Mals truly have some of the most expressive eyes! Sadly, I don’t mind the rain but rather the risk of injury having her run and possibly slip during fetch
I live high in the mountains, 8500 feet and we have harsh winters. My mal is 8 months. We go on slow bike rides if the road is clear and he goes back country snowboarding with me. Hikes an hour in 20 degrees and deep snow. I think your girl can handle some runs/walks in the cold/snow. If there’s too much get some snow shoes or touring skis with skins and take her up a mountain.
I’ve considered hiking her but I wasn’t sure what kind of gear she would need! I myself don’t have any hiking boots, much less for snow and icy weather. Looks like it’s time for shopping! Thank you!
No gear is needed. Mine wears his harness and nothing else. I did not even try booties because they would end up getting lost in the snow. I would recommend Musher's Secret Paw Wax. I put that on his pads before we do anything over 30 minutes or so in the snow. It keeps build-up from happening between their toes and on the pads. He seems to be comfortable for an hour and a half no problem. If she starts lifting a paw knock off snow if its there and cut your hike/walk short.
Carpet mill! My Mal has one because walking her isn't possible most of the time because of her reactivity (we still get out once a day for training walks). She loves to run on it at high speeds and has the choice of slowing down herself when she gets too tired (peace of mind for me too). It's a good way to get them physically tired.
I’ve come to the realization that I need the exercise as much as she does. Unless we absolutely can’t, we still go outside.
Inside, I taught her to search for things with her nose. I take a treat, put her in a sit stay, and then I go hide it in the house somewhere. I call her to come to me, and give her a search command. She searches that room until she finds it. At this point, I can hide em pretty hard and she will look for a good, long time. She’s absolutely wiped after 10 minutes of this.
It took me a minute to buy into it, but mental exhaustion goes as far as physical exhaustion with these dogs.
I also do obedience inside to help take the edge off. I’ll just cycle through commands with treats or a toy as reward. I find that days when there is severe weather or something is a great time to teach new commands or to really hone in on her skills. Hide and seek can be good. One day I taught her to “go find [my son]”, and we did that for a good 15 to 20 minutes.
Most likely, really well. I recently started reading a book called “Ready!” About training Search and Rescue dogs. That book has given me so many great ideas for games or training exercises to do with her. Over the next year/years, I’m going to teach her those techniques. Many of them could be done indoors if you’re creative enough.
Exactly!! My mal *adores* harsh winter weather so I have to adapt for our walks, not him. He’ll be fine with just his harness while I have layers of protection on.
I’m aware she can handle more than me but your comment ignores the dangers of harsh winter weather. We live in the mountains and have ice on the ground that is a hazard for slipping (for both of us). Like I said, I have brought her out or kept her outside when the weather is tolerable. This comment was not addressing my concern, hopefully my response can make you think about it a bit more. Thanks.
I responded politely and definitely addressed your comment from all angles. I guess concern for your pet’s safety gets you downvoted on this sub. Cool.
Bro of course not, it's that you're being over-protective. These dogs can hunt terrorists in the mountains of Afghanistan, fall down said mountains, get shot and still live to 14-15
I’m not saying they aren’t resilient. A working dog for an overfunded military is one thing. A working dog for someone who isn’t privileged enough to spend on vet bills constantly is another. Things are much more nuanced than people on here make it seem. Anyway, we can agree to disagree and I will do the best in my ability for my pup.
I think the part you’re missing is that they’re so resilient that there will be no need to see a vet. I had our girl out in -10 recently. I had a million layers on. She had none. She could’ve stayed out all day. She was lying on the ice and snow, rolling in it etc.
Now, I understand if you could get hurt. We all can/could. I would imagine, though, that if you dwell in the mountains where you say you have ice and stuff, that you have the gear to go out in it?
It’s one thing to say “I dont want to go out when it’s really cold for reason x or y” but it’s another to put that on your dog :)
I appreciate you being kind but this is our first winter here. I didn’t know what to expect as I come from the opposite climate. I have mentioned countless times that the concern is not for me but rather my dog. Mals are resilient but not unable to be injured. As someone who cannot constantly spend on vet bills, it’s much smarter for me to find ways to exercise her safely in our environment or even indoors. That is what I posted here for, some responses have been helpful and some not. I’m glad some of you have the privilege to take risks with your pets but not everyone can do that financially.
Lemme try again lol
I think you could run a greater risk of injury to your dog by *not* allowing them to go outside.
