Cabin fever - rainy days and your dog

[snookums]

I'm in southern California and as you have probably heard we have been getting pelted with days-long storms on and off since like October now. A new storm just started today (after a 4 day break from the last one) and will last until Wednesday (today is Thursday).

It is hard enough to get my dog to go out potty in the rain let alone keep her exercised enough while indoors all day. I have to go out there in the rain to get her to actually eliminate (otherwise she'll just stand there from underneath the patio cover and bark at the rain). Then trying to keep her CALM while indoors without a chance to go outside and run off her energy or take her for walks is really wearing on all of us. She is a very active dog and NEEDS to run in the backyard and NEEDS to go on daily walks. Without them, she uses up her activity bolting like a loose bat around the house.

Any suggestions for keeping dogs happy on rainy days? Doggie treadmill?

 

[Debi]

Oh, I wish I had an answer. When it's not snowing....it's raining. We forget what it's like to take a longgggg walk...and both dogs are having 'issues' with being indoors all the time. The energy is not being spent outdoors......and I find it a bit frustrating to deal with pups who want to rough around and go crazy in the house (a little house!) I try....key word here 'try'.......to play, but it's just nuts around here and will be, I guess...........til true spring! Feeling your frustration here!

 

[smkie]

We could try chanting spring spring we need spring ..victor is driving me nuts for the same reason.

 

[Debi]

Yes, Smkie............LET'S DO THE CHANT.........THE SPRING CHANT.......SPRING CHANT........COME ON EVERYONE.....SPRING CHANT......... doing the spring chant......all by myself, but I feel I have the power...............................................

 

[bogolove]

I give Brady a bone to keep him busy when he is stuck inside. But he likes to go outside in the rain a=sometimes and play. If it is not raining that hard he will go out there (but he has a Japanese gazebo with his igloo doghouse under it just in case) but if it is raining hard, I give him a bone (if I have one) to keep him busy.

 

[Barb04]

Yes, Smkie............LET'S DO THE CHANT.........THE SPRING CHANT.......SPRING CHANT........COME ON EVERYONE.....SPRING CHANT......... doing the spring chant......all by myself, but I feel I have the power...............................................

I'm with you Debi!!!!!!!!!!!!! SPRING, SPRING, SPRING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Renee750il]

Part of me wants spring - but the other part of me is just DREADING the mud, mud, more mud, deep mud, shoe-sucking mud . . . muddy dogs, muddy feet, muddy Charley, muddy me. I really, REALLY don't like mud.

Oh, Shiva and Kharma are having a wonderful time playing indoors - running and bouncing and ricocheting off of everything; tumbling head over tail off the sofa . . . Bimmer's even joining in their games, lol! And this is a tiny little house . . . I'd settle for a few sunny days with the ground frozen good and hard right now.

 

[smkie]

nonono spring. warm earth drinks up water..no standing cold blah mud..little green shoots to hold it in place.warm sunshine!!!.I am with Deb..I will chant it quiet..spring spring..I saw that the grass turned greener over nite..the winter wheat is up showing it's bright green suit... green..the buds are being dropped off the maple by squirrels, thick buds of coming leaves..it's coming.

 

[shredhead (DOG LOVER)]

NOOOOOOO. theres no such thing as spring in Vegas. only weather is 120 degree heat or 29 degree cold and rain. We have about 1 week a year of good weather. Than its either too hot or too cold and rainy to do anything.

 

[snookums]

Dh just gave me two "helpful" suggestions.

We can feed her until she gets fat and won't want to play.

or,

We can buy a a giant mousewheel or mouseball and stick her in it. "They must make them for possums - they're rodents aren't they? And about as big as Sophie?"

Sure dear, pet possums. Giant mousewheels. And fat dogs.

(Don't worry, he was kidding)

I used to LOVE rainy days until I got a dog! And all summer long I'm chanting for winter, because I despise hot weather. Foot in mouth.

 

[gaddylovesdogs]

I train or give a stuffed KONG toy.

 

[Renee750il]

Very good, SMKie, but it doesn't happen quite that way here. The tractor is still making at least one trip a day up and down the drive and out into the pasture and back - stirring up mud. It's been so wet this winter that it's going to be quite awhile before the ground can deal with any more significant rainfall here - and it will hit about mid-March. It will start getting pretty and spring-like at my home in town before too long, but out here in the country it's going to be muddy for quite some time yet. [sigh]

 

[smkie]

im sorry

 

[Renee750il]

Not your fault, SMKie! It's just been a long, muddy year, and so far I haven't even had a pretty snow. Just cold rain and mud . . .