Cold Weather Activities for you and your Mutt (National Mutt Day)

On cold winter days even Fido wants to stay indoors where it’s cozy and warm.  But string too many cold days together in a row and you both will start to go a little stir crazy. You might wonder what types of indoor activities for dogs would be appealing to your mutt.  Well, since today is National Mutt Day, we’ve got some answers for you:

• Doggie play date- Dogs get lonely, just like we do.  If it’s been a while since your dog’s seen any of his dog friends, invite some over for an indoor play date.  Even just an hour with another dog can be very beneficial to your dog.
• Play hide and seek- Keep a treat on you and go hide.  Call your dog over and reward him with the treat when he finds you.  Playing with everyone in your home can be real fun!
• Take a trip to the pet store and find him a new toy- Fido might be bored with his stash of toys and might appreciate something knew to toss around.  As an added bonus, there may be other dogs at the pet store for your pup to play with for a while.
• Indoor dog park- Check your local listings to see if there are any indoor dog parks in the area.  Local kennels may have some sort of day camps available.
• Try some nosework- Try teaching your dog to be a keen sniffer with some tips from K9nosework.com.  You never know, you might have the next McGruff the Crime Dog on your hands.
• Try the old standbys: Tug and Fetch- These games never get old to dogs.  They love pulling on objects while you pull the opposite direction.  They love retrieving thrown items even more.

If you have any ideas on how to keep dogs occupied and happy during the cold winter months, we would love to hear all about them!

*