# What exercise does your poodle get on the cold, rainy, or lazy days?...



## CharismaticMillie

If I am too lazy (like today) and the weather is nasty (like today - 3 inches of snow) the only exercise they get is zoomies in the backyard for a few minutes. If it is raining, they really don't get any exercise. Well, I have two poodles so they do play tug of war, etc in hte house.

I just try to make up for it on the nicer days or the days when I am not lazy


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## ToyPoodle46

What is 'zoomies'?...
Also, a play pen is a good idea too  
My community has a hiking trail, i might just take mines there on decent looking days. Other than that,i will probably put it in the playpen or something idk...


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## CharismaticMillie

Zoomies are when they zoom around the backyard full speed.

I forgot to add, for exercise on nice days I take them for a walk around the neighborhood. If I have extra time or it is a weekend, I take them to a park for a hike.


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## ToyPoodle46

ChocolateMillie said:


> Zoomies are when they zoom around the backyard full speed.


Oh okay...


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## partial2poodles

Before my knees got so bad, I walked them every evening...no matter how rainy or snowy. They wore rain slickers or sweaters and I wiped off paws and we all enjoyed the cold fresh air. But nowadays, I try to save my knees for just working, I go outside and toy toss with all of them....and we really do alot more inside playing. I HATE that I have bad knees and when I get some new nylon/steel knees, I will back to walking....I miss it so much. I mostly liked that they ALWAYS really emptied their bowels and bladder.


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## ToyPoodle46

partial2poodles said:


> Before my knees got so bad, I walked them every evening...no matter how rainy or snowy. They wore rain slickers or sweaters and I wiped off paws and we all enjoyed the cold fresh air. But nowadays, I try to save my knees for just working, I go outside and toy toss with all of them....and we really do alot more inside playing. I HATE that I have bad knees and when I get some new nylon/steel knees, I will back to walking....I miss it so much. I mostly liked that they ALWAYS really emptied their bowels and bladder.


Sorry about your knees... Wow, i dont know how you did it.


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## fjm

If you have a dog you can't have completely lazy days - it is a slippery slope to an underexercised, bored, naughty dog! If I am unwell, I try to arrange for a neighbour to take them with her dog. I believe one of the commitments you make as a dog owner is to exercise the dog outside every day - but then we rarely have extreme weather here! If for whatever reason they have had a shorter walk than usual, we play fetch up and down the long hall (running and chasing), tug (excellent energy burner), find the toy under blankets and cushions (brainwork), and Ottosson games (more brain work). But don't slip into the trap of exercising your pup indoors just because it is easier - puppies need the experience of the sights and smells of the outside world, and small pups need as much - if not more - socialisation as bigger ones!

P2P - hope you get your new knees soon! My neighbour had her second one done just before Christmas - she says it is so wonderful to be pain free.


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## Lilith

If you have one particularly rainy or nasty day you can get off the hook, but if you live somewhere like I used to where you might have 7-10 days straight of nasty weather - you're going to have to brave the outside and continue your dog's routine.

I'm lucky here in that the only real extended-time weather problem is the HEAT. And when it's hot the dog doesn't want to go out any more than I do. On my days off we walk early early in the morning, then both lay panting under the crappy air conditioners until nighttime, then we have some fetch-time with her glow-in-the-dark toys in the driveway. But even so I have doggy-booties for her so that on super hot days she can handle the hot pavement if need be.

So I'd recommend gearing up (for you and the dog) to anticipate being outside in whatever sort of crappy weather you get...


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## CharismaticMillie

Ah, Lilith you reminded me! It gets so hot here in the summers that my dogs really DO go a week sometimes without a walk. 95 degrees by 9 am, heat indeces in the triple digits, still 95 degrees at night, its just not safe to walk a dog (for long, at least) without risking heat exhaustion. I mean just a few minutes out there and they have red tongues, panting like crazy. Thank goodness I have a swimming pool! That's great exercise right there!

In the winter you can bundle up, put some vaseline on their paws to protect them from snow/salt (this is what I am doing this morning  ) I'm not going to lie though - I have never walked my dogs in the rain. If it rains nonstop for 5 days, they don't get a walk for 5 days. Though, we tend to have very severe and spotty weather here and rarely does it rain for 5 days without at least a glimpse of sunshine. 

