7 Reasons To Walk Your Dog In The Wintertime

I’ve got seven reasons why you should walk your dog in the wintertime. Yes, we are winter lovers which makes it easier, but even those folks that are not all that keen on winter should get out and walk as well. Winter walking is healthy for not only your dog, but for you as well.

1. Happiness

What dog isn’t happy to go for a walk? How about you, have you ever had a rough day and found that getting outside and taking a walk made everything seem a bit better? Getting out for a walk, be it ten minutes or an hour will definitely drive the happiness meter up for both you and your dog.

2. The Beauty Of Nature

While humans enjoy seeing the beauty of nature, we dogs enjoy the smells of nature. By nature, you don’t need to go to a National Park, just the park down the road will do. Nature has the power to reduce your stress, and improve your mood. We dogs love to see squirrels, or sniffing new smells and it makes our mood improve as well.

3. Training Opportunities

We are not loose leash walkers at our house, but other things can be trained on walks if you don’t want to work on healing. Wait is something we work on a lot on our walks. Mom uses it for crossing streets, when she has to pick up after we do our business, for photos, so many things. Teaching puppies sit or down when out and about is also a good idea. At home commands are easy to learn but add the outdoor distractions and it becomes much more difficult for all dogs, let along puppies.

Nelson is working on his stand stay. He also wants to let other boys know that most fire hydrants are shoveled out in the winter, so they can still be marked. Why else would anyone shovel them out?

4. Socializing

Not all dogs want to meet other dogs, but if you see the same dogs a lot, it might be good to let us meet so we know one another. Learning to properly greet humans, not to be afraid of people all bundled up in the winter, or kids pulling sleds are all good reasons to work on socializing when out walking anytime of the year.

5. Building Your Bond

Walking is something both you and your dog can truly enjoy together. Discovering new places to walk is fun, just being together doing something your dog loves really helps to build your bond.

6. Exercise For You And Your Dog

Exercise is good and necessary for you and your dog. Don’t let winter be an excuse to be lazy. It is true that winter walking can be a bit dangerous at times with the snow and ice, but if you dress properly and have the proper footwear, walking can be much less dangerous. Mom always wears her Icebugs shoes or boots to stay safe. Know your dog. We never wear coats as we are warm enough, but if your dog doesn’t have winter furs, she may need a coat. We sometimes wear boots when it is extremely cold, but otherwise, we are naturally winterized.

7. Better Health For You And Your Dog

Dog and humans need exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle. Health doesn’t pause for winter, so please get out and get that exercise all year round. Walk your dog in the wintertime to keep both of you healthier. The fresh air is not only good for your lungs, but it will help flush out all the germs you pick up spending more time indoors. It’s a fact that people who are outdoors a lot are healthier than those who are always indoors. Walking can lower your blood pressure and stress levels as well.

What are you waiting for? Grab your winter gear, leash, and dog and head outside for a nice walk! It is National Walk Your Dog Month in January for a reason.

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