5 Ideas for Exercising Your Dog Indoors During the Cold Winter Months

Exercising Your Dog Indoors

There’s no denying that during winter it's difficult to find the motivation to take your pup outside for a walk in cold and wet weather. You may find yourself and your pup spending more time than usual indoors, and while it can be tempting to just let them sleep all day, this is not healthy for your dog! But, just because the weather is less than ideal doesn’t mean you should neglect exercising your four-legged friend! The good news is that there are plenty of ways to get creative and have fun while getting some much-needed exercise indoors too–so whether you’re looking for something active or something more mellow, we have five great ideas on how you and your furry pal can stay entertained this winter without braving the chill.  

Climbing Stairs:

If you have stairs in your home, they can be a great tool for providing indoor exercises! With verbal cues, toys, or treats as incentives, you can encourage your pup to go up and down the stairs — it’s a great way to give them exercise with no extra space or equipment. Walking up and down the stairs constantly encourages different levels of elevation, which adds an extra physical challenge. If your pup yawns at the thought of going up and down the stairs, you can make things more enjoyable by standing at the top of the steps with them and throwing a fetch toy to the bottom. They will get one up-and-down cycle each time they retrieve the toy. For safety needs, ensure that their furry paws are trimmed short (your groomer can help you with this) and if slippery surfaces are present on the stairs then avoid using them. Additionally, always supervise for overexertion as excessive amounts of exercise can strain muscles or cause injury.

Build an Obstacle Course:

Building an obstacle course can be a fun and stimulating way to give your pup some indoor exercise. With a few easy items found around the house, you can create a course full of challenges and surprises that’ll keep your pup engaged. Using furniture, pillows, cardboard boxes, blankets, and toys - if it’s safe for your pooch - you can build an obstacle course with infinite possibilities. Don’t be afraid to get creative and incorporate more challenging elements such as jumps or tunnels - there are plenty of videos on YouTube or Pinterest that can help provide ideas to get you started.

Make Your Dog Work For Treats:

Fun, interactive activities like treat puzzles are a great way to engage your pooch! They’re not only stimulating but can fit easily in your indoor space. Treat puzzles for dogs provide the perfect opportunity for your pup to show their creative problem-solving skills when trying to get the goodies out of the puzzle. If you don’t want to purchase one from a pet store, you can easily make one yourself with some simple materials such as cardboard toilet paper rolls. Or why not try chasing after a ball that randomly dispenses treats and kibbles? Not only will this have them running around indoors, it’ll also keep their minds active as they try to figure out how to get the treats. Fun and stimulating activities like these can help create opportunities where you bond with your pup while also giving them something beneficial and entertaining to do!

Teach Your Dog New Tricks:

Teaching new tricks is a great way to keep your pup mentally and physically stimulated during these cold winter months. Start small with basic commands like “sit” or “stay” then gradually move on to more complicated ones like “fetch” or “rollover”—anything that requires physical movement from your pup! They’ll love learning new things and it will give them something fun to do during those long winter days stuck inside.

Schedule A Play Date With Their Dog Friends:

Socialization is important no matter what season it is! Consider scheduling a play date with one of their canine friends (if possible) or even doing virtual play dates if that works better for you both. Either way, it will provide plenty of mental stimulation (and maybe even tucker out their furry friend too!). Dogs get plenty of satisfaction from wrestling with their mates or chasing them around! 

It’s important to remember that even though we may be stuck inside this winter because of the colder temperatures outside, our pups still need exercise and playtime every day! We hope these five ideas gave you some inspiration for how to keep your pup active while still staying safe indoors this season; happy exercising!