Talented K9 Winter Activities With Your Dog

Dogs need activities to do year round. They need lots of ways to burn energy. I hope to give you some ideas here in this article for some winter activities to do with your dog. Hopefully you see something you like or would like to try, and get out there and have fun! Your dog will thank you! There are several activities you can do with your dog during the winter, lets take a look at a few of them.

Skijoring, what exactly is Skijoring? Skijoring is a mix between cross-country skiing and dog sledding. Grab a harness for you, one for your dog, tie your dog to you and let them run. Okay it takes a little more training than that. Even so, that is the basics of Skijoring. You on the skis, and your dog ahead of you pulling you. You'll need to teach them to go, stop, turn left, turn right before going all out on this one. Skijoring is not only for one dog, you can have anywhere from one to 4 dogs pulling you. Skijoring is also not just for huskies and Malamutes, you can do this with just about any dog. Usually you want your dog to be at least 30 pounds.

Dog Sledding, you don't have to have a whole team to enjoy this sport. One dog will do. Grab a sturdy harness, a good leash and a regular sled and your set. You might take some time to train your dog the commands first though. Dogs love sports like this, it's excellent exercise for them and fun at the same time! Go have some fun with it! If you'd like to be more serious about it, there are many harnesses, dog sleds, equipment, and books to teach you how to go about it.

Snow Shoeing, this is a great activity for both you and the dog. You will burn a lot of calories while having fun with your dog at the same time! Find some great trails by you, get you some snow shoes and go explore! Don't forget your camera! Snowshoeing will take you to places you wouldn't normally be able to get to in the winter. Perhaps a favorite spot in the summer, snowshoe there in the winter and it could be a whole new experience. Snowshoeing is especially great for dogs who are perhaps not the pulling type, or are getting a little too old to enjoy skijoring or dog sledding.

Snowboarding, apparently a sport that is starting to rise among dogs too. They don't get the same boards people use, more like a body skim board you'd see at the ocean. If you can teach your dog to skateboard, you can teach your dog to snowboard! Dogs seem to love these types of sports, well maybe not all dogs, but there are a lot of dogs out there who have a blast with these types of sports.

Plain and simple, fun in the snow! Take your dog somewhere they can be off leash and let them have some fun in the snow. They'll have a lot of fun simply running, jumping, and rolling in the snow. Through some snowballs for them to catch and fetch. Invite over some dog friends and let them all play in the snow, burn some of that energy!

As you can see, there are a lot of ways to have fun in the snow. If you'd like to learn more, we will be covering each one of these in more detail in the link below.

Amy Hiscocks is a Professional Dog Trainer and Behavior Specialist. To learn more about winter activites with your dog, along with tips on fearful dogs, behavior problems, house training, crate training, keeping your dog home, and even teaching tricks, visit us at Talented K9