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Top 5 Winter Activities for Your Dog

January 7, 2019 by Mary Telesz

a dog running up and down a footpath on a mountain with the owner of a professional dog walking services companyAs the weather gets colder, you may be thinking about of the upcoming seasonal festivities. From holiday parties to staying in and enjoying a warm fire, there is much to do for you and your family; but what about your furry family member? While you can schedule dog walking services or pet sitting services when you are away from your pup, here are the top five winter activities you won’t want to miss out on enjoying with your dog.

1. Nose Work Activities

Want to stay inside and keep your pet engaged? Why not try some nosework activities to stimulate their innate use of smell? This will give your pet exercise without having to go outside in the freezing cold. Nosework activities are a fun and easy way to stay inside and still keep your dog active. Listed below are a few suggestions on nosework games to play.

Guess Which Hand

If you’re willing to stay and play, this is a great mini-game for you and your pet. Simply put a treat in your hand away from your dog’s view, then return to them with your hands balled up. Have your pet sniff out which hand has the treat and wait until they paw at it to be sure they’re choosing the correct hand. If they guess right, show them the treat and allow them to eat it. If they guess wrong simply show them your empty hand and encourage them to try again.

Hide and Go Sniff

This is just like the classic kid’s game Hide and Go Sneak. The difference is, your dog will be looking for the treats. Make sure you hide the treats in places that will challenge your pet. Hiding a treat in an easy location won’t challenge your dog and he/she won’t exercise their abilities. Hiding a treat in a location that’s a little more tricky will encourage them to look harder and will keep them preoccupied for a while.

Conceal the Meal

This game is like Hide and Go Sniff. A few differences to note: instead of a treat, you’ll be hiding your dog’s meal and instead of playing for a few minutes, this game will take place for days (or as long as you have your pet!). At first, your dog may be confused about where their food is when they see it isn’t in the regular spot. But, after a few days of finding the bowl in different locations, your dog will get the hang of it.

2. Indoor Dog Park

a dog at an indoor dog park with a professional dog walker during the winter time since there is snow on the ground at the local outdoor dog parkIf you want to stay indoors, but don’t want to keep your pet cooped up in the house, consider letting your pet play at a local indoor dog park. This is a great way to get out of the house and keep your dog active, without having to be out in the cold.

There are some very modern indoor dog parks with state-of-the-art amenities for them to enjoy

Some of these include:

  • Puppy training
  • Obedience training
  • Exercise programs
  • Dog & owner joint fitness programs
  • Doggie spa amenities

Many of these facilities are set up much like a playground where your dog can find other dogs to play with and or they can run around freely on their own to explore what these dog parks have to offer.

3. Sledding

How about a traditional winter activity? You and your pet are sure to have a great time sledding. All you need is a toboggan and a fresh blanket of snow. This is a great way to stay active during the winter, especially if your dog is a snow lover. Find a big hill, so you and your pet can walk or run and get your exercise. Once you’re at the top, hop on your sled while hold your dog in the center and slide down. Your pup is certain to love this joint winter activity with you.

4. Skijoring

If you and your dog love going outside in the snow, the two of you will love skijoring. What is skijoring? Commonly done with horses, skijoring involves skiing with a tied animal, pulling the skier by running in front. In your case, the animal would be your dog! Think of it like traditional sled dog races but with your pet. This is a fun way to keep active during the cold winter season. A traditional skijoring set comes with a harness for your dog and a hip belt for the human rider, who should be wearing their traditional ski equipment, including skis, poles and warm, comfortable winter wear like a thick coat and pants.

The best time to go is after a snowfall with about four or more inches of snow. You can purchase a skijoring set online or at your nearby sports store.

5. Go for a Winter Walk

an employee of a professional dog walking services company out with a dog while there is snow on the groundFor those of you that still enjoy the traditional walk in the neighborhood no matter what the weather, you can take your dog out for a walk. Even during cold weather, your dog should get their exercise in regularly and, as you probably already know, going on consistent walks is one of the best ways to get this done. Professional dog walking services are a great way to help your dog stay in shape during the winter.

