Keeping it Fun

The winter rains have set in to the Pacific Northwest, and getting out with the dog is getting harder and harder. She really doesn't like to wear her raincoat nor does she like to get her feet wet. Some might call her a little princess. I looked on the local dog event calendar but there was nothing but a Puppy Romp going on.

I remembered reading about an indoor dog park that opened not too far from here, so Kendall and I put on our raincoats and headed out with paperwork and vaccination records in hand. When we arrived at InBark there was only one car in the parking lot. I didn't want it to be crowded, but it's nice if there's a least another dog or two to play with. After the formalities and a temperament test, we went in the back. There were no other small dogs, but there was a woman there with her 4 mo. old pit bull puppy that was playing with a balanced big dog in the small dog area. We went in and Kendall did ok. She goes to doggie daycare every Tuesday at A Dog Gone Good Place but she's always with small dogs. The big dog knew how to play with small dogs, and it was cute to watch as she laid down next to Kendall and eventually crawled under the bench with her. Their play styles were definitely different but Kendall seemed to be having a good time. It doesn't seem like the place we'd go all the time, but it's nice to have somewhere for her to run around when it's pouring down rain outside. They have a great video of the place.




I've also gone back to the games and puzzles that we've tried during other rainy seasons. One of Kendall's favorite games is the Nina Ottosson's Dog Fighter. I wrote about it here. She starts dancing around when I pull it off the shelf.

Another of Kendall's favorite things to play with is an empty Talking Rain bottle with a few morsels of food in the bottom. I often look for samples of good quality dog food that makes for a good treat without really being a treat. The shape of the 16.9 oz bottle makes it such that it's more of a challenge to get the food out.

What do you like to do with your dogs when it's too cold or too wet to get out regularly?

I almost forgot. Today is Saturday, so that means that it's time for the Saturday Pet Blogger Hop. We're participating, are you?