Cold weather can get dangerous for people and pets, during the winter there are days when you need to stay inside. But just because the weather isn’t cooperating doesn’t mean your dog doesn’t have energy to burn. When temperatures get dangerous, you have to get creative to keep your dog stimulated. Here are a few ideas for canine enrichment to help your dog stay active during the winter.
- Lickmats: Spread a thin layer of a treat like peanut butter or yogurt on a lickmat, and freeze if desired. This slows down their eating, makes eating more active, and licking is stress-relieving for dogs.
- Find games to play. Hide and Seek and Nosework are two examples of games that will get your dog’s brain and body moving. Put your dog in a sit-stay while you hide and then have them find you in the house.
- Puzzlefeeders. Pet stores sell puzzle toys and snuffle mats that you can put their dinner in to stimulate your dog mentally, but store-bought isn’t needed.
- Lay out a towel and sprinkle your dog’s dinner over it, roll the towel up, put it in front of your dog and they’ll learn to push the towel to uncover more of the food.
- Don’t throw away your empty paper towel and toilet paper rolls. Take a roll, fold one end over, fill it with your dog’s food (you may need to you a couple depending on the amount of food), fold the other side over. Your dog will learn to rip at the cardboard to get to their food.
- Take a muffin tin and fill the cups with food, and place tennis balls over the cups. Your dog will find a way to remove each tennis ball before eating what’s in the cup.