Is Your Pooch Getting a Paunch?

by | Updated: December 3rd, 2016 | Read time: 1 minute

It’s that time of year again. If you live in a cold-weather region, you might have lost your enthusiasm for brisk early-morning dog-walking around the time the temperatures began to drop. The problem is, cutting back on exercise can lead to weight gain–not just for you, but for your pet, too!

Here are a few easy ways for dogs to stay in shape:

Exercise every day keeps the weight gain away!

-If it’s not brutally cold, throw a squeaker tennis ball around outside in a fenced-in yard or a tennis court or baseball diamond. You’ll both work up a sweat!

Kong toys for dog exercise

-Do “doggie push-ups.” In a fun voice, command your pet to “Sit down, sit up, sit down, sit up” repeatedly.

-Get a laser device and point it around the house. Your pet will have a blast “chasing” the light.

-Have a “tug of war” with a knotted rope bone toy.

knotted dog toy

-Go into a room without breakables and play fetch boomerang with the Chuckit.

Chuckit boomerang

While we’re talking about keeping trim during cold weather, a quick note about treats: Choose healthy ones, and don’t overdo the food-based rewards! A good choice is Halo Purely for Pets Liv-a-Littles Protein Treats, which is a great alternative to empty calories. Don’t forget that what your dog wants best is some quality time and affection from you, so use that as a reward whenever possible.