What to do with a jock during long winters?
 

I'm already foreseeing this situation :p
What to do with a very active, athletic, energy full, strong dog during winter?
(short hair and large but not too large).
What do you do to keep them exercised and without going nuts? :laughing:
[IMG]http://www.woofipedia.com/images/uploads/_600x400/hyperdog.jpg[/IMG]
Note: The guy in the pic is not Ragnar :D

Wow a Weimaraner!! :crazy:
They are indeed very high strung with tons of energy. I know exactly what you're in for (my weim Billy was full of P n V until around 10.5yrs).

First of all you will need to EXCERCISE! EXCERCISE! EXCERCISE! If he's tired he'll be happy and well behaved and will be a complete joy to be around. So I would suggest you bundle up in your winter gear for a nice long walk and make sure your pup has a warm coat on too.

Confine him or leave him alone with all that pent up energy and he'll tire himself out in ways that will be unpleasant for you. He'll be busy destroying and chewing anything and everything he can find. Talking from experience here.:wall:

I found a one hour walk three times a day took care of my pups need. You will have to figure out what works for Ragnar. He may need less or he may need more. I know that some pups are trained on a treadmill so the owners can drain their energy in quick time however I've never had to do this.

Good luck:D

[QUOTE=Lynne&Co.;1073057]Wow a Weimaraner!! :crazy:
They are indeed very high strung with tons of energy. I know exactly what you're in for (my weim Billy was full of P n V until around 10.5yrs).

First of all you will need to EXCERCISE! EXCERCISE! EXCERCISE! If he's tired he'll be happy and well behaved and will be a complete joy to be around. So I would suggest you bundle up in your winter gear for a nice long walk and make sure your pup has a warm coat on too.

Confine him or leave him alone with all that pent up energy and he'll tire himself out in ways that will be unpleasant for you. He'll be busy destroying and chewing anything and everything he can find. Talking from experience here.:wall:

I found a one hour walk three times a day took care of my pups need. You will have to figure out what works for Ragnar. He may need less or he may need more. I know that some pups are trained on a treadmill so the owners can drain their energy in quick time however I've never had to do this.

Good luck:D[/QUOTE]
He'll most likely be one of those 3 times a day because indeed he has so much energy. He's not a Weimaraner though but I thought the pic illustrated exactly how energetic he is.
I guess I'll have to get some good coat for him. And get ready to be in the cold too.
So I guess it's alright even if it's very cold. You're right I don't see any other alternative since winter can be so long it's impossible to keep them confined.
Treadmills are insanely expensive too :mad: haha
Thanks for the advice.

As long as he keeps moving and has a warm coat on he should be fine. If he stops moving, that's when he will get too cold. I always feel the ears during a very cold day to check that they're still warm. If the ears are cold then it's time to get him indoors. Of course there will be days when it's far too cold to be outside for longer than a potty break. Those were the days I NEVER left him alone. He was quite happy to snuggle on the couch under a blanket with me watching TV all day.

I picked up a warm coat at a local pet store during the end of season sales but it was still expensive! If you have a tack shop near you, they usually carry horse coats sized down for dogs that are around $40. There are also online sites that sell dog coats however I've never gone that route. I like to see them and fit them to my pup.

Yes treadmills are insanely expensive:eek: That's why I added a third walk and the excercise was great for me too. I have to admit I've put on a few pounds in the last year:laughing::laughing:

I agree with the others here.

As long as it's not sooo cold that your own private parts start to immediately freeze up :D then with a dog coat, dooger should be fine. If you yourself have a good coat and you start to get cold...probably too cold for dooger as well.

Just be attentive as Lynne suggests.

That said - there HAS to be somewhere indoors near you where you can bring your dog. I'd google dog clubs in your area, to see if there are any meet-ups during the winter. Surely other dog owners with high exercise needs dogs are going through the same thing.

I took my Standard Poodle to the woods and threw a tennis ball for about a hour and having to run in the snow was a good workout . I kept his hair longer in the winter to keep him warm . He would weight about 3 lbs. less when he got his summer cut. We also went the beach to play ball. He had to run for a hour non stop to do any good .

Great ideas everyone..........just wanted to add that whatever you do no off leash priviledges until you can be sure you know Ragner pretty good...and even then I would be cautious especially once he leaves Mexico

Some ideas for cold weather stuff:

- a lazer light in the back yard, they love to chase them
-find a tennis court that is enclosed and go in and let him run around (I only suggested this because we have a park with a fenced in tennis court)
-doggy daycare
-meet some new friends and do doggy play dates, doggy walks
-Sophie loves to have a snowball fight kind off, I throw the snow around and she goes crazy
-teach them to retrieve and then by yourself a chuck it ball (these are great)
-take the opportunity to train him indoors when its too cold....you could set up some chairs and different obstacles to move around in the house, doing sits, sit stays, downs, even healing throughout the house anything to use the brain and tire them out., they always say A Tired Dog is a Happy Dog! :) have a pocketful of treats when doing this...:thumbs up

As I sat this my little munchkin doesnt want to go outside today, its by far the coldest day we have had in awhile...shes not stupid :laughing:

Have fun!!!

