Keeping Your Pet Active As Cold Weather Continues

By Caitlyn Gose

As the cold weather continues, it is important that you keep your pet active and getting the proper amount of exercise each day. It can be hard for your pet to exercise when it’s cold outside, especially if they’re short haired.

However, it’s still necessary for their overall health and wellness. Although there are plenty of things to do outside to get exercise, when it’s too cold it can actually be a hazard to your pet (usually their paws).

Keep reading along to learn some ways to keep your pet active, indoors. Stay out of those frigid temperatures and stay in the warmth, just make sure to get in your exercise along the way! Here we go:

Obstacle Courses

Setting up an indoor obstacle course is something that is both fun and active. Get creative setting one up and help your pet get through it! Set up chairs and tables to go under and over, use baskets and pillows to go around, get creative!

This is not only providing an active activity for you and your pet, but it’s also creating bonding time with your pet. Use this time to have fun and make memories with your furry friend.

Dog Treadmills

If you have a very hyper-active dog, a treadmill is probably a good option. Dogs need to run, and a treadmill is a perfect option for your dog to run its heart out.

When very hyper dogs don’t release their energy, this can provoke behavioral issues such as barking, destroying things, or going to the bathroom inside. That’s why it’s so important to make sure your pet is getting as much exercise as it needs every single day!

Here at Adeo, we sell a selection of dog and cat treadmills. We have the standard treadmills and some that look like giant hamster wheels (these are a great option for pets that are scared of standard treadmills).

Check out our selection here

Teach New Tricks

A great way to mentally stimulate your pet is to teach it new tricks or commands, especially if you’re stuck indoors. Mental stimulation actually uses a lot of energy and can be a great way to exercise your pet, while teaching it something new!

Try some fun tricks, such as playing dead and spinning in a circle. Or teach commands like heeling and guarding. You may learn that your pet can do a lot more than you think!

Hide & Seek

Your pet will have so much fun playing hide and seek with you! Tell your dog to sit and stay, then go hide. Whistle or make a noise and let your pet come find you. Keep doing this until your furry friend is ready for a nap.

This is also a great way to mentally stimulate your pet, and you can even play hide & seek with treats. Hide training treats around the house and let your pet sniff them out. Sniffing is a good form of exercise as well!

Pick Out A New Toy

Get in the car and head to your local pet store (with your pet of course)! Your pet will enjoy the car ride, the social interaction, and getting a new toy to play with. A new chew toy on its own is a good way to burn some calories, so adding in the car ride and social interaction makes it a win-win-win!

Make it even more special by letting your pet pick out their own toy or bone to chew on.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many different ways to keep your pet active indoors. Have fun and get your creative juices flowing with some ideas for you and your pet. Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean you have to be a couch potato!

Making an obstacle course, playing hide & seek, or even learning new tricks are all great ways to keep your pet active while staying indoors. What are some fun ideas you can think of to keep your pet active in the Winter?

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Caitlyn is a painter, bookworm, and freelance writer from Southwest Michigan. She comes to Adeo Pets with the desire to teach others about pet safety and health. She has a deep love for animals and wants pet parents to have all the answers they are looking for! Check out her work at www.cgosecopywrite.com.