Hiring Professional Dog Walking Services

If at any time you’re not feeling up to going out in the cold, you can always hire dog walking services to walk your dog until you’re ready to brave the winter with your pet. This way, your dog still gets their exercise no matter how you’re feeling about the season.

If you don’t have all the time you would like to enjoy winter time fun with your dog or need to catch a break from walking or watching your dog, let Local Paw Pals do it for you! We offer pet sitting and dog walking services all year long. Get started online or call us at (703) 345-1695.

Filed Under: Pet Exercise

Contact Paw Pals for More Information

Paw Pals specializes in professional dog walking, dog sitting, and pet sitting services. One of our reliable, adult staff members will keep your pet safe, while providing your pet the love and care they need when you are away. Contact us to learn more!

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Paw Pals Pet Sitting, LLC
14001-C Saint Germain Drive #213
Centreville, VA 20121
(703) 345-1695

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Monday
9am - 5pm
Tuesday
9am - 5pm
Wednesday
9am - 5pm
Thursday
9am - 5pm
Friday
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Saturday
Closed
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Areas Served

Centreville – 20120, 20121
Chantilly – 20151
Clifton – 20124
Fairfax – 22030, 22033
Fairfax Station – 22039
Manassas – 20109, 20110, 20111
Reston – 20191, 20190

