Feeling Lazy? Did you know you can walk your dog inside!

You will have obviously thought a lot into the amount of time that you’ll have to give over when owning a dog.  Read hundreds of puppy books and now believe your dogs need to be walked at least once a day otherwise your poor puppy will be sitting at home by the door hoping you might say the ‘W’ word!

You’ll even start thinking that your neighbours are looking through the windows and saying … wow how cruel they haven’t been walking that poor puppy.  Well don’t worry anymore! 

Sometimes dogs can actually find the act of going on a dog walk stressful!  Who would have thought it?!  Your pampered pooch is probably loving lying there on the sofa and is dreading the daily excursion!

Here are some tell-tale signs that your little pup isn’t enjoying the great outdoors

• ears back
• pulling hard on the lead
• excessive panting
• whining
• hyper awareness

If any of these behaviours occur maybe it is best to keep the dog walks fairly short and not near any main roads or fields that have other furry animals like sheep and cows your dog might not like to meet! Less is more sometimes and quality dog walks are better than a quick walk round the block at an ungodly hour that both you and the dog are cursing about!

I can walk my dog inside?

This is absolutely fine and, on some occasions, very necessary!  With cold weather conditions (we have been having a lot of those icey mornings lately!) you might just want to keep your dog inside so that they don’t injure their paws.

THE STAIRS

Something as simple as playing ‘fetch’ up and down the stairs for 20 minutes can be as rewarding for your dog as that stroll through the dog park. They’ll be using muscles not normally exercised just trotting along the ground. This activity is bound to tire them out pretty quickly and have you back to your own work without having to go out in that hailstorm!

HIDE AND SEEK

Treats aren’t always just for tricks!  Hiding your dog’s favourite treats in makeshift DIY dog toys can be a workout in itself!  Hiding treats in something like a fluffy rug or in the middle of a cardboard box will get your dog going barking mad!

Absurd Design Dog Treat Bags are perfect for this!  Click to visit the product page for more information. 

HAVE FRIENDS OVER

Socialising is so important to your puppy especially in the early days. They need to meet all characters of dogs and learn behaviours that are accepted and which they will get told off for! If your dog is finding the act of going outside stressful perhaps bring some of their puppy pals over for the morning?  Your dog will LOVE seeing other dogs and playing and sniffing all morning without the stresses of meeting in that dark alley! It’s a great way for you to catch up with friends and family too!