How to keep your dog active in Canada’s Winter
Are you a first-time dog owner and curious about your dog activities in the chilling weather of Canada?
Or if you have no idea how should you take care of your fur baby during the snowstorms and extremely cold weather and looking for a guide to do so, you are in the right place.
After reading this informative post, you’ll be able to take care of your dog in winters just like a champion.
Canada is one of the coldest countries on the planet Earth and in December & January, which are the coldest months of the year, some parts of Canada witness temperatures as low as -35°C (−31 °F).
While we humans, cover ourselves to compete with such weather, it is really important to keep an eye on our pets too. Especially dogs, who have a different lifestyle. If you have a dog, you’ll already have an idea about what are the needs of your dog? For example, almost all dog breeds need exercise and other outdoor activities to keep themselves healthy.
Apart from exercises and daily walks, it’s really important to keep your furbabies warm. Although many breeds have double coats, still you need some specific gear to protect them from the extreme cold weather such as jackets, boots, and sweaters, etc.
As living with a dog would be different in Canada during the winter months, you need to learn how to overcome this problem. So, here is an informative post on how to keep your dog protected, active, and healthy in the cold weather of Canada.
Related: Canadian Eskimo Dog
Let’s find out the best ways for that below.
Table of Contents
Ways to keep your dogs active and safe in Canadian winter:
Don’t miss exercises:
You would not want your dog to be bored, frustrated, and over-weighted and that is why you need to exercise your dog. If you can’t go outside, make indoor arrangements to exercise your dog.
Dogs need to be exercised to burn their excess energy, failing in which can cause behavioural problems in your dogs. If your dog is not getting enough exercise or other activities, it may develop aggressive and destructive behaviour, as well as, some severe health issues such as arthritis, skin problems, breathing problems, and obesity, etc.
For indoor exercise and activities, you can play hide and seek, tug-of-war, chase bubbles, and food toys, etc.
Check out this Dog Chase Bubbles on Amazon
Keep them covered:
Make sure you already have specific gear and products to keep your dog warm either indoors or outdoors. Being a Canadian, you may already have an idea about your city’s weather and in cities like Edmonton, Sudbury, and Quebec City, the weather is dangerously cold.
Image credit: cogdogblog via Flickr
Some of the most important items you should consider for your dog’s safety are bed warmers, boots, socks, blankets, sweaters, raincoats, and dog coats in Canada.
Don’t let them too close to the heater or fireplace
Everyone loves heat during cold weather and so are your dogs. They may try to get closer to the heater or fireplace which is very dangerous. So, keep an eye on your dogs and make sure they are not too close to them.
Keep them warm during walks
It is important to walk your fur baby in winter dog boots especially if it has snowed because of extremely cold pathways and/or snow or they may have frozen paws or frostbite. Along with that cover your dog with a dog coat, jacket, or sweater.
Keep a significant distance from frozen rivers and lakes
Canada is also known as the Land of Million Lakes which means there are chances that you may be roaming around a frozen lake (or a river) while walking your dog. You never know how hard or soft is the surface of the frozen water body and if your dog jumps on it, it can turn into a real disaster.
So, the best practice is to keep a distance from the frozen water bodies and keep your dog on a leash for the safe side.
Read: 7 Most Common Choking Hazards for Dogs
Keep your dogs visible during the walks
In Canada, you may face different weather conditions such as snow, ice, rain, fog, and even snowstorms. So, they need to wear a reflective collar or reflective dog coat that can be seen easily even if the visibility is low. Along with that avoid walking your dog in the dark.
Check reflective dog collar on Amazon
Clean their fur when back from a walk
Dog parents usually think that the snow stuck in their dog’s fur is not dangerous that is a huge misconception. Remember, the snow outside may have salts and other chemicals that are dangerous for your dog. Also, if the snow is stuck in your dog’s fur, it may try to lick it out and excessive licking may damage your dog’s fur and skin. So, whenever you are back home from a walk, spend some time to towel off the snow from your dog’s fur.
Check and clean their paws after the walk
In dry cold weather, Your dog is more likely to have grit and salt stuck between its paw pads that cause irritation and bleeding while during wet conditions, snow and melting ice can get stuck in their paws that cause sores. So, whenever you are back from a walk, check all of their paws thoroughly, clean and dry them, and provide them with enough heat to avoid frostbite.
Do indoor exercises
If the weather is dangerously cold, try some indoor exercises and activities instead. Puppy push-ups, hide n seek, tug-of-war, the game of chase, stairs-up-and-down, and many others. There are even some wonderful products that you may use indoors such as pet treadmills, tennis ball launcher, treat scatters, and many other dog toys.
Don’t leave your dog alone in the car
It is a huge misconception that while the weather is not hot outside, you can leave your dog alone and unattended in the car. Did you know that your car with the motor running and heater on is more likely to generate Carbon Monoxide? Yes, and Carbon Monoxide is a toxic gas that is harmful to dogs. So, whether the weather is cold or not, your dogs shouldn’t be left unattended.
Wrapping it up:
So, these were the 10 handy ways that can help you take care of your dogs in the chilling cold weather of Canada and it is not much difficult. All you have to do is to show some dedication, love, and a sense of care towards your dog.
If you are a first-time owner planning to get a dog breed, try getting one that can overcome the extremely cold weather of Canada, such as a Siberian Husky or an Alaskan Malamute. Secondly, keep your dog’s inventory up to date for each weather and every situation.
Recommended read:
Top 7 Misconceptions – Myths About Dogs and Winter
German Dog Names – Top 100 Picks for 2021
What Makes an Ideal First Aid Kit for Dogs?
