Here are eight tips to positively teach your dog to go outside even when it's raining.
- Create a positive experience with the outdoors.
- Teach a 'Hurry' Command.
- Grab your raincoat and go outside.
- Take a quick walk.
- Keep your dog on leash.
- Create an outdoor area with cover.
- Buy a dog raincoat.
- Dry your pet quickly and thoroughly.
Overall, walking a strong, healthy dog in the rain does not inherently cause it to become sick. If your dog has a thick coat it will keep it warm and protect them from getting soaked. A dog with a thinner coat is likely to get wet quicker so you might want to consider water-resistant clothing.
Q. I can't get my dog to go to the bathroom in the rain. Dogs have a wide range of bathroom habits — some pooches will go anywhere, anytime, regardless of the weather, but others are affected by even the smallest change in the surroundings, the surface area and, especially, the weather.
As early as a few weeks old, you can introduce your pup to her collar and leash. Wait until she's doing something positive such as feeding, playing, or getting affection from you and slip on the collar and leash. The idea is both to get her used to wearing them and to have her associate them with positive feelings.
We walk your dog! If you are happy for us to, we will always take your dog out in the rain. We love dog walking and are just as happy to go out in wet weather as we are on dry days.
Dogs have such superior senses. Their sense of smell tells them rain is on its way. Their sense of hearing picks up the sound of thunder long before you hear that tell-tale sign of a storm. Dogs can sense a drop in the barometer pressure and they are sensitive to the static electricity caused by lightning.
A good rule of thumb is a ratio of five minutes exercise per month of age (up to twice a day) until the puppy is fully grown e.g. 15 minutes (up to twice a day) when 3 months old, 20 minutes when 4 months old and so on. Once they are fully grown, they can go out for much longer.
Barometric pressure is another cause for your dog to dislike the rainy season. Dogs are more sensitive to the changes in barometric pressure and this may be an issue for your dog. Their lack of exposure to the rain up until this point may be negligible and this can cause your dog to be afraid of the rain.
Fear. It could be the case that the rain causes it to be fearful. This would be more likely if it does it more when it rains heavily and when there is also thunder and lightning. It would also be more likely if it shows other signs of being fearful such as crying or hiding.
Our dogs enrich our lives and improve our health, so it's natural to want to protect them. But keeping them inside doesn't do that. So, going outside keeps dogs physically and emotionally fit. They need to run, jump, chase and swim, but neither small nor and very large dogs should jog with you [source: Paige].
The Bottom LineYes, dogs get bored. Sit around the house all day with absolutely nothing to do and you'd get bored, too! Try some cool new toys or puzzles to keep your dog engaged and, of course, exercise always helps. Mixing up your dog's routine will keep him stimulated and happy—and the house intact!
Stairs are an added hazard for small dogs, increasing not only the risk of falling, but also the potential for premature joint wear caused by the impact of scaling stairs.
These are some of the best ways to work your dog's body and brain indoors.
- Rotate The Toys. Do you keep your dog's same old toys hanging around all the time?
- Play Hide & Seek.
- Set Up An Obstacle Course.
- Play The Shell Game.
- Chase Bubbles to Tire Out a Dog.
- Feed Your Dog Using A Food Toy.
- Play Fetch.
- Wrestle Or Play Tug.
Drying TimesThere are dog-specific towels that are both quick-drying and hypo-allergenic, allowing you to give your pup a thorough drying after spending time out in the rain. A regular bath towel will also work in a pinch to help dry them off after a soggy walk.
But most dogs benefit from daily aerobic exercise as well as a 30-minute walk. Think of aerobic exercise as anything that makes your dog pant. This could be running, swimming, jumping, or dancing (yes, dancing!), just to name a few.
Which dogs need the most exercise?
- Labrador Retriever. Britain's best-loved dog, there are more labrador retrievers registered in the UK than any other breed.
- Dalmatian. If you enjoy running, dalmatians can be excellent exercise partners.
- Alaskan Malamute.
- Border Collie.
- Boxer.
- English Springer Spaniel.
- German Shepherd.
- Golden Retriever.
