Kicking the Winter Blahs

Lets be honest, for most of us Winter is the season we hope never arrives and pray that it?s over quick.
If we feel that way, with all the options available to entertain ourselves, just think what our dogs must be experiencing – no swimming, no chasing rabbits in the field, no laying on the deck sunbathing and no standing outside sniffing without quickly needing to lift each paw in the all to familiar ?dance of the cold dog paws.?
Bored dogs are problems dogs. With the ice and snow comes the sock stealing, tissue shredding, racing laps around the house and barking.

Keep reading to uncover three fun ways to brush away those Winter doldrums.

Magical Suggestion #1 – Bring the outdoors in!

Think Christmas tree. Does you dog sniff and sniff and want to check out the tree when you bring it in? That?s first class dog enrichment right there. Lets build off it.
The great outdoors provides a variety of unique scents. When it?s too cruddy to go outside, you can bring the outside in.

• Grab a large freezer Ziplock bag and take a stroll outside. In the Ziploc bag, collect a variety of rocks, sticks, leaves and soil. Chunks of wood are fair game if you?ve got the room for them in your home.
• Dedicate a corner of your home as the ?woodlot.? Lay down a piece of cardboard and dump your bags.
• Hide treats and toys among your mini-woodland for your dog to find.
  To preserve the scent, store these items bagged in a cool area when not in use.

Incredible Suggestion #2 – NomNomNom!

Unless you?ve been living without internet since getting your dog, you have heard the sage advice of giving a Kong toy stuffed with peanut butter to your dog as a mean of enrichment and entertainment. It is a great idea! Kongs are the 7th wonder of the dog world, in my opinion. This idea can apply to lots of other items, really only limited by your creative imagination. Here are a few incredible possibilities:

• Fill an empty soda bottle with kibble and leave the cap off.
• Smear peanut butter on a wooden spoon and hold it just above your dog?s head so they need to jump to lick it.
• Freeze your dog?s normal kibble with a small amount of wet food in an ice cube tray. Add this to their daily food bowl along with loose kibble.
• As long as you clean the bowl after, these frozen cubes work awesome as a ?bob for kibble-cubes? when one or two are dropped in your dog?s water bowl.

Unbelievable Suggestion #3 – Get outside.

Our top pick for outdoor enrichment in the winter is Snouting.

What is Snouting you ask?

Check this blog next week to learn what Snouting is, find out how to enter our monthly Mural Hidden Toy Raffle and discover the exciting new happenings planned for you in 2019.

Happy Holidays!
Mike