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Exercising in Inclement Weather

1K views 15 replies 10 participants last post by  mdoats 
#1 ·
How do you ensure that your GR gets enough exercise in inclement weather? We have had light snow which has kept the ground muddy. We have been playing indoor Frisbee, ball and hide-and-go-seek, but it is not enough. Amber has started pulling out little pieces of carpet by the tile. She has not done this since puppyhood. Thanks. :wavey:Vicki
 
#3 ·
We don't have snow, but the mornings are below freezing here. This is Bear's favorite time of day. When the grass is frosted and stiff. So we let him outside and my DH and I play soccer with a "chuck-it" soccer ball (it has soft ridges so Bear can pick up the ball and bring it back to us). Then we play "break all the ice off the grass" which is just Bear running around trying to get all the ice b/c it is by far his favorite object. Ice. Ah sweet Ice!

Then we'll come inside and dry off, and play fetch from one end of the house to the other (about 15 feet I think) for an hour or until he calms down. Then it's settle time either in his crate or on his bed. He's been known to go as long as four hours before getting wound up again. Then we'll take him for a walk when it gets a bit warmer. In the evenings, I'll play fetch mixed with some training for an hour and then he'll enjoy an hour to 90 mins of relaxed chewing then bedtime.
 
#4 ·
@Brave and Bentleysmom,

All very good ideas. Our challenge now is that Amber outside world is all dirt, one acre of it. We do not have grass in the backyard yet. During the cold nights when we get home, we put a LED tag on her collar and play ball with her LED ball. Works well enough. I took her out the other day between storms and played ball with her. Just took her over to the one hose that my husband has in a specially-built box with a heat lamp, so that I could hose her legs and feet off, then dry her off on the porch...messy, but doable. Maybe that will have to work for now. Sunny days expected for the next 7 days......yay! :wavey: Vicki
 
#5 ·
We have had light snow which has kept the ground muddy.
Well, that sounds like golden retriever heaven right there! :) The only time I cut things short is when it is too hot, but snow, mud, and all the messy things are good fun.

If we do have to spend time inside, I try to teach a new trick in short intervals.
 
#8 ·
Yesterday morning, it was -1 F with about a 9 mph wind. I was a little concerned that it might be a too chilly, so I cut the walk short to just under a mile. Once we got back into the yard she didn't want to go back in to the house, so I let her run around the yard for about 15 minutes.

Other that extreme heat, I've yet to encounter a weather condition that bothered Bella.

At what point it it TOO COLD for a Golden?
 
#12 ·
Yesterday morning, it was -1 F with about a 9 mph wind. I was a little concerned that it might be a too chilly, so I cut the walk short to just under a mile. Once we got back into the yard she didn't want to go back in to the house, so I let her run around the yard for about 15 minutes.

Other that extreme heat, I've yet to encounter a weather condition that bothered Bella.

At what point it it TOO COLD for a Golden?
We've been out in weather as cold as -35 Celcius, which is about -31 Farenheit. My dog never seems to notice. She loves being outside no matter what. As long as we're both moving (I usually do hikes on those really cold days), we both stay pretty warm.
 
#16 ·
We walk or go the park to play at least twice a day in all kinds of weather. The only kind of weather that bothers Rookie is the heat. When it's cold or wet, I just make sure that *I* am dressed properly.

If it's raining or just very muddy, I don't let him run around off leash at the park on our morning walks. (I don't really have time to bathe him in the mornings.) I keep him leashed and we just walk the neighborhood. I keep towels in the front hall and just dry him off when we get home. If it's very muddy and I've let him run around at the park, we go in the back door and he goes straight into the tub for an "undercarriage wash." I just use the handheld shower to rinse off his feet, legs, and belly. If he has rolled around in it, he gets a full bath.

Rookie really, really needs the exercise. If he gets out twice a day for 45 minutes or so, he's the calmest happiest dog in the world. If he doesn't get enough exercise, he's just a lot less fun to be around.
 
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