I previously wrote an article about how to exercise your dog when it’s very hot, but exercising your dog in the cold can be as much of a problem as the heat. If you and your dog shiver at the thought of going outside, try these ideas for exercising your dog in the cold:

Layers

Put a few layers of thin coats on your dog, then top that up with a thicker water-proof dog jacket. Consider putting on dog boots. As your dog warms up while you exercise (if you’re running, for example), you can gradually peel back the layers one by one as needed.

Warm up

Warm up inside. Get your dog to do a few jumps, have it catch a ball, get its body warm and ready to go before you go into the cold. This way when you step outside it will be a bit easier to get going and adjust.

Exercise Indoors

If you have a small dog (or a big house) this will be easy. Toss a ball around inside, play hide-and-seek, and invent indoor games to exercise your dog when it’s cold. If you have big dog or house that just won’t allow for this, consider getting a dog treadmill.

Get a doggie playmate to come with you

If your dog is the type who gets super excited at the thought of playing with another dog, get one of your dogs’ playmates to come over and play with your dog! They will soon be warm from all the excited running around and play-fighting anyway.