how do you exercise your dogs when the weather is so awful

[pinkbraces]

Ok you wise mnestters please tell me your best indoor exercise ideas.

Its very rare we let the weather stop us walking the dog but its starting to get very very bad again and I need some alternatives.

One of my friends suggested throwing her ball up the stairs so she runs and fetches and then comes back, however she has hip dysplacia and whilst at the moment it is causing no problems Im not sure this is the best thing for it.

All ideas greatfully received :)

I ordered some ice grips for my shoes and I just get on with it. The Devil Dog cares not what the weather is like.

Although I have just bought him a coat after he shook and shivered his way all the way to Pets At Home in the driving rain and freezing winds.

I have ice grips, they are brilliant, however my devil dog really doesnt like the freezing cold and has so far ruined, by eating three coats, she doesnt like coats!

No such thing as bad weather - only inappropriate clothing.... Well.... Not sure about that.... It is really important to be able to keep warm and dry and not to be constantly falling over. I think bad weather might include blizzards, thunderstorms and hurricaines, double rain, gale force winds... but then some people HAVE to go out in these conditions. Wellies or walking boots are good, wool or corduroy trousers (not denim as it clings and chills), waterproof trousers, good gloves, a hat, a scarf and a stick of some sort. Then you will have a lovely time! Oh and a decent coat!

My Whimppet is not fond of the cold. We just stick to short walks 2-3 10 minute walks per day when it's really cold.

Ice grips or good walking/hiking boots, waterproofs, thick clothing, gloves, a hat and a hot coffee when I get home. You'll feel so much better for it and so will pooch.

I think boredom is the biggest issue when its really cold. My Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is quite happy to not go out in the cold - she has a coat (or three). When its really slippy I take her down the back garden and she runs around like a mad thing for 10 - 20 minutes before running back into the house.

In the house I use raggy toys, hide treats around the place, some times she chases a torch light (that one is better for cats) and my 4 year old puts her on a lead and walks her around the house again and again and again - she likes the attention.

As again, I dont mind the blizzards its my princess who doesnt, so well done to one and all whose dogs love going out in all weathers. I was asking for some tips on indoor acitivities.

And if you amazing all weather walkers and mountaineers are concerened we do still take her out even if she doesnt like it but for very short walks (about 20 mins)

thanks (I think)

Energetic games of tug-of-war at regular intervals throughout the day?

i walk her. she gets muddy.

we get wet.

worst case scenario, i'd take her for a drive so she'd feel she'd gone out. but it would have to be very wet indeed for that.

We play tug of war and chuck her kong around for half an hour (seems to do the trick), she refusses to go out when it is wet/cold. Our dog would be happy to lie on the sofa alday .

Doggy play date? My Whimppet had a whale of time with my sisters new pup and came home knackered.

The thing is walking is not just about exercise, but about socialising, training and relieving boredom. You really should try and get her out at elast a little bit everyday.

Oooh, oooh, where did you get your ice grips from and which ones, and do they work??? I'm still bruised from the last icy spell

Mine were from ebay. I have not had the chance to test them out yet. They arrived the day after all the ice melted. By they were reccomded by a few MNetters. They are by Artimate and are yellow. I can't find them on ebay atm.

I dont know what the weather has been like where you are but here you can barely walk, let alone socialise with another human being or even a dog. :)

Mine were from Blacks, Ive had them since last year, they are brilliant.

We do tug of war and hide her toys, she loves playing hide and seek. I

Thanks - I'll have a look online later then. I don't fancy going into the city to look at Blacks with all those darned Christmas Shoppers ;-)

are they like this?

or this

or are they all as good as the others??

Whereabouts are you Pinkbraces?? Sounds desolate!!

We just do more short walks when it is very very cold, but our pup loves the snow and whizzes around at high speed so by the time my feet have turned into blocks of ice he's had enough of a run about. However we live in Canada where it is easy to get proper snow boots (apparently good to -40C) and so we just bundle up (snow trousers, thick coat, hat with flaps, scarfs, skiing gloves) sometimes it takes longer to get all the gear on and off than the actual walk!

