As autumn unfolds, the temperatures drop and rainy weather sets in. For puppy parents, it can be hard to provide your puppy with enough outdoor fun during bad weather. You don’t want to subject your puppy to harsh climates. But you also don’t want to keep him cooped up all day.
This article will go over rainy day activity ideas to help beat the bummer of bad weather.
RAINY DAY DOG WALKS
Just because it’s raining out, doesn’t mean that you have to stay inside. If the temperature isn’t frigid and there’s more mist than rain, take your puppy outside for exercise.
Your puppy might be too small to wear a rain jacket and rain booties. This means that you’ll have to keep the outing short. Avoid puddles as much as possible. And be sure to dry and warm your puppy’s paws as soon as you get home. We recommend that you clean out his paw pads so there’s no dirt or debris stuck in his pads.
Dos
Instead of walking around the block, we recommend taking your puppy to a safe dog park or park that allows dogs where your puppy can run around off-leash. Use your discretion and if your puppy is too young or doesn’t know enough commands, then this option might not be for you. For puppies that are a little older, vaccinated, and trustworthy, running around the park is a great idea because your puppy will expend more energy in less time. Ten minutes of sprinting in the rain will be less exposure to bad weather than a twenty-minute walk through your neighborhood.
Don’ts
When you get home from your rainy romp at the park or walk around the block, don’t assume that your puppy will air dry. You’ll need to dry your puppy, and make sure that his skin isn’t damp. Use a towel, and then a hairdryer on the lowest heat setting. Don’t forget to thoroughly dry his paws and clean out his paw pads. Dogs and puppies are capable of catching a cold just like anyone else is, but you can avoid this for your furry friend by thoroughly drying him off as soon as you get back.
INDOOR ACTIVITIES FOR DOGS
Make An Indoor Obstacle Course
Who doesn’t love a good obstacle course? The funnest part about an indoor obstacle course for your puppy is that puppies don’t need all the bells and whistles to have a great time! A no-frills obstacle course will still be a ton of fun for your fur baby. You can get creative and use couch cushions, cardboard boxes, and even simple masking tape to mark the floor, and create a labyrinth for your puppy to navigate.
Play Hide And Seek Inside
For puppies, hide and seek is actually a complex game to master. This is great news for puppy parents of highly intelligent breeds. Any brain teaser that mentally stimulates your puppy will be wonderful for his overall development and happiness. And hide and seek fits the bill!
First, make sure the indoor play area has enough big furniture that you can hide behind. Pick the largest room in the home, or you can use an entire floor or the whole apartment, depending on the size of your home.
To play the game, tell your puppy to “stay.” If you’re still in the process of training your puppy to learn basic commands, having a treat on hand to incentivize his obedience will come in handy. Once he knows to “stay,” you can walk to the nearest hiding spot, but don’t hide completely. Make sure that your puppy can still see you. Then call his name and tell him to “come.” When he “finds you,” reward him with pats and praise, or maybe a treat!
As you continue to play the game, you can hide farther away and really tuck yourself out of view to make the game of “seeking” you more challenging for your puppy.
Homemade Doggie Treats
A fun way to bond with your new puppy on a rainy day is by making a tasty treat! Homemade doggie treats are easy to throw together, and your puppy will love tasting the healthy ingredients as you go. Quality time in the kitchen with your fur baby is also an opportunity to get a few extra minutes of basic puppy training into your day. You can do this by asking your puppy pal to “sit” and exercise a moment of patience before you reward him with a lick of peanut butter–yummy!
Everyone at Petland Kansas City unanimously agreed that the all-time best doggie treat recipe for rainy days is Peanut Butter & Pumpkin Dog Treats. We can’t boast that this is our recipe, just one we happen to love because our dogs do! We cherry picked this dog treat recipe from All Recipes, a fun website for every recipe under the sun.
Peanut Butter & Pumpkin Dog Treats
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 25 treats
Ingredients
Whole Wheat Flour (2 ½ cups)
Though you could use all-purpose flour, we recommend whole wheat flour since it’s packed with nutrients and fiber that are healthy for your puppy (and you!)
Eggs (2 large eggs)
The protein from eggs is healthy for dogs and will add the right kind of extra protein that growing puppies need.
Pumpkin Puree (Canned) (½ cup)
When picking out canned pumpkin for these dog treats, be sure to get “pumpkin puree” and not pumpkin pie filling, as the latter contains added unhealthy ingredients like sugar. Pumpkin puree is strictly cooked and mashed pumpkin with no other ingredients.
Peanut Butter (2 tablespoons)
Dogs go bonkers for peanut butter! It’s easily their favorite treat. Just be sure to get a natural peanut butter with no added sugar or sugar substitutes like Xylitol, which can be harmful to dogs.
Salt (½ teaspoon)
Salt is perfectly safe for puppies as long as it’s used in moderation, so pay attention to the quantity of salt that’s called for in this recipe, and refrain from adding more even if it doesn’t taste “salty enough” for you.
Cinnamon (½ teaspoon ground cinnamon)
Our favorite spice,cinnamon can be healthy for dogs in moderate quantities, so follow the measurement called for in this recipe. Cinnamon contains anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that are healthy for both puppies and humans.
Water (1 teaspoon, or according to preference)
In this recipe, water is optional, but will help the dough to be easier to mold as you knead it prior to cutting the dough with a cookie cutter.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C)
- Gather all ingredients
- Combine all ingredients except water into a mixing bowl
- Use a spatula to mix and blend until the mixture is a dough
- Once the mixture is dough-like, move the dough to the countertop to knead
- The dough should be “dry and stiff” but not crumbling apart
- If the dough is crumbling apart, add the water to help hold the dough together
- With a rolling pin, roll the dough to a thickness of an ½ inch
- Use a bone-shaped or fun-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the dog treats from the dough
- Place the cut dog treats on a baking sheet
- Bake the dog treats in the oven for 40 minutes on 350° F (175° C)
- Allow the dog treats to cool on the counter before you feed your puppy!
Create Paw Art
Our final fun indoor rainy day activity for puppies is quite crafty! You’ll need pet-friendly, washable, non-toxic paint, a large piece of paper (or several), paint trays, and plenty of space to get a little messy.
Pour each paint color into a different paint tray. Then “dip” your puppy’s paws into the first paint color and encourage him to walk across the paper. You can dip each of his paws in a different color, too, for a rainbow effect.
Choose several colors and keep him walking across the paper until you’re satisfied with your puppy’s “work of art.” Afterwards, be sure to give your puppy a little bath to rinse his paws clean of any paint residue. Once all is said and done, the only question will be, where in your home will you hang your puppy’s masterpiece?
Have A Great Rainy Autumn with Your New Puppy!
That wraps up our article! We hope you and your new puppy have a safe and happy rainy season here in Kansas City. We have one final bonus idea to do when it gets rainy out. Come into Petland Kansas City in Overland Park and play with our new arrivals! We have several dog breeds that get along with older dogs. Speak with our knowledgeable pet counselors to find out which dog breeds will get along best with your resident dog.