Carol Boche

Hey Guys,

I'll put this here too...I put it on another forum as well....but wanted to get people's ideas here too...


Someone forwarded this to me so I thought I would start the "Winter Blues" thread.....for those of us with cruddy weather during the winter months, what do y'all do to keep your dog(s) happy, healthy as well as mentally and physically tired?

Winter's around the corner, but don't put the freeze on exercise!


Whether it's been drilled into you from the day you brought your dog home or you're hearing it now for the first time, believe in the mantra of dog trainers everywhere:

A tired dog is a good dog.

Like all of us, your dog needs plenty of mental and physical exercise to keep him stimulated, occupied, and out of trouble - no matter what time of year. But while you can hit the gym when cold weather hits, your dog may be missing his long walks before dinner or marathon fetch sessions in the backyard. So if it's too chilly to venture outdoors for long, bring the fun inside:


· Play "post office" (and don't ask us why it's called that). Station your significant other, roommate, or friend at one end of the house and yourself at the other. Call your dog to you, and when he arrives at your feet, reward him with a piece of kibble or small treat. Now have your friend call your dog, reward him for coming, etc. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

· A few rounds of find & tug can be utterly exhausting. If your dog is forty pounds or more, consider the session a workout for you too.

· Practice jazz-up/settle-down and truly get your dog to do those jumps, turns, and mashed potatoes during the jazz-up moments.


And don't forget to keep her mentally stimulated, which can be just as tiring as physical exercise.


· Teach her new commands. She knows 'em all? Train her to put away her toys, bring you your keys, or raise her right paw when you say, "Who loves her Mommy?".

· Feed her meals from Kongs - or other puzzle toys - which force her to think in order to eat

Thought it was a good little blurb out of the article to get started....

I do quite a little building work, Doug just bought one of our old country schools which has 10 classrooms, a kitchen, bathrooms, a gymnasium and several other rooms as well. It is huge and it is going to be great for winter work as it is heated. So I am spending some time dragging all kinds of crap out there to put inside for the dogs to search and play on. \

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