Something to remember, if for whatever reason, you are unable to exercise your dog for an extended period, keep an eye on their body condition. If you can't feel their ribs anymore cut down in their food. Just like we need less food when we are sedentary, so do dogs 

I walk my dogs 3-5 times a week and I think this is a reasonable amount. If the weather is particularly nasty one week, maybe they get 1-2 days of exercise. If its a beautiful week and I am not overly busy, maybe 7 days of exercise.


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## Cdnjennga

Darcy and I are out rain or shine, snow or dry. I live in a condo so if I don't take him out, then he's going to be peeing/ pooping on the floor (he won't use pee pads). Plus he gets too active indoors if he doesn't have a decent amount of time outside playing, so I just suck it up and go out with him.

This depends on the individual dog though - some are fine having lazy days indoors, while others (and especially young dogs) go a bit crazy. And of course if you have a yard, it's different as then you can just put them out there without having to be out yourself.

The walks do tend to be a bit shorter if it's really horrible out. So if I have to cut our outdoor time short, we do some obedience inside and play retrieve. Then I give him a chewy or a kong stuffed with something to keep him busy.


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## murieics

ToyPoodle46 said:


> Other than that,i will probably put it in the playpen or something idk...


What size poodle are you planning to get? A play pen is ideal for when you have to leave them alone for a period of time, but putting a dog in a play pen for exercise isn't a good idea. If you have a toy, when it's a puppy it might have enough room to run around a little bit in a play pen, but really, play pens aren't for exercising. 

No matter what, I try to make sure Jake gets outside for at least half an hour a day to get his zoomies out. We have a fenced in area, so if the weather is terrible, I will generally stand inside the door and throw a toy out in the yard for him and encourage him to run around so he can get his energy out. He tends to recognize that he's not supposed to run around inside, so if he isn't getting enough exercise, he tends to get into things, rather than run around in the house. He will occassionally get the zoomies inside, and we play fetch inside, but his favorite inside game when he hasn't gotten enough exercise (or I'm not giving him enough attention) is "let's see what I can find to get into that I shouldn't". 

It usually looks like this: Jake brings me a toy. I'm busy with something (cooking or laundry, for example), so I don't notice him and his toy, since he's playing with something he's supposed to have. Jake tries to get my attention with the toy. If I still don't notice, Jake drops the toy. 30 seconds later, he comes running back with a sock, and shakes that at my feet, knowing that I always notice socks. I notice the sock. I tell him to "trade". He gives me the sock. He goes and gets a toy and comes back to play. I play with the toy with him for a while. Rinse, repeat. If a toy isn't working, he will sometimes get creative with what he brings me. Usually, it's socks. If he can't find a sock (this is rare), he will move on to other things. He brings me shoes, slippers, rolls of toilet paper- basically anything he knows he isn't supposed to have, because it's guaranteed to get my attention. 

We have some of the Nina Otteson toys, but I haven't really played with him with those yet. We also have lots of food toys (a favorite of his is balls that dispense food- he can spend hours chasing those things around!), and I also make sure that he gets lots of face time with other dogs (my jack russell is older, so she doesn't like to play as much- we spend lots of time at my in laws' house so Jake can play with their beagles). 

Just keep in mind that poodles are crazy smart- they need both physical and mental exercise to stay happy!


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## JE-UK

Vasco doesn't believe in days off :smile:. We walk no matter what the weather. During the week, he gets half an hour in the morning, an hour with a dog walker midday, and an hour in the evening in the park. Chasing the glow-in-the-dark ball this time of year. If it is COMPLETELY foul, wind and rain and cold, I may cut it to 45 mins. In nice weather, we stay out longer. I'm a fanatic for exercise, though, so may be my prejudices more than his actual needs.


