For those of us in the Midwest we are very aware that Old Man Winter has reared his ugly head. Even though the snow is falling and the mercury is dropping our dogs still need exercise. However, we do need to take precautions against the cold temperatures, icy walkways and salty drives.
If it's too cold for you to be outside, it's too cold for your dog, so you may need to shorten your walks. If you have a short hair or small dog, you might also consider putting a sweater or jacket on them to help keep in their body heat. Since you walks are shorter, you will need to increase the amount of mental exercise for your dog. Try practicing 'puppy push-up,' a increasing the duration and distraction while your dog is on their 'place' or hide a treat or toy and play 'find it.'
Please remember sidewalks and trails may be slippery, so take some of the same precautions with your dog that you would for yourself. They can fall, pull muscles and otherwise injure themselves also.
Snow can also pack in between the pads on your dog's paws causing discomfort. You can prevent this by having your dog wear boots, using a product like Invisible Boot or applying a olive oil on the bottom of their feet just before you go out.
Salt and deicers, as great as they are for making our walks accident free, can irritate your dog’s paws and cause intestinal problems if ingested. Once again, dog boots prevent salt from even touching their paws. If boots are not an option wipe or rinse their paws off when they come into the house. Also consider applying a product like Paw Rescue to soothe and condition irritated paws.
Have fun and stay safe this winter! Woof!
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