So it's been raining here for like a week straight now. That combined with my end of semester exhaustion has meant Bode is severely under stimulated and starting to get a little destructive. Anthony is pissed because he chewed up the cover to one of his chairs...

Anyways, what do you do for exercise when the weather is crappy for a long time? We try playing in the house, but our house is very small, so that can get disastrous quickly. It doesn't help that our backyard is a swamp, so even if it stops raining for a little bit, it's just all mud back there....I know it's partially my fault for not braving the rain to go on walks. Any other suggestions?

Part of responsible dog ownership is having to make sure needs are met no matter the weather. Get our there and walk the dog and let the dog play. A little bit of mud never killed a Siberian. Just have towels at the ready when they come back in. I prefer to crateafter in climate weather to let the mud dry and slough off (we use plastic crates with grid inserts so they don't just sit in their filth). Once they are dry and less dirty they are allowed back in free roam of the house.

Rain beats a snow storm any day. When the weathers like it's been I'll check the radar to see how much of a break I have then decide if its a walk or a mad sprint, sometimes multiple times that day. And keep towels by the door for all of us.

It's been raining like crazy here for the last week and more rain this week too. Since Saber doesn't play with toys I have no choice but to walk him in inclement weather. I could probably get away with skipping one day now that he's an old man, but I try to keep him happy. I've been soaked many times but that doesn't bother me. Wiping him off is the real chore since he wants to go tearing through the house after we get back.

You exercise in the bad weather whether you like it or not. Comes with the territory I'm afraid. I've taken many walks in the rain to ensure my sibe gets his exercise. Gotta take the good and the bad.

I HAVE to take Micole on 2 walks at least a day or she will destroy the house cause she is very bored ... So twice a day rain or shine I am out there ... YAY!! For high energy huskies!!!

when we first got Dakota we lived near Seattle WA it rains there almost every day. We went for walks every day and just took as much mud and water off him as we could then in the laundry room he went to clean himself off and dry 15 min later he got to come out to the house. Yes the laundry room was a muddy mess but it can be mopped, unlike trying to repair dog destroyed items due to lack of activity.

Weather isn't so bad, I head out without pretending I'll stay dry, and we towel off together at the end. I just block the entryway with a baby gate to protect the house from wet puppy.
Of course, the Sara is asking for other suggestions, so our "just do it"s may not be super helpful. Can you arrange with friends that have dogs to do a play date? I know the end of the semester is exhausting, but I've always found it more productive to take the little one out for an hour and really get to work for an hour, rather than spending two trying to ignore a puppy with full batteries. Even if you can't get the pups together long, that's another option.

If we didn't take our dogs out in the rain in the Pacific Northwest they would be outside for a total of about 15 days a year!

Perhaps maybe investing in a treadmill??

thank god it does not rain much in CO (hint,hint sara) but i will take cold, hot, and snow over walking in the rain! a day or 2 is fine but at some point you just have to bundle up and brave the weather if all the mental work outs are not helping in the house, do you have any of those food brain games for him?

^ rubber boots

jbealer wrote:

thank god it does not rain much in CO (hint,hint sara) but i will take cold, hot, and snow over walking in the rain! a day or 2 is fine but at some point you just have to bundle up and brave the weather if all the mental work outs are not helping in the house, do you have any of those food brain games for him?

Haha Jen, I definitely get the hint. The only brain game that we really have is feeding dinner out of the Wobbler. We do some training games though.

And to others, obviously I know that just getting out and doing it is the best option. I know that. I know that to be a "responsible dog owner" we need to get out there. This week has just been full of extremes and I was looking for if anyone had anything fun or special they use to add to an exercise regimen.

Since I don't have class today, I ended up taking him to my parents for a playdate with their dog. We've actually been in the process of setting up playdates with people from work and school, but Mother Nature keeps foiling our plans!

can you drop him off at doggie day care if you cant get the friends meet ups to work?

Not sure how big your house is, but if you have someone to help, we like to play hide and seek and call her back and forth, we have treats and when she finds us, she gets yummies. It also makes practicing "come" fun for her.

It's a good idea Jen, but money is tight right now so day care I not the beat option. I'm done with school in a week, so we will be fine after that. It's just this killer finals week. My dad is always happy to take Bo, he's going to pick him up on Thursday so we can get through these next couple days without depriving Bode of attention.

Rhia, that does sound fun. Our house is tight but that might make it more entertaining!

I'd definitely check craigslist out for a treadmill, that might help on the rainy icky days. I'm from FL and live in WA, so rain is no biggie to me. My hubby thinks I'll melt but we walk anyways. You could always take him to a friend's and let them play inside, as long as there is play it works out good. Maybe try trips to the lake to get wet, since you'll be wet already anyways lol.

Our house is really small also and we have 3 so imagine the madness when it's raining out Honestly, I won't walk them in the rain. If it's sprinkling then OK, but not pouring. I don't care about getting soaking wet, but drying off 3 huskies before coming in the house never works out. Luckily it's Miami and we get breaks in the rain so I'm able to take advantage of those 30min and get them out. Our yard becomes a lake/mud swamp as well so it must be a walk

They entertain each other, but I always throw myself on the floor and wrestle with them or have them chase me back and worth in our tiny house..lol. They like it when mom acts like a fool and throws herself on the floor..lol

I can't remember which thread it was, but I remember someone putting up a pull up bar 10-11 inches off the floor in a door way and having their puppy jump over it back and forth a few times. She said he was worn out after about 30 min. I believe the dogs name is maxi

Edit: Here it is. There's a cute video of the pull up bar.

https://www.itsahuskything.com/t7086-maxi-s-pictures-20022013-first-time-in-a-lake?highlight=maxi

Unless there is lightening we walk in the rain. Over the years we have bought gortex type shoes, pants and jackets. Keep a lot of towels in the entry way. It's not fun walking in the rain but you do have a major sense of accomplishment when you are done.