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by Petplan Australia

Exercising your dog in tough weather conditions

If you f ind it hard to drag yourself out of bed to walk your dog on cold, wet and windy mornings, youare not alone. With temperatures hovering just above zero degrees at dawn, you can be forgivenfor t rying to sneak in a few more minutes under the covers. But as much as we would all like to stayin bed all day, duty calls, especially if your dog is eagerly await ing a walk. Here are a few t ips to makeit easier for you and your pooch to venture outside:

Invest in an umbrella

Golf umbrellas are so big they can f it you, your dog and three others f rom get t ing wet . If you f ind it abit t ricky to navigate a leash and an umbrella while t rying to scoop up your dog’s business, t ry araincoat instead. Make sure it is waterproof and not just water-resistant though, otherwise you caneasily become soaked.

Rug up your dog

Buy a jacket or raincoat for your dog as well – if you have to put on ext ra layers, your dog is probablyfeeling the chill t oo. The coat will keep your dog warm, and make the drying process a lot easier foryou as only their paws will be wet , rather than their whole body. Plus they will not smell as badaf terwards, which is always a bonus.

Seek out man-made shelters

If you live in the cit y, maybe skip the muddy parks and make a detour down a st rip of shops. Thereare man-made undercover shelters there and as you pass the café’s you have ample opportunit iesto warm up between those toasty outdoor heaters.

Exercise with your dog

An excellent way to warm up in the morning is to run or jog with your dog. It will improve your healthand save you t ime and money on expensive gym memberships. Another advantage is that you cancover the same distance in half the t ime, giving you a bit more of a sleep in.

If you really can’t handle the environment outside, try the following:

Share the load

Get in contact with a neighbour who also has a dog and see if they would be interested in alternat ingdog walking schedules with you. This means you are only out there half the t ime, and your dog getsto make a new f riend!

Hallway fetch

If you have a small sized dog or a long hallway at home, it could be the perfect place to play fetchwhere you do not even have to leave your home.

Stairs

If you live in an apartment , fetch in the hallway is not possible without knocking the whole place down.However, you can st ill remain indoors by ut ilising the stairways of the building as all you have to do isat tach a leash to your dog and start climbing.

Teach your dog some new tricks

If your dog has arthrit is or any other injuries it is best to avoid stairs or any st renuous exercisealtogether. They do not have to miss out on all the fun though. While they may not be physicallyact ive, they will st ill enjoy metal st imulat ion so spend some t ime teaching your dog new t ricks suchas to give a high f ive, shake, bring your slippers or even to put their toys away!

This Blog was written by the furry family at Petplan Pet Insurance & Petplan Equine Australia. We love petsand people who love pets! We offer pet Insurance for Dogs, Cats, Horses & Ponies (including third partyliability; horse floats, saddlery & tack). We specialise in ‘covered for life’ dog insurance, cat insurance andequine insurance. Please visit us on facebook or on our website. *The Beautiful frame surrounding Bailey was sourced and created by Sunflower Studio