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## ToyPoodle46

murieics said:


> What size poodle are you planning to get? A play pen is ideal for when you have to leave them alone for a period of time, but putting a dog in a play pen for exercise isn't a good idea. If you have a toy, when it's a puppy it might have enough room to run around a little bit in a play pen, but really, play pens aren't for exercising.
> 
> No matter what, I try to make sure Jake gets outside for at least half an hour a day to get his zoomies out. We have a fenced in area, so if the weather is terrible, I will generally stand inside the door and throw a toy out in the yard for him and encourage him to run around so he can get his energy out. He tends to recognize that he's not supposed to run around inside, so if he isn't getting enough exercise, he tends to get into things, rather than run around in the house. He will occassionally get the zoomies inside, and we play fetch inside, but his favorite inside game when he hasn't gotten enough exercise (or I'm not giving him enough attention) is "let's see what I can find to get into that I shouldn't".
> 
> It usually looks like this: Jake brings me a toy. I'm busy with something (cooking or laundry, for example), so I don't notice him and his toy, since he's playing with something he's supposed to have. Jake tries to get my attention with the toy. If I still don't notice, Jake drops the toy. 30 seconds later, he comes running back with a sock, and shakes that at my feet, knowing that I always notice socks. I notice the sock. I tell him to "trade". He gives me the sock. He goes and gets a toy and comes back to play. I play with the toy with him for a while. Rinse, repeat. If a toy isn't working, he will sometimes get creative with what he brings me. Usually, it's socks. If he can't find a sock (this is rare), he will move on to other things. He brings me shoes, slippers, rolls of toilet paper- basically anything he knows he isn't supposed to have, because it's guaranteed to get my attention.
> 
> We have some of the Nina Otteson toys, but I haven't really played with him with those yet. We also have lots of food toys (a favorite of his is balls that dispense food- he can spend hours chasing those things around!), and I also make sure that he gets lots of face time with other dogs (my jack russell is older, so she doesn't like to play as much- we spend lots of time at my in laws' house so Jake can play with their beagles).
> 
> Just keep in mind that poodles are crazy smart- they need both physical and mental exercise to stay happy!


Im getting a toy by the way... Your dog is so funny, he loves to play alot 
Even if their playing inside, their still getting exercise though. But i know taking them for a walk on the sunny days is a must.  Im glad my neighborrhood has hiking trails...


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## ToyPoodle46

JE-UK said:


> Vasco doesn't believe in days off :smile:. We walk no matter what the weather. During the week, he gets half an hour in the morning, an hour with a dog walker midday, and an hour in the evening in the park. Chasing the glow-in-the-dark ball this time of year. If it is COMPLETELY foul, wind and rain and cold, I may cut it to 45 mins. In nice weather, we stay out longer. I'm a fanatic for exercise, though, so may be my prejudices more than his actual needs.


I dont know how you do it. It all depends on the weather for me...


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## murieics

ToyPoodle46 said:


> Im getting a toy by the way... Your dog is so funny, he loves to play alot
> Even if their playing inside, their still getting exercise though. But i know taking them for a walk on the sunny days is a must.  Im glad my neighborrhood has hiking trails...


I agree- playing inside is still exercise- I guess what I was trying to convey is that he plays with a different energy level inside vs. outside. Inside he will fetch and play around, but he is much calmer- I don't think he gets a chance to really get all of his energy out. Outside, he really gets a chance to run around and go nuts- it's a chance for him to burn off all of the puppy energy that he has (and builds up from trying to behave himself inside).


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## fjm

I think going out for a walk means a lot more to dogs than just exercise. It is their opportunity to meet people and dogs, to smell where other dogs and animals have been (you can almost see the brain synapses snapping into place in pups when they do this), to learn about the world and their place in it. My dogs get huge pleasure out of a walk, even when the weather is far from perfect. They love the variety of walking on grass as well as paths, and on the beach as well as through the woods - every walk is a wonderful adventure. I believe it should be as near as possible to an every day activity for them, not just on sunny days when there is nothing good on television! But once you get your pup, and discover how much more enjoyable walks are with a joyful companion, I suspect you will find yourself walking very often - especially when those puppy dog eyes gaze at you reproachfully if you try to give it a miss!


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## Fluffyspoos

My dogs and I exercise our ability to cuddle on the couch on those days.


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## CharismaticMillie

fjm said:


> My dogs get huge pleasure out of a walk, even when the weather is far from perfect. They love the variety of walking on grass as well as paths, and on the beach as well as through the woods - every walk is a wonderful adventure.