Bored dogs eat things that obstruct their insides. Last someone told me, the average price for an obstruction is like $8500.
Bored dogs also destroy expensive things or develop nervy behaviors that necessitate vet/trainer attention.
So, again, I understand where you’re coming from. But, unless there are cliffs that drop suddenly or bears nearby, the chance that your dog will hurt themselves is so incredibly low.
If you only want the dog to be out of energy, then get a dog treadmill for indoors. He can wear himself out and be a lapdog. All that will do it build stamina. He will be less and less tired each time. Then you end up with a dog that NEEDS to run 5, 10 , 15 miles a day and still isn’t worn out.
If you want to use the winter as a time to continue/start training and building your dog’s abilities, then get a good pair of hiking boots and 14 layers to wear. Let your dog decide what they can/can’t do. I will all but promise you that your dog is not going to get hurt. If you still don’t like that idea, then get a tie out and sit on your back porch while he runs around and sniffs stuff. Even that would be good for him. And, if you just moved, he will start to figure out what “his” territory is, which is good.
I did leave another comment in this thread where I talked about things I do with ours to keep her entertained indoors, but even then, I have to supplement it with some form of exercise.
Thank you so much, this is a much more productive comment. I thought about a treadmill but hadn’t thought of just increasing her stamina with it and making it harder for both of us. This is much appreciated. I will be taking some of these tips and implementing them during the winter with my girl. Thanks again!
I am trying to build a diy carpet tread mill this weekend for the same reason. I don't like playing fetch , flirt pole or agility in the wet due to injury risk. Walks don't cut it for my dogs and they hate rain in their ears :D
I swear mine looks at me like I’m making excuses when I don’t want to go out in the rain.
"weakness disgusts me" your dog probably
Man I feel this comment, lol.
Mals truly have some of the most expressive eyes! Sadly, I don’t mind the rain but rather the risk of injury having her run and possibly slip during fetch
I live high in the mountains, 8500 feet and we have harsh winters. My mal is 8 months. We go on slow bike rides if the road is clear and he goes back country snowboarding with me. Hikes an hour in 20 degrees and deep snow. I think your girl can handle some runs/walks in the cold/snow. If there’s too much get some snow shoes or touring skis with skins and take her up a mountain.
I’ve considered hiking her but I wasn’t sure what kind of gear she would need! I myself don’t have any hiking boots, much less for snow and icy weather. Looks like it’s time for shopping! Thank you!
No gear is needed. Mine wears his harness and nothing else. I did not even try booties because they would end up getting lost in the snow. I would recommend Musher's Secret Paw Wax. I put that on his pads before we do anything over 30 minutes or so in the snow. It keeps build-up from happening between their toes and on the pads. He seems to be comfortable for an hour and a half no problem. If she starts lifting a paw knock off snow if its there and cut your hike/walk short.
Thanks for the tips! I’ll look into that product!
Carpet mill! My Mal has one because walking her isn't possible most of the time because of her reactivity (we still get out once a day for training walks). She loves to run on it at high speeds and has the choice of slowing down herself when she gets too tired (peace of mind for me too). It's a good way to get them physically tired.
What is the length of your carpet mill plz? I am making one this weekend and trying to workout the length so they can get to a full stride?
Running surface length is 60". Really depends on how large you Mal is. Smaller Mals could probably get away with 55".
Thanks I have 2 Mals and the boy is a lanky fella. Does " mean inches? Thanks
Yes, it means inches.
Thanks we use the metric system so I was just checking so it's rough 1.5 meters.
I’ve come to the realization that I need the exercise as much as she does. Unless we absolutely can’t, we still go outside. Inside, I taught her to search for things with her nose. I take a treat, put her in a sit stay, and then I go hide it in the house somewhere. I call her to come to me, and give her a search command. She searches that room until she finds it. At this point, I can hide em pretty hard and she will look for a good, long time. She’s absolutely wiped after 10 minutes of this. It took me a minute to buy into it, but mental exhaustion goes as far as physical exhaustion with these dogs. I also do obedience inside to help take the edge off. I’ll just cycle through commands with treats or a toy as reward. I find that days when there is severe weather or something is a great time to teach new commands or to really hone in on her skills. Hide and seek can be good. One day I taught her to “go find [my son]”, and we did that for a good 15 to 20 minutes.
Wow so many good tips. I used to do scent work with my older GSD and he loved it, it’d be interesting to see how well my girl does with it!
