Even though it's winter, Fido still needs play time

Just like people, dogs get cabin fever, too. When dogs are bored, they seek out any way they can to entertain themselves, whether it be barking or grabbing at you for attention, turning your furniture into chew toys, or digging through the trash for treasures. According to the calendar, winter is officially here. As we look forward to several months of cold and snow, keep in mind these boredom busters for days when the weather doesn't want to cooperate.

Learn Something New

A day spent cooped up in the house is a great time to work on new tricks or obedience training. Not only does training keep your dog's brain active, it's a great way to spend quality time with your pet. There are countless tricks you can teach your dog, from the simple, like "shake", to the more difficult, like learning to identify his favorite toys by name. If you don't want to teach your dog something new, try brushing up some manners he already knows.

Play Date

If your dog loves going to the dog park and playing with the other dogs, consider setting up play dates during the winter months. Playing with other dogs not only helps your dog beat boredom, it will tucker him out for the rest of the day, too!

Puzzles

Encourage your dog to work for his treats instead of just tossing them to him. Visit your local pet supply store and check out the wide array of puzzles designed to make getting a treat a challenge. As your dog masters the easy puzzles, you can advance him to harder ones to keep the experience challenging.

Scent Games

At the shelter, we use scent games year-round as part of an enrichment program for the shelter dogs. In fact, it's so entertaining for the shelter dogs, many staff dogs also try it out when they visit the shelter. Scent games are easy and don't require anything more than what you have laying around your house. Simply take some of your dog's favorite treats and hide them around a room. When your dog is first learning to play the scent game, start by placing the treats in easy-to-spot locations, like on a seat or low shelf, then gradually work up to harder spots, like under a box, as your pet learns the game.

Indoor Exercise

If you've got an active dog, don't miss out on your daily exercise just because the weather is bad. While you might not be able to go for a walk or run out on the street or in the park, you can still burn a lot of energy inside your house. If you've got enough space, try setting up an indoor obstacle course. You can make tunnels out of a coffee table or chairs covered in blankets and hurdles out of broomsticks. If you're willing to invest in a piece of equipment, there are treadmills specifically designed for dogs, but for an even easier - and free - way to exercise indoors, have your dog climb up and down your staircase.

Alaina Goodnough is the Promotions Coordinator at Cocheco Valley Humane Society in Dover, NH. She lives in Sanford, ME with two parrots, a cockatoo, a cat, a bearded dragon, and two dachshunds. She can be reached at CVHS at devassist@cvhsonline.org. To learn more about Cocheco Valley Humane Society, go to www.cvhsonline.org or call 603-749-5322.