We’ve got a new puppy (long story), and we think he’s feeling a lack of exercise. The problem is, as I posted in the “crap it’s cold” thread, that it’s hovering between +10 and -20 degrees Fahrenheit right now outside…not to mention the two and a half feet of snow. What do people do in this situation? He hasn’t quite figured out the concept of chasing toys, so getting him to run around inside has proven tricky. Unless we can train him to use the treadmill, I’m not sure how to get him the activity he needs.
Well it really depends on the kind of dog he is in regards to how much exercise he needs and such. Some dogs do perfectly well inside with minimal activity.
Does he follow you around? You could play lots of hide-n-seek. My hubby used to run all over the house and hide on our dog, and the dog would come find him. They both got a great workout!
If you can’t exactly “hide” you could still move around your house(if it isn’t too tiny) and just let him follow you around. And you know…make all the playful noises and stuff to make it fun. 
Short doses. Your puppy will wear himself out quickly in the snow, much too quickly to get dangerously cold. Try a ten-minute frolic in the snow, wrestling with him if he’s into that.
He’s a Jack Russell, so he needs plenty. More, I think, than he gets with our normal playtimes.
Try dangling a string in front of his face. He might chase that.
Oh boy, JRT puppy stuck inside? lol have fun with that. You might want to try taking him outside for short (like 10 minutes) excursions but definitely bundle him up with a good quality doggy coat first. Other than that, maybe get a giant hamster wheel?
Get a laser pointer. If he hasn’t caught on to the idea of chasing things, at least you won’t be fetching his toys yourself. And if he does catch on, you’re golden.
Go outside! Unless it’s a chihuahua, the cold won’t bother the doggie as much as it will bother you. And I second the laser pointer idea.
Does pup like to come to you when called? We play ‘doggie in the middle’ sometimes. My husband and I get on opposite sides of the living room, calling the dog back and forth between us, with lots of excitement and praise. We like to make her do lots of running, and she seems to enjoy it. We usually toss a toy to each other and let her get it every third or forth time. She’s a little dog, still puppy sized, and it tuckers her out nicely. She also loved the laser pointer when she was younger but after three years and never catching the little red dot, she’s less enthusiastic about it. 
My parents’ puppy (half Jack Russell) will run all over their house except the kitchen. He hates the kitchen floor because he gets no traction on the kind of tile in there. Maybe you could run around the house like my dad does with their puppy. It’s one of the funniest things I have ever seen–little frisky puppy and big tall man, running around the house.
Am I the only one to think, “treadmill indoors”?
Come to think of it, this would be good for my friends’ huskies as well. They love to run.
:dubious:
Not sure how you get a huskie to stay indooors. My huskie Blue hated being inside and when forced to come inside would snarfle down whatever treat we gave her then bonk her way out the doggie door. Her favorite place in the winter was outside tormenting the squirrels and birds that would try to get into her doggie crunchies.
Some peole just dont get the idea that some animals prefer the outside, and are evolved to live in cold.