The cold season could be a little or a total discomfort for humans and our fur friends (just like our dogs). Some of them may only tolerate a specific degree of temperature depending on their breed, coat density, and overall health condition.

How do dogs behave during the colder season?

During the winter season, daylight becomes shorter, and so does the time spent outdoors. Humans may find it easy to adjust, but dogs may have difficulty handling such a seasonal change. According to veterinary experts, this could lead them to show some behaviours that are different from their typical character.

They may show:

• Sleepiness
• Fatigue
• Aggressiveness
• Loss of appetite
• Inactiveness
• Need of More Attention

While these behaviors have been found present in most dog breeds in colder months, these could also be tagged as signs of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

 

What is the Seasonal Affective Disorder?

SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder is a kind of depression (not only in dogs but in humans and other animals) that occurs during seasonal changes (especially during the cold months).

Dogs who have SAD may also stop doing things that they are likely to do as part of their usual self and routine.

For breeds who have been used to cold seasons, they may become more active and playful, but for others who are not, the longer hours of having to stay indoors, the darker and gloomy days, and the colder nights could bring so much effect on their overall most especially their mental health. Being their owners, our dogs depend mainly on how they can cope with such a change.

How to Make Your Dog Happy During the Colder Months?

Keeping our dogs happy during the winter season could be challenging for us dog parents; however, it is essential to make an extra effort to make them feel safe and loved. Here are some tips on how:

Exercise and Activities 

Activities like a maze, scavenger hunt, hide and seek, and obstacle course is good examples of outdoor games/activities that you can engage your dog into to enjoy the cold season outside. Challenging activities that use mental stimulation are great ways to exert the energy from your dog without needing to stay out too long in the cold. Mental stimulation combined with physical challenges can help your dog use more energy than just going for a walk. Make sure to use healthy treats as rewards at the end of the maze, such as Bell & Bone Freeze-Dried Dog Treats.

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Playing Fetch (Both indoors and outdoors)

Have you ever played fetch for 10 minutes with your dog? If you throw the ball far enough, they can lap up kilometers at a time. This is a great way to keep your dog active and mentally stimulated while you sip on your takeaway soy milk latte.

DIY Puzzles

Stimulating our dogs' minds is also necessary during this time as it targets their mental being. Giving them such activities helps reduce the risk of anxiety, allowing them to stay calm and relaxed by exerting built-up energy through the challenge of a puzzle. Try a Lickimat full of treats, Greek yogurt, and superfood seeds like chia and flaxseed to keep them motivated.

Learn New Tricks

Having to stay inside longer than usual is the perfect time to teach your dog new tricks. Tricks like rolling over, waiting, on-your-mat, and even sitting on back legs are fun and challenging. Rewarding your dog with treats is the best way to motivate them to learn something new. Try Bell & Bone Freeze-Dried range when learning new tricks as they are healthy, natural, and guilt-free!

 

Superfood Treats and Freeze-Dried Treats are perfect for puppy training. Their sizes and softness are just suitable for rewards; they're sugar and gluten-free and made with only natural and healthy ingredients. 

Diet

As the temperature gets colder, it is more likely that your dog's immune system is threatened, making it even more important to up their intake of essential vitamins and nutrients. Choosing a healthy, natural food can help maintain the right level of nutrients needed to protect from the health risks brought by the cold weather. You might want to include those foods that are high in vitamins A and C, just like berries to help them fight colds, green and leafy vegetables such as Broccoli and Kale that are rich in fiber to help them maintain their weight the fact that they won't be burning as many calories during the normal seasons.

The colder weather typically leads to fewer walks, which could affect their bones and joints and dry out their skin, coat, and nails. You may want to add supplements such as vitamin E and collagen to their diet.

Bell & Bone Collagen Sticks are made of natural ingredients and collagen that could assist in improving their hair, coat, skin, joints, and bones health.

Bell & Bone Collagen Sticks are made of natural ingredients and collagen that could assist in improving their hair, coat, skin, joints, and bones health.

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Show Some Extra Love

Still, nothing can beat the warmth that your dog could get from your embraces, time, love, and affection. Giving your fur baby a little more of these could definitely make him happy and could help ease that anxiety he's feeling because of the gloomy weather. 

 

  Being a dedicated dog owner often involves:

• Asking the right questions.
• Seeking the right advice, and, most importantly.
• Checking in with your pup to make sure that it's healthy and happy.

We are in line with you on this, so if you have questions, you may head to our FAQs page for more answers to dog treat-related queries or send us a message, and I would love to chat with you. More than anything, it is my priority to keep you informed and empowered.