WINTER DOG TIPS

Here are some winter dog tips to keep you safe and happy. Olive is a sweet black lab mix with lots of energy. Her owners asked me about how they could maintain their exercise regiment even when the weather didn't allow for them to venture outside. She has had tremendous success with her obedience training, but these tips will work if you are just starting out as well.

• Play Fetch If your dog loves to fetch or chase a toy engage him. Even if you are in an apartment you can throw the toy into the next room and play the game. This is just like playing outside, but you may have to do it for a bit longer depending on the space you have to work with. If your dog doesn't know this game, try teaching him by throwing a treat a short distance.

• Teach A New Trick Olive's newest trick is to wait patiently with a cookie on her paw in a down position until she is told to eat it. Lots of creativity and work by Ryan and Dominique! Make it fun for the both of you and having the dog use her mind burns LOTS of energy, and it always impresses people (especially the dog trainer) when your dog can do a trick. Trick training does just that. A creative winter dog tip for sure.

• Play Hide And Seek Take a treat and put it a few feet from your dog. Give him a command such as find it. Of course he will "find" the treat a few feet away, but make it increasingly harder for him to find. The next time you lay a treat out, put it in an easily findable, but slightly concealed spot. Give him the command to find it and watch him go. Then start to hide it out of sight totally. Again you are using the dog's brain so you are constructively using his energy. A good winter dog tip, but you can do this anytime, and just about anywhere. Olive has a nice lobby with plenty of little hiding spaces and some stairs to liven up the game.

• Work Your Commands If you have obedience training work your dog in his commands. Make it more challenging by adding in obstacles such as the couch, or your shoes. If you don't have obedience training, contact us.

Here are some winter dog tips to remember:

• When returning in from a walk check your dogs feet. Ice or salt that has been caught in between the dog's pads can be very uncomfortable. Remove any ice and wipe his feet down with a wet wash cloth.

• Try some ointment on his feet before you go out if he seems very sensitive to ice melts, etc. Musher's Secret seems to be the ointment of choice.

• When it is cold, it is dry. Make sure your dog has enough water throughout the day.

• Please Please Please make sure your dog has adequate shelter. Some people have dogs that are capable of being out doors when it is colder. That doesn't mean that your typical dog house is enough shelter. If your dog house looks like something you could draw when you were in the third grade think about upgrading his house to something with a wind break built into it and some straw or insulation. Dogs may not complain as much as we do about the weather, but they still need adequate shelter. Make sure that if your dog does stay outdoors for any length of time during the cold months you are using plastic bowls instead of metal...remember the movie A Christmas Story?

• Watch Out For Green Or Red Puddles Not so common of a tip, but in the winter time more cars have heating problems, etc and that may cause anti-freeze to spill over, leaving a sweet but deadly puddle. NEVER LET YOUR DOG EAT this of course. If you suspect this happened call poison control at (888) 426-4435.

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