During the winter months the chilly weather can deter many people from their daily walks with their furbabies. No need to worry! There are still many different activities that can keep your pet healthy physically and mentally during these times. Here are some great ideas with minimal to no cost that you and your pups can do!
Play hide and seek
Playing hide and seek is so much fun with a small pup in the house. Find a place to hide and call their name. They will be so happy and excited to find you while jumping for joy! You could even have a special treat waiting for them when they find you. If you have two pups and they love to play with one another then you can take one with you! Sneak around and whistle! Having them search is in their nature and this will for sure fill the need of stimulation in the brain. Be cautious with larger dogs as the excitement can get out of control! No one wants to lose a lamp to a collision from the excitement!
Hide the treat
If your pup is a fan of hide and seek with you then just wait until you create a secret dog hunt around the house! Take him into another room and hide treats throughout the rest of the house or a specific room. Next, take him into the room and say a command such as “find” or “search!” they may need a little help at first but once they get the hang of it you will see the excitement the next time you give the command. Later you can increase the number of rooms in which you hide the treats!
Puzzle Toys
These toys will stimulate your dog’s brain and keep them happy and healthy as they are challenged to find things depending on how the puzzle works. There are many of these toys that can be made at home as well. DIY puzzles are just as good and sometimes even better than store-bought!
DIY towel with treats Puzzle! Take a towel, either large or small depending on your dogs size. You can try this out to see what works best after a few games. With the towel open line up some treats. Roll the towel a couple of rows and then add another line of treats. When you are done give them the command and watch them go!
Learn new tricks
The best way to exercise your pup is mentally, which in turn tires them out physically! By teaching them a new trick they will be very stimulated and get out tons of energy. Dogs love to please their owners and make them happy so this exercise is great in many ways. Maybe you’ll be able to get a super cute video of them doing their new tricks too, and be sure to tag us in it so we can see! There are so many tricks your pup can learn, try searching for cute ideas online and you’re bound to find plenty of ideas!