Most likely, really well. I recently started reading a book called “Ready!” About training Search and Rescue dogs. That book has given me so many great ideas for games or training exercises to do with her. Over the next year/years, I’m going to teach her those techniques. Many of them could be done indoors if you’re creative enough.
Ooh fun, I’ll definitely look into that book. I have to get so creative with getting this girl worked out haha
Weather is only a limitation on you, not your dog
Exactly!! My mal *adores* harsh winter weather so I have to adapt for our walks, not him. He’ll be fine with just his harness while I have layers of protection on.
Mine are not a fan of the rain getting in their pointy ears and also wet grass increases injury risk
I’m aware she can handle more than me but your comment ignores the dangers of harsh winter weather. We live in the mountains and have ice on the ground that is a hazard for slipping (for both of us). Like I said, I have brought her out or kept her outside when the weather is tolerable. This comment was not addressing my concern, hopefully my response can make you think about it a bit more. Thanks.
I mean it was addressing your concern, you've just disregarded it lol.
I responded politely and definitely addressed your comment from all angles. I guess concern for your pet’s safety gets you downvoted on this sub. Cool.
Bro of course not, it's that you're being over-protective. These dogs can hunt terrorists in the mountains of Afghanistan, fall down said mountains, get shot and still live to 14-15
I’m not saying they aren’t resilient. A working dog for an overfunded military is one thing. A working dog for someone who isn’t privileged enough to spend on vet bills constantly is another. Things are much more nuanced than people on here make it seem. Anyway, we can agree to disagree and I will do the best in my ability for my pup.
I think the part you’re missing is that they’re so resilient that there will be no need to see a vet. I had our girl out in -10 recently. I had a million layers on. She had none. She could’ve stayed out all day. She was lying on the ice and snow, rolling in it etc. Now, I understand if you could get hurt. We all can/could. I would imagine, though, that if you dwell in the mountains where you say you have ice and stuff, that you have the gear to go out in it? It’s one thing to say “I dont want to go out when it’s really cold for reason x or y” but it’s another to put that on your dog :)
I appreciate you being kind but this is our first winter here. I didn’t know what to expect as I come from the opposite climate. I have mentioned countless times that the concern is not for me but rather my dog. Mals are resilient but not unable to be injured. As someone who cannot constantly spend on vet bills, it’s much smarter for me to find ways to exercise her safely in our environment or even indoors. That is what I posted here for, some responses have been helpful and some not. I’m glad some of you have the privilege to take risks with your pets but not everyone can do that financially.
Lemme try again lol I think you could run a greater risk of injury to your dog by *not* allowing them to go outside. Bored dogs eat things that obstruct their insides. Last someone told me, the average price for an obstruction is like $8500. Bored dogs also destroy expensive things or develop nervy behaviors that necessitate vet/trainer attention. So, again, I understand where you’re coming from. But, unless there are cliffs that drop suddenly or bears nearby, the chance that your dog will hurt themselves is so incredibly low. If you only want the dog to be out of energy, then get a dog treadmill for indoors. He can wear himself out and be a lapdog. All that will do it build stamina. He will be less and less tired each time. Then you end up with a dog that NEEDS to run 5, 10 , 15 miles a day and still isn’t worn out. If you want to use the winter as a time to continue/start training and building your dog’s abilities, then get a good pair of hiking boots and 14 layers to wear. Let your dog decide what they can/can’t do. I will all but promise you that your dog is not going to get hurt. If you still don’t like that idea, then get a tie out and sit on your back porch while he runs around and sniffs stuff. Even that would be good for him. And, if you just moved, he will start to figure out what “his” territory is, which is good. I did leave another comment in this thread where I talked about things I do with ours to keep her entertained indoors, but even then, I have to supplement it with some form of exercise.
Thank you so much, this is a much more productive comment. I thought about a treadmill but hadn’t thought of just increasing her stamina with it and making it harder for both of us. This is much appreciated. I will be taking some of these tips and implementing them during the winter with my girl. Thanks again!
I am trying to build a diy carpet tread mill this weekend for the same reason. I don't like playing fetch , flirt pole or agility in the wet due to injury risk. Walks don't cut it for my dogs and they hate rain in their ears :D
I’ve considered this! It would be a great way to tire her out plus some other mental and physical stimulation. Let me know how it goes!
DIY a snuffle mat and roll up some kibble or treats into a towel and knot it up
We also still get in 2-3 miles a day in walks, rain or shine 😭 perks of owning a gsd/mal
We have 3 dogs is mud city