Now that the temperature is dropping below freezing on a regular basis, pet owners with no yards for their dogs to frolic in (me) are forced to suffer through long walks in the cold to get their pups some exercise. Even so, I feel like I'm cheating the dogs out of the longer walks they'd normally get in warmer weather. Lola is too young to go to Camp Bow Wow, and I can only afford for Lily to go every once in a while, so I decided to investigate what other indoor activities there might be for dogs in the Pittsburgh area.
The first one I found is K9 Kingdom. They have an indoor dog park that requires no reservations, just prove of vaccinations. They are open M-F from 5-7 pm and Saturdays from 10-3. Though that doesn't allow for a ton of playtime, it's still better than nothing. Even better, than have free Wi-Fi for doggy parents, and it only costs $6 per dog! K9 Kingdom is located in Wexford, so if you live in the South Hills, it's a long haul, but it may be worth it if you've got hyper pups.
Another more local option is Doglogic, located on Saw Mill Run Boulevard. They too have an indoor dog park available for $6 and proof of vaccination. Their hours are more open than K9 Kingdom's, but there's no free Wi-Fi and you must stay with your dog at all times.
Lastly, if the roads are too icy for you to make it to an indoor dog park, or you just don't have the time, try a little game we learned in Lily's first (and last) obedience class -- puppy ping-pong! It's a simple game, but if your dog plays along, it's great exercise. You need two people and at least one dog to play. Stand a good distance apart from the other human playing the game, and start your dog at one end. Tell them to sit and stay. The person on the other end calls the dog and has them sit when they get there. Then the other person calls the dog back. It's basically just a back-and-forth between you and your dog. You can make it even more tiring by having the dog go up and down stairs or all around the house to find you, and it's also a good way to practice your dog's recall.
Hopefully at least one of these ideas will help you to stay warm while still getting your dog the exercise he deserves!
2 comments:
You know how Guy gets his exercise? He comes to work.
He starts off his day by walking over to my office and annoying the hell outta me. Usually talking about Ron Paul and his greatness. Or how the Police were called 3 times to his house for noise issues related to his "SLAMMING" parties.
Then, he proceeds to "exercise" by sleeping at his desk from 9 am to 11:45. Heaven forbid if he misses lunch. The lunchtime exercise is usually a "race" to see who "wins" eating their food the fastest. As always, Guy wins. And he's also the fastest to expel their food at the lunch table in front of everyone, management, Red-Cross volunteers, and Santa. Tuesdays are Chinese food day. So I had a bad day today. But Guy won. So, it was a wash.
Hey - I'm getting serious here. Are you and Guy getting tickets to the Cupids and Canines Casino thing? Let me know. Call me. 1-800-555-STUD.
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