Tips to avoid boredom when cooped up during winter months.
If you are trapped at home with your pup because of a winter storm, or because of frigid temperatures and wondering how to keep your pup occupied, have no fear. Though it is a challenge, it is possible to keep your dog from going stir-crazy or destroying your home from boredom, even without spending the usual amount of time outdoors. The key is focusing on mental exercise instead of physical exercise and remembering that quality time with your dog is a valuable commodity that can compensate for less activity. Here are eight indoor activities for you and your dog:
Play together.
If your dog likes to play, now is the time to be the most willing play buddy ever. Games like fetch and tug can be played inside, and so can hide-and-seek. Maybe even make an indoor obstacle course. or a scavenger hunt. It doesn’t matter so much what you play as long as you are engaging your dog in a fun activity.
Train together.
As a trainer, I am always in favor of lots of training time with dogs, but cold weather makes this an appealing option. Teaching tricks such as roll over, crawl, sit pretty, or jumping through a hula hoop give your dog plenty of mental stimulation and are usually fun to show off later, too. Practical skills such as wait, back, 4 on floor, heel, down, stay, and leave it are so useful that teaching them or brushing up on them will be time well spent. Most dogs enjoy training if it is done in a positive, humane way. Your dog gets treats for being right and has your undivided attention—a total win
Massage time.
If your dog loves physical contact, days stuck inside can be great opportunities for learning/giving dog massages. Basic massage instructions can be found on YouTube, or you can just do whatever you know your dog already likes. For dogs who love to be brushed, a snow day can be an opportunity to spend a significant amount of time maintaining his coat. If your dog dislikes being brushed, it’s probably wise to skip it on days that are already a bummer because of being stuck inside.
Surprise toys.
Most dogs love receiving new toys or things to chew on. If that describes your dog, consider this a great week to bring out a new toy or two, or even something extra special to chew on. Though these items can be expensive, you will get your money’s worth out of them this week, when your dog doesn’t have as much to do as usual. You can put them back up at the end of the day, so they stay special.
Stuffed Kongs.
Stuffing a Kong with food can help your dog stay happily occupied for a long time. Put some treats in along with regular food and consider freezing it so that it will last longer. Many dogs can spend 30-45 minutes extracting food from a well-stuffed Kong. If your dog takes just a heartbeat to empty one, it may be a good week to start freezing them or making them
harder to empty in other ways. you can also use ice cube trays or an old butter bowl.
Food puzzles.
Make life more interesting for your dog by feeding them with a food puzzle toy. Many products present challenges for dogs as they must work to get the food. I’m in favor of feeding dogs this way on a regular basis, but there’s no better time to start than during a icy cold day when you must make an extra effort to prevent boredom. You can also look up DIY snuffle mats & feeding puzzle ideas.
Arrange playdates.
If your dog has a good canine buddy who can visit for an indoor play session, send an invitation right away! This may only work if the other dog lives really close and can safely walk over during icy or snowy conditions, but if luck is on your side in this regard, take advantage of it. Only invite another dog over if you know that the dogs will play nicely indoors and won’t have issues over space, food or toys. If you don't have a furry friend to invite, that special aunt could always come by to shower your pet in attention.
Go outside (when safe).
Decide if it is reasonable to be outside safely for longer than just quick potty breaks. That will depend on your dog and the temperatures you are experiencing. In New England and in the Midwest, it may not be safe to spend much time outside at most days. However, in parts of the southeast, it may be possible to walk dogs safely in the winter, though perhaps more briefly than usual.
It may feel crazy cold, but some dogs might be able to tolerate it quite well. Larger dogs with thicker coats will likely have an easier time handling unusually low temperatures, but even breeds who are supposedly good in the cold may find it challenging if they are used to much warmer weather. Perhaps a short walk is possible if you go during the “heat” of the day, but only brave the cold if it’s safe for you and your dog to do so.
Hopefully, it won’t be long until you can return to your normal activities. In the meantime, do what you can to make your dog’s days as interesting and full of fun as possible.