Google Rating
4.9
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
4.9
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith
21:22 03 Oct 21
I never worry when Mary and team take care of my dog!
Michæl Silva
Michæl Silva
21:38 01 Jul 22
Mary at Paw Pals Pet Sitting is the greatest! She has helped me train my pooch Chico how play nice with other dogs and for that I am extremely grateful! A+A+A+A+A+A
Kwi Kim
Kwi Kim
22:37 17 Jun 22
I hired Paw Pals based on my sister’s referral. Meet & greet was very thorough and detailed. I was surprised that my finicky cat came to check the sitter out. Subsequently, a sitter watched my cat over several separate visits, and it was clear through the visit reports that my cat loved the sitter. All the visits were completed having followed my directions & with professionalism.I would highly recommend Paw Pals to anyone who’s looking for a dependable, personable, & professional sitter.
Joseph Walter
Joseph Walter
19:55 13 Jun 22
Paw Pals provided a large number of photos of our pets along with a personalized message on how our pets were doing with every single visit. I would highly recommend using Paw Pals, we'll be continuing to use them whenever we go on vacation.
Ashley Manning
Ashley Manning
09:50 11 Jun 22
Highly recommend as pet sitters!Initially, a sitter from the company will visit the house to meet the pets and learn where everything is. Tatiana took careful notes and we got her some spare keys.While we are away, Paw Pals sends sitters to come and look after our boys. They feed them, scoop litter, bring in mail and packages, and they will even manage trash, recycling, blinds and lights so that everything is comfortable for our kitties. Each time they check in, we receive an email message with updates and pictures, which is so comforting when we are on the road.Also, if you don’t let Paw Pals know when you are home, they assume something has happened and will continue to care for your babies. If something were to happen, I know they would be okay.Five stars for Paw Pals!
Brian Wood
Brian Wood
04:08 22 May 22
We have used Paw Pals for a number of years now and would highly recommend to anyone looking for help with their pets. Great communication from owner Mary and flexibility to make adjustments in schedule as life changes over time. Have had a consistent set of walkers who have gotten to know our pup and the various walking routes around our neighborhood quite well.
Lesley Bush
Lesley Bush
13:58 18 Mar 22
We can't rave enough about Paw Pals. They took care of our 18 year old Cat and 20 year old Chinchilla while we were away and when our flight got cancelled, they were so accommodating and available last minute for an extra day. We worked with Jen to coordinate visits from Miko and Danny. I loved the pictures and updates on how our Lil geriatric guys were doing. Thanks a million, Paw Pals!! Our special pets were so well cared for.
Sebastian Barnes
Sebastian Barnes
01:06 17 Jan 22
I have used Paw Pals for several trips over the last few months, and they have been phenomenal every time! Mary is extremely kind and responsive, and she makes sure that my cat and dog have the care that they need every time I am out of town. All of the pet sitters that I've had have been incredibly sweet to my pets, and they treat them like their own! Will gladly continue using Paw Pals every time I need a sitter.
Julie Shildt
Julie Shildt
17:45 14 Nov 21
It has been a pleasure doing business with paw pals. We have used this company for several trips we have taken over the past 6 months. They have been wonderful caretakers for our 2 cats. Anytime there is ever a question they don't hesitate to give us a call and they leave the best notes and pictures in the emailed report of each visit. We are so glad have found such a great company.
Andrea Hall
Andrea Hall
22:45 03 Oct 20
I wasn't sure about hiring a new doggie walker service... after all they are our kiddos... my babies were in great hands and I felt relaxed having them in their care. Thank you for everything!
Katie McCune
Katie McCune
19:19 15 Jul 21
I honestly cannot recommend Mary and her whole crew enough! We started using Mary originally about 7 years ago to stop by occasionally when our Aussie Lana was younger. Over the next couple years Lana stayed with Mary and her family for a couple weekends when we went on vacation. When we moved to our new house in Manassas, Lana stayed with Sam, who lives in Manassas, overnight for moving day, and did great. Right before the pandemic, we adopted our second Aussie, Goose, and Mary recommended a fantastic trainer for him.We now have weekly walks for the dogs, and they love all of their walkers! Trevor, Paul, Hazel, Sofie, and probably a couple others have helped Goose get used to more people, and have helped my husband and me when our schedules are crazy.Paw Pals is our go-to for any help with our dogs, so I highly recommend them!
Alexandra Hill
Alexandra Hill
22:43 23 May 21
I was a nervous mommy to leave my cats with a sitter service for the first time. Paw Pals went above and beyond to care for my cats and ease a nervous mommy. I already made a reservation to use them again!
Cindy Welgoss
Cindy Welgoss
13:12 27 Nov 20
We have been using Paw Pals for several years, and through a variety of pets that we have loved. Mary and her team have always been *exceptional* in every way. They are professional, courteous, and truly love our fur family! Mary herself is an organized and stellar administrator of her pet care business, keeping detailed records of our pet’s needs, scheduled pet visits, payments, and balance due easy to keep track of as the pet owner. The pet caretaking team is reliable and trustworthy. When our dogs see any of their Paw Pal friends, they get SO excited to see them! Follow up comments are left via text to keep the pet owner informed of the visit and how the pets are faring. Paw Pals has allowed our family the peace of mind to leave our pets at home, for work, weekend getaways and longer times away when necessary, where they are the most comfortable and familiar. We are grateful to Mary and her team for giving us the ability to enjoy pet ownership without feeling tied down. The responsibility of having pets comes with the need to keep them safe and comfortable at all times, and Mary and her team affords us this when our family has to be away.
Dr Tammy Cashion
Dr Tammy Cashion
21:11 12 Mar 19
We have used Paw pals pet sitting on multiple occasions for our bunnies while we are away. Many pet sitters are not interested in small pets however; Mary and her team, are amazing and we trust her implicitly! We are very happy with the outstanding service we have received from her team including texts and photos of our pets when we are out of town. They always go the extra mile and we highly recommend them!
Kristin Conrad
Kristin Conrad
16:00 16 Nov 19
We are so grateful we found Mary and her team at Paw Pals. They are exceptionally responsive, amazingly organized and detail-oriented.We have such peace of mind when we travel knowing our home and pets are so well cared for. Paw Pals is the best pet sitting service we’ve used, and we’re so happy we found them.
Katie Russell
Katie Russell
15:01 17 May 20
Paw Pals is fantastic! I have had a great experience with Mary! Compassionate, professional, responsive, and prompt! Thank you!
Phillip Evans
Phillip Evans
14:38 11 Jul 20
When we adopted our new dog in January, Paw Pals agreed to walk her and give her some outside time so she wasn't in the crate all day. She loved her dog walker and you could see her excitement every time the walker showed up. We moved out of the area but would recommend Paw Pals to anyone needing someone to care for their pets.
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