Finding ways to exercise the dogs during the winter always poses a challenge. I went to the Decorah city prairie today and took the dogs for a walk in the 6 degree weather. My face was numb after a few minutes but the scenery was beautiful and we had a peaceful and uneventful walk. The only other people we met along the way were other dog walkers, out braving the cold to make sure their dogs were well-exercised. It seems a small sacrifice to make given the all-too-familiar alternative of a bunch of wild dogs in the house--I much prefer them tired. For those not willing to brave the sub-zero temps there is a much easier way to tire your dogs out during the winter months. Stimulate their minds. Spending 30 minutes a day teaching your dog new skills will tire them as much as a 60 minute walk, no kidding! Of course this doesn't permanently replace the benefits of physical exercise but is wonderful for bad weather days. Another tip: if you have a dog that likes to fetch, play in deep snow areas. The dogs use a lot more energy bounding through snow than they do on grass.
Carmen
HI Carmen and Scott
ReplyDeleteI would agree that it is challenging to get ones rear outside during the winter. I do it because Otis looks at me with that wistful look that says " I need to get out and play" so away we go!
For those of us who are city dwellers and don't have access to a prairie, I would note the need to wash paws after a winter walk. I was surprised by how much dirt (undoubtedly including road salt) there was on Millie's paws after our very cold walk today, especially since I thought we had been on snow/ice almost all of the time. I found some nice paw pad balm at PetSmart (at least it seems good for my hands!). Does anyone else use paw pad balm in the winter, or is it only for winter working dogs?
ReplyDeleteI like taking my dogs out to a friend's place to play frisbee in the snow. They love it and the deep snow really tuckers them out. They really have to work hard to get places in the snow! I have trouble walking on hard surfaces due to knee problems, but I can stand out there in the snow and throw the frisbee many times and they get great exercise. The deep snow also provides a soft landing pad for my young shepherd who will jump high to catch it. An added benefit to playing with your dogs in the snow is that you can capture great pictures of them with snow on the face. Awwwwww....so cute.
ReplyDeleteI recently got doggie booties to protect my dog April's feet from the cold and salt. The brand is Muttluks, they are a little pricey but high quality. They stay on surprisingly well, and she walked in them right away. However some dogs may be more scared of them or refuse to walk, so use lots of treats and gradually get them used to wearing them!
ReplyDeleteI have heard that the paw pad balm works well for dogs during the winter, I've been thinking of trying it with our dogs, especially when they run through the hard crusty snow that tends to cut their feet. I haven't tried Muttluks either but have heard they're one of the best types of booties around. Although I can't imagine putting booties on all of our dogs.... by the time we finished 'dressing' the last dog the first ones would have their's off! :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recommendation for Muttluks. The paw pad balm I got at PetSmart is called Nu-Balm Creme by Nutri-Vet. It's not as medicine-y smelling as the Sergeant's. Even though it has the consistency of human hand lotion, which she LOVES, she doesn't try to lick it off her paws.
ReplyDeleteChanging the subject, the thing I find interesting about winter is Millie's sun-seeking. I put one of her big, soft pillows on the floor where the west sun comes through the sliding glass door, and I can count on finding her there on any sunny winter afternoon even though she usually stays in whatever room I'm in.
Back to doggie-wear: Does anyone know of a brand of coats that are good against wind AND cover the dog's chest (like the Premier fleece line does)? Fleece is nice, but it doesn't provide any wind protection at all. Thanks for any suggestions.
Our dogs sun-seek also, and they will curl up in even a tiny spot of sunlight shining in, and keep moving around to stay in the sunlight. I'm a sun-seeker myself when I'm outdoors in this weather!
ReplyDeleteI don't have a specific brand of coat to recommend, however we used to carry some coats in the store that were basically like a doggie version of a down-filled jacket. They were really warm and fit like a jacket, but some people didn't like how "poofy" they looked. We purchased them through petedge.com. I'm not sure what they currently carry but it would be a place to start.