Guess what? He learned to retrieve yesterday so now we can play fetch.
Now off topic :offtopic: I couldn't remember where I put my leash tonight and since Im so excited about the fetching I went outside with him off leash (and that's not allowed in this community) and we were playing and I got in trouble with a neighbor who was walking a small, puffy, white dog that got aggressive but leashed so I was at fault. The guy told me we're not supposed to do that and I said you're right I shouldn't be out like this. I lost my leash I'm sorry. It was hard for me to grab Ragnar because the guy is an absolute noob at controlling his dog. I could tell and I'm new at this. Anyway I took it all because it was my error. He and the dog kept walking and they stopped at my parents house by coincidence and I had Ragnar strongly grabbed by the collar, he went on the floor and then struggled to leave to the point I had to let him go and the guy wouldn'tleave so Ragnar caught up trying to play with the dog.
Long story short even when I apologized the guy started to boss me around and being a jerk because he didn't understood I lived right there and was trying to put the dog inside and he kept yelling and spinning and scolding (he also thought I was a teenager or something I could tell by the way he was talking to me. It was night time he couldn't see well lol :p ) Stay stil, damn it. I already apologized and won't happen again. I said and then I grabbed Ragnar.
There's not a bylaw rule however it's a rule inside the gated community.
Why the story? Just because Winston JUST mentioned the off leash privileges.
The guy was rude and defiant, however, none of that would have happened if I respected the rules. I am human and I made a mistake and after this experience this won't happen to me in Canada, plus, it's against the law. Even when the other dog is the aggressive one I can put my dog at risk by a reckless action like going off leash in a leash only area.
So for new users in the forum reading this: Don't make the same mistake as me. It could bring worse consequences than an unpleasant fight with a neighbor. It's irresponsible. I really don't know what was I thinking.

As for the ideas they're all great. Already googling indoor playgrounds for dogs. Maybe one of these days I'll post some pics of the "little" rascal ;) HE'S 57 POUNDS ALREADY!
Lesson learned.

I have small white fluffy dog that I keep on his leash at all times , he is very protected of me . If he see another dog that not even near me Marty will bark ! It drive me nuts ! I am worried about taking my dog b/c we're getting Canada cold air , and it's going to be dangerously cold outside this afternoon until Sunday ! How do keep your dog from getting frostbites when taking him to do his business ?

I am in Canada and we have had a pretty mild winter this year HOWEVER this weekend is more like a traditional Canadian Winter. When it is dangerous like this we only make quick trips outside to do our business and no lingering around cause its too cold....:o We dont usually go for walks when its like this either but it really depends. As I am typing this it is beautifully sunny But cold we may venture out later...Were Canadian so were used to it :thumbs up

Barkingdog have you ever bought booties for Marty....some people love the MUTLUKS...I have a friend that was worried about the pads of the feet getting cold so she bought little socks and put them on for when they went out to do their business....her dog couldnt tolerate the MUTKUKS...:laughing:

Cindy

57 pounds! He'd fit right in with the Pack, Koteburo! :D

Another game to play in the house when it's very cold is to hide tasty treats around the house, under things, on top of things, behind things...let him exercise his nose to find them! :D Just don't forget where you hid them! :laughing: You can even train him to indicate there's a treat there, too--make him sit when he finds one, then give him a command to release him to get the treat. Good mental stimulation!

And yes, pics would be awesome! :D

Really good ideas! I have to be resourceful to keep this big guy busy.
He's not even a year yet and 57 pounds :laughing:

[QUOTE=Winston;1073083]I am in Canada and we have had a pretty mild winter this year HOWEVER this weekend is more like a traditional Canadian Winter. When it is dangerous like this we only make quick trips outside to do our business and no lingering around cause its too cold....:o We dont usually go for walks when its like this either but it really depends. As I am typing this it is beautifully sunny But cold we may venture out later...Were Canadian so were used to it :thumbs up

Barkingdog have you ever bought booties for Marty....some people love the MUTLUKS...I have a friend that was worried about the pads of the feet getting cold so she bought little socks and put them on for when they went out to do their business....her dog couldnt tolerate the MUTKUKS...:laughing:

Cindy[/QUOTE]

I tried buying some booties for Marty but they were so hard for me to get on with his thick fluffy hair . Marty hate me putting on his coat , I call it the doggie eating coat the way Marty act when I put it on him.
There are no other dogs around and being a male dog Marty want to pee where another male dog peed. I am waiting awhile before taking him out . I am hoping he'll have to go so bad he won't take forever like he always does . :wall: I don't like doing this but I don't want to end up having to go out so many times b/c he doesn't pee sometime ! :yell: :frustrated: :censored: That felt good to get off my chest ! :laughing:


I took Marty out and he wanted to go back inside right away ! UGH! No luck this time.

We try that tactic, too, Barkingdog--making them wait till they're really desperate before taking them out. Seems like no matter [I]how [/I]desperate they are, they're so easily distracted that the minute they get out, they forget what they're there for! :laughing: We follow them around the yard chanting, "Potty, poopy, then inside!", over and over and over.... :rolleyes: Sometimes it works, sometimes not so much.... :D

[QUOTE=hazelrunpack;1073095]We try that tactic, too, Barkingdog--making them wait till they're really desperate before taking them out. Seems like no matter [I]how [/I]desperate they are, they're so easily distracted that the minute they get out, they forget what they're there for! :laughing: We follow them around the yard chanting, "Potty, poopy, then inside!", over and over and over.... :rolleyes: Sometimes it works, sometimes not so much.... :D[/QUOTE]

Yup ! This happen with Marty too a neighbor could be outside and Marty has to say Hi! to them . I don't want to keep going outside b/c it's dangerously cold out and I have numbness in my feet and wouldn't feel them getting too cold. Marty didn't even try to go the last time we went out , I think he worried about the fox being back .

[IMG]http://www.funnyfidos.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/funny-dog-picture-surely-you-jest.jpg[/IMG] :p

:laughing: I wish! So are you lucky in that Ragnar doesn't like to stay outside in the cold? Could you please send him here to teach the Pack that cold means they should be inside? heheh :D