Wow, that sounds fabulous!  I am completely jealous...I'd be walking everyday too if I had that to look forward to! Paths, the beach and through the woods? Walking in circles around the subdivision just does not compare. 

You know what else, Toypoodle46? It really helps if you make a routine out of it. I am a grad. student and I walk my dogs MORE when I am in classes than during breaks (like this past Christmas break). It's easy to get lazy when you don't have a schedule :alien2: It's funny that I walk my dogs much more when I am either in class or teaching from 8-3. Maybe its that sense of guilt that they won't be getting any exercise during the day.


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## Fluffyspoos

I really don't like walking my dogs in this neighborhood, it's old and doesn't have sidewalks so you're either walking in deep snow, tall weeds, or on the road. Luckily the mountain is right there with plenty of trails to take the dogs on. No way in hell would I take them up there when its wet though, I don't have anything good here to groom them, so there would be no way to get the mud off.


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## ToyPoodle46

fjm said:


> I think going out for a walk means a lot more to dogs than just exercise. It is their opportunity to meet people and dogs, to smell where other dogs and animals have been (you can almost see the brain synapses snapping into place in pups when they do this), to learn about the world and their place in it. My dogs get huge pleasure out of a walk, even when the weather is far from perfect. They love the variety of walking on grass as well as paths, and on the beach as well as through the woods - every walk is a wonderful adventure. I believe it should be as near as possible to an every day activity for them, not just on sunny days when there is nothing good on television! But once you get your pup, and discover how much more enjoyable walks are with a joyful companion, I suspect you will find yourself walking very often - especially when those puppy dog eyes gaze at you reproachfully if you try to give it a miss!


I agree, its also good for us humans too, to tajke a alk and be surrunded by nature...


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## ToyPoodle46

Fluffyspoos said:


> My dogs and I exercise our ability to cuddle on the couch on those days.


lol


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## ToyPoodle46

Fluffyspoos said:


> I really don't like walking my dogs in this neighborhood, it's old and doesn't have sidewalks so you're either walking in deep snow, tall weeds, or on the road. Luckily the mountain is right there with plenty of trails to take the dogs on. No way in hell would I take them up there when its wet though, I don't have anything good here to groom them, so there would be no way to get the mud off.


I love trails!


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## fjm

ChocolateMillie said:


> Wow, that sounds fabulous!  I am completely jealous...I'd be walking everyday too if I had that to look forward to! Paths, the beach and through the woods? Walking in circles around the subdivision just does not compare.


Yes - we are very lucky! There are a couple of lovely walks through fields along the river about half a mile away, complete with a small field that is also a rabbit warren - Sophy is convinced she is going to catch one some day! When those are too wet and muddy there is an old railway track that has been converted into a cycle path and bridleway - no motor vehicles, so safe for off leash, but tarmac so easy walking. That runs for miles, with footpaths off into fields and woods when the weather permits. We are only 10 miles from the coast, with walks along beaches and some very beautiful National Trust land. And if we go a bit further afield we are into the lake District in one direction, and the North Yorkshire Moors in the other! I really do not have any excuses for not getting out every day!


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## Pamela

I feel so guilty - we have had so much snow this year that I can't get to the trail to take the dogs out in the woods where they really run! I took them for a walk one day after teh road had cleared of ice and I only got as far as 1/4 mile before I had to turn back because my hips were hurting so bad. Ginger gets along fine with playing in the house but only with me - fetch and catch - but she wants to do it all day! Teddy really needs exercise - he doesn't know what to do with himself! Unfortuneately I cant convince my grandson to take them for a walk when he is across the street at Dad's on weekends. Their dog just goes out in the yard also and I know she need exercise. Some people just don't understand that they need to walk. if my son walked his I would ask him to take mine too! lol


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## Pamela

My dogs do have a very large yard but I can't see them when they go out because its upstairs in the back - however I try to get them to go up and come back and go up and come back as much as possible because I know that is exercise. Darn this snow! I used to be able to go out and play in the snow with them but those days I think are gone - and the trail used to be tramped down from snowmobiles but i havent heard any this year so I am assuming that even if I made it to the trail I wouldnt be able to walk. Why is it that they will run in the woods but their big yard they ignore? lol


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