With the winter months comes snow, ice, cold, and, this year, a Polar Vortex. Winter can be challenging for any dog owner, especially if you have smaller breeds or any short coat breed dog that does not do well in the cold. It is even more challenging when temperatures drop so low that potty breaks are met with looks of “I have to pee in this?? You can’t be serious.”
So, how can you keep your dogs active when the temperature drastically drops?
Doggy Daycare
While it’s not the cheapest of options, if you have a dog that needs to burn off energy and does not do well in the cold weather, daycare is the best thing. Not sure how to choose the right doggy daycare, one really important thing to look at is if they are a member of the Alberta Force Free Alliance (as Zoe’s is also a member of and a strong advocate for force free training).
Unfortunately, the indoor dog park here in Edmonton closed last year. I know that was a very popular option for a lot of dog owners in the city as it was a warm and safe place to take your dog.
What if you live somewhere where doggy daycare is not available (such as a small town)? Then what?
Canine Enrichment Activities
Do you just hand feed your dogs treats? Or just put their food in a bowl?
There are now many options for canine enrichment where your dogs need to work at getting their treats or food out.
One the best options is putting a treat, peanut butter (100% natural peanut butter only) or some of their raw food in a Kong and let them work at trying to clean it out. A great challenge (and great if you have a teething puppy), is to throw it in the freezer before hand and then give it them.
Along the same line of a Kong is a Tumbler toy where you put a treat in it and your dog needs to roll it around to get the treat out. It keeps Max busy and frustrated for hours at a time (especially if you put in a treat that is hard to get out).
Another great canine enrichment option are Snuffle Mats.
So what can you put in a snuffle mat? Anything you want (except raw food because that would be a gross mess). If you feed kibble, you can put their kibble in there or you can hide some treats in there for them to dig around and find.
If you do feed a raw diet, you can also use a Slow Feeder bowl and then your dogs will need to work at getting their food out (which also works well if your dog eats their food way too fast).
The great thing is that there are many different options and games you can get for your dog from your local pet store to keep them entertained in the cold, long winter months.
While none of these options are going to replace taking your dog out for a walk, they will help your dog burn off some energy which in return, will help you keep your sanity.
