January 3, 2022
Winter blues are real and not just for humans. Recent studies have shown that dogs can suffer from seasonal affective disorder or seasonal depression during winter. To help you and your pup survive the long, cold and dark winter months, here are 17 winter activities for you and your dog. Before we dive into outdoor winter activities, it’s important to keep your dog safe. Here are necessary considerations to take before heading out with your pup:
- Make sure your dog can handle the cold and snow. Some cold weather breeds were made for winter, others not so much.
- Keep your dog protected from winter elements with jackets, booties and other clothing.
- Don’t stay out for long, even if your dog is wearing winter clothing. This is especially the case if the temperature is below freezing. Find out what temperatures are too cold for dogs, here.
- Cut your dogs nails and trim fur around the toes to avoid ice clumping and other damage.
- Bring treats or food to fuel your dog. They will use some energy to keep themselves warm, which means they’ll lose energy more quickly than in other weather.
- Also bring water and bowls so your dog doesn’t try to eat snow, which can contain chemicals, salt, dirt and more.
- Make sure your dog has up-to-date identification tags and microchipping in case of separation. For extra protection, consider using a GPS tracker.
- Use reflective gear and bright colors since it gets dark more quickly in winter and visibility can be low with snow, windy and rain.
- Senior dogs may not be suited for cold weather activities if they have joint issues, arthritis or other health issues.
- Always clean your dog’s paws and any part of their body that came in contact with winter elements to remove any chemicals.
Winter doesn’t mean you can’t go for walks, it just means you’ll need to take some extra precautions. These include properly bundling up your pup in coats and other winter clothes, protecting their paws, keeping walks short and knowing what temperature is too cold. Read our article on water walk safety to find out more!
Try Skijoring
If you have a larger, athletic dog who loves to run and you like skiing, then skijoring may be for you. Don’t know what skijoring is? We didn’t either. Skijoring is a mix of cross-country skiing and dog sledding. Basically you clip your skis to your dog’s harness and glide along as your dog runs through the snow. Just make sure to have a quick release attachment in case you need to hastily detach from your dog. You can also add challenges for your dog with training commands, like turn and stop. Pro Tip: Pulling breeds (like Huskies, Newfoundlands and Samoyeds) will likely require forced breaks as they won’t want to stop even when they’re tired.
Cold weather likely isn’t enough to stop your dog from playing fetch if they love it. Snow can even add an extra challenge to the game by forcing your dog to search for the ball. Just make sure not to stay out for too long because of the risk of hypothermia and avoid icy areas to prevent your dog from slipping and injuring themselves. Pro Tip: Use a bright colored ball or one in colors dogs can see (such as yellow or blue) so it’s easier for you both to find.