Is your dog getting ants in his pants? If you are like most dog owners, the plunge of winter temperatures has dampened your enthusiasm for outdoor activity, causing angst for your cooped-up canine. Many animal behavioral specialists reported that dogs that didn’t receive regular exercise during the winter became antsy and reactive in the spring and some developed unwanted behavioral patterns. Additionally, it is not good for a dog’s health to be active in the summer and a couch-potato in the winter. For optimum mental and physical health, many veterinarians recommend that dogs receive 45 minutes to an hour of daily, consistent exercise and enrichment, broken up into shorter intervals.
Even if we want the best for our canine companions, winter presents challenges that make it difficult to keep up a regular exercise routine for our dogs. If you are wondering how to keep your dog active, watch this video. In it, Dr. Sarah gives tips and advice from venturing outside to transforming your indoor space into a canine activity center. Most activities do not require fancy technology or major space overhauls – just some creativity and a sense of fun.