We’ve been extra lucky in Charleston this winter (so far… fingers crossed!) that the weather has stayed pretty warm. But there have certainly been those toe-freezing days where you just can’t bring yourself to hook up that leash and take a stroll around the block with your pup. Don’t worry, though, because when the weather gets too brutal for you to suck it up, you still have some options for exercising your dog. Here are our top 5 favorite ways to get indoor exercise for your dog:
Use the stairs for a game. If your dog loves fetch, sit at the bottom of the stairs and throw the ball to the top of the stairs. This is a fun game for your pup and will get them lots of exercise. Make sure that you are doing this on carpeted stairs (or stairs with a runner), though, so that they have good grip and don’t take a tumble. If you’re up for exercise, you could also leash them up and run up and down the stairs with them. Kudos to you if you are this motivated!- Play hide and seek. You can hide in various spots around the house and then call for your dog to come find you. If your dog is more food motivated, you could also introduce him to the “search” game where you hide small treats around the house and then tell the dog to go search for them. This is great for keeping him moving and scent work is a good mental game, too.
- Set up an agility course. This sounds daunting, but start with something simple like a broom stick propped up on two low boxes. Teach your dog using treats to hop over the stick. You can get more creative by adding obstacles for your dog to weave around. Take it one step at a time, and as they master each part, add to it!
- Tug of war is a classic! You can even watch tv while hanging on to your dog’s favorite tug toy.
- Doggy dancing is always a hilarious way for you and your pup to work out! Turn on some of your favorite tunes and dance around your dog. This will probably get her excited and start bouncing around with you. Give her more of a work out by holding her front paws while she dances a bit on her hind legs. Remember to let her down for breaks, but you may find that she enjoys being upright, too!
Use the stairs for a game. If your dog loves fetch, sit at the bottom of the stairs and throw the ball to the top of the stairs. This is a fun game for your pup and will get them lots of exercise. Make sure that you are doing this on carpeted stairs (or stairs with a runner), though, so that they have good grip and don’t take a tumble. If you’re up for exercise, you could also leash them up and run up and down the stairs with them. Kudos to you if you are this motivated!Here’s hoping the sunshine holds out and we can enjoy the outdoors, but for those days when it is just too cold or rainy, these are the perfect things for indoor dog exercise!
