By Chelsea Chan
The weather outside might be frightful but that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun! Some people love the winter and others hate it, we see the same in our dogs. Some dogs want to bounce around in the snow, others want a warm bed by the fireplace. Winter safety for pets is essential given the freezing temperatures, salt on the roads and potential frostbite. With less time outside these days, there are still fun things to do with your pets.
Keeping your pet active and healthy is important and getting all their energy out when it’s too cold can be a challenge. The first and easiest way to keep them busy is to bring the fun inside. You can do activities like fetching, playing with bubbles or even hide and seek. Throw a treat to distract them then go hide and see if they can find you! If you want to do something creative, you can set up an indoor agility course using chairs, blankets and brooms. Anything you have in your house!
Another way to keep them busy is to make them work for their food/treats. There are treat dispensing toys and puzzles to keep their minds moving. Slow feeders are good too, you can put peanut butter or yogurt all over and give them as it is or freeze it to make it last even longer.
Taking trips with your pup gives them something new to see and explore. A personal favorite of mine is an app called BringFido, which allows you to search for all sorts of things to do with your pet. They have hotels and Airbnb’s that you can book right through the app. You can search for restaurants and activities that allow pets. The options are endless!
You could simply take on the task of teaching your pup new tricks! They keep their minds working and can even be a good workout. Two feet up is a trick that is good for building up the hind end muscles. Sit pretty works out their core muscles and balance.
Those are just some of the ways to keep your dog fit, physically and mentally, when you’re stuck indoors. You can use these ideas to work your pups’ brain, nose and muscles. You might even get a few new ideas of your own! If you happen to be busy yourself and still want your pup to get the attention and activity, remember PetMinders is here for you!
