Winter is officially in full force, so now is the time when both humans and four-legged friends feel the effects of being stuck indoors. That’s right, we’re talking about good old fashion cabin fever! Between extreme temperature drops and Covid-19 still on the rise across the nation, everyone is probably going stir crazy. If they haven’t already, that is! This also includes Fido. 

The winter weather can make it hard for you to get outside and let Fido burn off some energy, so we at Going Mutts Pet Services want to make sure you and Fido can get through this cabin fever together this winter. You can count on us to brave the cold, snowy and rainy weather conditions for Fido’s walk for you. Our expert caregivers are prepped with masks, gloves and shoe coverings as they take extra precaution in your home to keep you and your loved ones safe during this pandemic. 

However, if you still don’t feel comfortable letting someone in your home - check out our tips and tricks to help avoid canine cabin fever to make everyone, furry and non-furry, happier this winter inside!

Indoor Workouts

How about some indoor workouts? Yes you can work your dog out while inside - although definitely pick a room or hallway that is away from fragile things and is (preferably) carpeted. We have 3 ‘workouts’ to help Fido burn off some energy while working on his fitness!

Cardio: If you have carpeted stairs AND more than one set of stairs inside, you can practice calling your dog from different levels of your house. This gives Fido plenty of cardio to release all that excess energy as he tries to find you. Another option for cardio is playing hide and seek! You can use the multiple levels of your house to hide from Fido and start by calling your pup to come find you and eventually making it to the point where you use no verbal commands for Fido to find you. Make sure you have a treat with you to celebrate whenever your pup finds you! 

Strength Training: If the treats are starting to get to Fido, maybe it’s time to help him bulk up with some doggie push-ups! Have your dog start in the sitting position, move to the down position then back to the sitting position and repeat. If you’re feeling a little jiggly, you can always join your doggo to put some muscle back in those arms - think of it as a bonding experience!

Agility: If you have an extra open room, this is the time to do what you’ve always wanted to do to it - set up an obstacle course! Find some random objects - big and small - and set them up to help Fido release energy and work on his agility game by dodging, jumping, crawling and balancing on household objects. If you don’t want Fido to have all the fun, get down on all fours and join in!

Games

A bored dog is a destructive dog, which can be a scary thing when you’re cooped up. Thankfully, there are some games you can play with your pup to help divert attention to a more appropriate behavior that can end in fun rewards!

The Chase Me Game: This game is a great way to help your pup release some energy while working on their impulse control. To start, get your dog hyped up and have him chase you. After a couple minutes, stop everything and have them sit, lie down or do any other simple command  - the goal is to have them listen to you right away! Feel free to reward them with a treat or head scratch before repeating the process. You can also continue to make the game harder by adding more commands when you tell them to stop or adding in harder commands or tricks to complete before getting a reward. 

The Cup Game: This is a fun and simple way to get your pup to use his brain power to solve a problem! Grab three cups (avoid your glassware) and some treats, line up the cups next to each other and show Fido the treat while putting it under a cup. Move the cups around and then let him sniff out which cup has the treat. Super simple, super fun and super exciting to watch your pup solve the problem of ‘where did the treat go?’

The Tennis Ball Game: Another simple and fun problem solving game for Fido includes two of his favorite things: tennis balls and treats! Grab a muffin tin and place tennis balls in each slot while hiding a treat under 2-3 tennis balls. Let your pup sniff out where the treats are while figuring out how to move the tennis balls to get to his treats. Again, simple, fun and exciting to watch your pup use his problem solving skills! To keep up with the problem solving skills, try checking out Pet Supplies Plus in Lancaster or Amazon for food puzzle bowls and the Chewy website for toy puzzles for your pup - it’s a great distraction for them to put their appropriate skills to good use!

Everyday Dog Fun

While we tend to try to find new and fun ways to play with our pups, let's not forget that sometimes it's the simple toys we already have around the house that our furry friends want and need.

Tug-of-War: Never doubt the pawsome-ness of a good old fashioned game of tug-of-war! Find some fun rope toys and a nice carpeted area in the house to battle it out with Fido with a tugging game! Guaranteed fun and a good release of energy for all involved!

Fetch: Yes fetch is probably meant to be played outside in a nice open (fenced in) field, but it can also be played inside to help your pup fight his winter blues away! If you have a long hallway or a nice big open room, throw a tennis ball for Fido and let him enjoy the magic of fetch in the warmth of his house. You could even toss multiple toys at once and make Fido bring each one back one at a time to create more movement and energy. You. Are. Welcome.

New Tricks: Tis the season to work on those simple commands as well as teaching an old dog some new tricks. Being stuck inside can turn into a productive time together with Fido learning new tricks and commands. Plus, once Spring hits and everyone wants to go outside, it will be the perfect time to show off the new things your pup learned while cooped up inside!

Keeping everyone distracted from those winter blues can be hard, but let's not forget that even our furry friends can feel the effects of cabin fever once their outside time is limited. Keeping your pup distracted will help lessen those destructive behaviors and steer them towards more appropriate behaviors while stuck inside this winter. If the winter isn’t your jam but you’re finding that Fido really needs his walks, don’t fret! Going Mutts Pet Services would love to help out throughout the winter (and beyond!) with daily walks, playtime and potty breaks. Contact us today to schedule a  free Meet ‘n Greet!

Sources:

https://www.zukes.com/dog-blog/overcoming-canine-cabin-fever/

https://www.animalhumanesociety.org/news/indoor-activities-dogs-cabin-fever