We’ve had quite the wet fall and December so far. My yard has turned into a muddy mess. Let’s face it, the DC metro area does not have the best weather. Many of my clients have a hard time meeting their pets energy needs this time of year. Fortunately there are a variety of strategies and toys that can help.

One of my favorite dog toys is the “chase it” toy available at www.mychaseit.com this great toy can be used inside or out.

I like indoor scent finding games, you can sneak a few treats in plastic food storage containers and scatter lots of empty containers too. Then send your dog on a sniffing hunt to find the hidden treasures.

If you have a flight of stairs use them, nothing to tire out a pooch like running up and down the stairs to play fetch. Of course if the stairs are really slippery or if your dog has orthopedic issues, you may be better off playing on a flat surface.

Don’t forget to train your dog, training burns up a lot of energy. You can train your dog tricks or even work on basic skills inside the house so he’ll be ready for those nice and dry winter days.