Winter can be a little rough on dogs shorter days usually means that nighttime walks are often limited or eliminated. Cold temperatures can leave dogs with less energy because they are conserving energy to keep warm and families spend less time outdoors or vacationing both of which usually include your dog.
What can you do to spend more time with your dog during the winter that is fun and healthy?
1. Readjust your weekend schedule: During the summer we often spend a lot of time working or running errands during the day and then leaving the evening/night for adventures, activities and socializing. This will give you a lot more time to spend during the prime hours of daylight. If you have distance to travel before your activity leave early when it is still dark so that you get as much daylight as possible during the day.
Move the fun to earlier in the day and take your dog with you. There are tons of outdoor adventures you can participate in that are both fun and challenging for both of you. You can always shop, run errands or clean once it is dark.
2. Embrace the outdoors: You know you love seeing pictures of your friends at the top of a mountain or overlooking a beautiful lake and wish you had dome something similar. Well now is the time to become an outdoors-man. Here are three amazing activities to do outdoors with your dog during the winter.
* Snowshoeing: Make hiking easy by hitting the mountain trails with snowshoes that will make all the difference. Your Dog will love being in the mountains and and you will get the chance to see mountains in a whole different light.
* Sledding: wear your dog out with a day of Sledding. Hike to the top and sled down let your dog chase you doing both of those. You will feel like a kid again and you and your dog will get a great workout walking up the sledding hill.
* Ice fishing: if you love to fish this is a great way to spend a cold Saturday. Your dog will love being able to run freely on top of the ice while you have a blast catching fish.
3. Visit the warmth: Take a break from the cold and visit a warmer state nearby for a long weekend. Take your dog with you and soak in as much warm sunlight as you can during the process. Dogs love to travel and make any vacation special and fun.
No matter where you live winter does not have to be a time you feel your dog is not getting enough attention. You never know with your new activities you may find yourself enjoying winter a little more than even you thought was possible. So take some time this week and think about what types of activities your dog loves to do and then choose ones that you can enjoy as well. Dress warm and consider it an adventure.