How to Keep Your Pet Busy in the Winter

When the weather is ugly – no one wants to go outside and your dog might be driving you crazy! Here are some tips and tricks to keep your pouch busy inside.

Tricks! Teaching your dog, a new trick like shaking a paw or “play dead” is not only fun for you but the dog as well. Tricks are a great way to build confidence and challenge your dogs’ brain. You can practice these tricks on a walk or in the park to make things more interesting.

Games and puzzles! They can be as easy or hard as you want to make them depending on your pup’s ability. You can use boxes of different sizes and shapes with treats hidden in them, the better you get, the more boxes and treats you can use. If you don’t have boxes, you can hide the treats around the room and tell your dog to “find it.” When they get better with this game you can start hiding them behind or under objects.

There are many different toys from puzzles toy to ropes. There are lots of different puzzle toys for every ability, from the basic Kong toy stuffed with treats to snuffle mats and balls. Your local pet store will be able to help you out with picking the right toy. Make sure you have a few different toys in a stash so you can rotate them and keep your dog interested. If your dog gets frustrated, you can give them a little help and encouragement to keep them going and interested.

Written by: Larissa Charron, Receptionist