to double digits below zero, then wind chills taking the temp even farther below, adding inches upon inches of deep snow--who knew winter could make math even more depressing? Some dogs up here in the good ole north may enjoy these cold temps and (occasionally) fluffy snowbanks, so why not use this to our advantage?
When the weather is warmer (or at least manageable for your dog) put the larger number of inches to your advantage and have them run in the snowbanks. This makes them wade through and work harder in a shorter amount of distance.
Some other ideas for outside:
If you have enough snow or really small dogs plus patience (a snowblower also helps) make a maze so they can have a zoomie session or explore. You’ll may put in a few connected paths, but eventually you’ll see they’ll put in their own routes too.
Play fetch. You may have to use a frisbee or a rope toy so it has a harder time falling into the snow. If your dog must have a ball, a rubber ball with holes in it is also an option. If you have a larger dog, mini basketballs or soccer balls are a good in the snow.
Some dogs also enjoy the simplicity of just snow toss. Either catching snow balls or snow coming out of a shovel.
Even some of the colder loving house dogs cannot endure the extreme chills of North Dakotas blustering blizzards for long periods of times. So there has to be alternatives in these trying times, right? Of course. Sometimes you just have to be creative.
Here are some inside activities to help your dog blow off some steam besides playing (tug, fetch, flirt, etc.). Playing is great, but you may not have the space for it and that’s what we are going to focus on here. This will focus mainly on mental stimulation which can tire your dog out twice as fast:
Slow feeders. Even if your dog is not a fast eater, this helps work their brains a bit more. It spreads the food out more and it is in an intricate shape requiring them to move around and lick up the food.
Snuffle mats/rugs. Similar idea as above, but makes them work a bit harder. This simulates how a dog would snuffle food out in the wild causing them to forage for their food. You can also do varying levels of difficulty while teaching them how to use it.