Last winter when he was very small I used to stick him under my coat, walk him about as far as I thought he needed to go, and then put hm down to walk home again.

Otherwise tugs of war, lots of interesting things to chew and friends to visit keep hm happily occupied, and I have been known to take him out in the truck for a bit of a look around but we all get stir crazy if we are stuck at home.

Warm clothes warm boots and just go. The dogs love it whatever the weather

Ha ha! Pupkin had fun on the ice today! He didn't know what it was at all! He scratched it and chewed it, and barked at it. The other 2 were a bit more sensible. Only a bit more sensible!

I always get mine out regardless of weather and even when like today the snow is over my wellies! But I am lucky as have private land to walk on and can play chase, retrieve and hide and seek games with them so I do not have to go that far

However games to play with dogs at home:-

Tie two old plastic milk cartons together with a bit of strin - some dogs will shake them to death for hours.

Put a few bits of food in an empty cereal packet and the dogs can try to get it out of the packet.

Play hide and seek games - get a favourite toy and hide it or children!

Figure of eight
Teach your dog to go around an object eg a chair use a toy to lure around the chair and click and treat when doing. When this is easy to the dog get another chair and get the dog to zoom around both chairs in a figure of eight - this really tires them out!

Put food under three plastic cups and move them around while the dogs watches and get the dog to nose touch the one with food under

Teach a new trick
How to bow
How to spin
How to circle around you
How to shut a door
How to open a door
How to fetch a named object

Here is a fun computer game to play with your dog from the comfort of your settee!
If you google "Royalty free dog sounds" you will come across any sounds you can imagine. You can play them to your dog for a short time for free or you can download them for a small fee! See your dog's reactions to cats, cows, pigs, and any other noises you want to choose!

Watch me command
1 with your dog by you call his name,when he looks right into your eyes,click-treat
2 gradually increase the length of the loving gaze before click treating!
3 when you can hold the eye contact add a command ie 'watch'
4 add distractions-roll a ball or throw a treat,ask the dog to watch you,and release to reward. This may have to be done on
lead at first to avoid any cheating!!! BE VERY CONSISTENT WITH YOUR RELEASE COMMAND,so that it becomes second
nature with waits and contacts too!!!
This 'watch me' command is useful when you want to keep your dogs attention on you,when there are distractions ie horses,joggers etc.

Dont feed them from a bowl but scatter the food around a room - makes feeding time longer and makes them work for their dinner

= tired dogs!

My dachshund says he does not want to be taken out in belly deep snow only to have the local farm dog pay him unwanted attention with his cold nose. You've never seen such a tightly-tucked tail in your life!.

He says he would much rather curl up by the radiator/on a lap/on a bed and just have a mad dash-around-and-under-the-table-barking fit later on.

(I can hear contented snoring from the bathroom - he's lying over where the hot water pipe runs now)

some dogs just dont like snow/ice/rain.

I think minimu has all bases covered. I was out early this morning with all 3 dogs and DH. It was -5 and I had a hat, snow gloves, my muckboots and as many layers as I coulg get on with my fleece and waterproof coat on top!

I was a sight to behold I tell you.

Fetch Lead
watch dog bounce around
Put on lead
Open door
Dog stops dead
Pull dog
dog does not move
push dog
dog lies down

Shut door

Woman and Dog sit by fire.

Well our babydog (6 month old lab crossed with kangaroo and a direct descendent of Houdini) exercised us today. She has discovered she can pull the fence between us and our next door neighbours apart and get into their garden. Not a problem for them as they are lovely but due to the snow their automatic gates are stuck open. She escaped. DH mended 5 separate patches of the fencing today. DS and I went hunting for her and found her.

Tempted to bloody let her go if she wants to be off so much! But it is due to be -12 tonight so she would end up frozen-dead-babydog if I did.

We will take the dogs for a long walk tomorrow but like the idea of the indoor activities. DS should enjoy doing some of them.

Poor dogs are bored.