Keeping Your Active Dog Engaged When Winter Won’t Quit

January was a long year, but we made it.

 

With every passing year, I find myself avoiding countdowns—not because I’m dreading anything, but because I don’t want to rush time. There’s that strange shift that happens as you age, when the days seem to accelerate even as you’re trying to savor them. Losing Jackson and Tinkerbell, and knowing how quickly their lives went from first meeting to final goodbye, makes me want to slow the clock even more.

 

But holy shit, it’s been a long winter.

 

This is the first year in quite a while that I’ve had one young Labrador Retriever during the winter. Not since my late Labrador Babe was a young dog—and we lived in a downtown apartment without a fenced yard—have I needed to be so creative about providing enrichment and playtime. Even then, Babe was a less energetic dog compared to Quill, who loves to be busy and needs something to work his mind every single day. And of course, I was twenty years younger.

 

So this year, I’ve been dusting off every dog‑enrichment idea I’ve ever saved for rainy (and snowy, icy, subzero) days to keep Quill happy and engaged when it’s too cold to be outside.

Labrador Weather Has Limits (Mine Especially)

Labradors are pretty durable in the winter—originally bred in Newfoundland to help fishermen retrieve nets, built with dense double coats and sturdy, weather‑resistant bodies. I like to joke that the coldest days are true Labrador weather, but even they have a limit here in Northern Illinois.

 

I usually draw the line at long walks when it’s under 20 degrees, and I limit playtime when it’s under 10. Their paws are my gauge: when they start picking them up, it’s time to go inside. On the truly brutal subzero days, we do a quick potty break and they handle all their business in under two minutes.

 

Quill is happy to walk through deep snow or on icy sidewalks, but I draw the line for myself. I’m not overly coordinated on dry pavement, and our neighbors are inconsistent about shoveling. Then there’s the melting and refreezing, or the cars parked across sidewalks that force us into the slushy, chemical‑laden street. Even though I always do a post‑walk paw wipe‑down, it’s just a lot to navigate.

 

My inner Victoria Ratliff from White Lotus comes out, I start searching for houses in Florida on Zillow, and I think, “I just don’t think at this age I’m meant to live an uncomfortable life. I don’t have the will.”

 

In the past, my dogs had built‑in playmates, so snow days meant snow zoomies in the yard, long games of bitey‑face, and chewing moose antlers together. But this winter, I have one young, rambunctious dog who has gone on a walk every day at a certain time for the last six months.

 

So how have we survived a cold, snowy winter with one young Labrador Retriever?

Canine Fitness Exercises

One of the unexpected gifts of Quill’s delayed Gotcha Day—thanks to my husband’s emergency appendectomy—was that his breeder had extra time to introduce him to basic canine fitness work. She used equipment like a Step 360 balance platform and other stability tools to teach him simple, age‑appropriate exercises that supported his growing body.

 

I kept the routine going once he came home. I eventually found my own Step 360 on Facebook Marketplace and practically scared the seller with my enthusiasm when I told her it was for my dog. Since then, I’ve taken several online courses and expanded our repertoire. Quill loves to train, so we rotate through exercises like:

 

• “Pop” to hand target
• Circle left / circle right
• Paws up / paws down on the balance pad
• Sit‑to‑stand and stand‑to‑sit transitions
• Front‑paws‑up pivoting on the platform
• Tuck sit and kick‑back stand on the floor
• Plus fun cues like crawl, shake, speak, and guard (standing between my legs)

These short sessions keep his brain busy and his body working in safe, controlled ways—perfect for days when the weather is too brutal for long walks.

 

When you’re ready to explore canine fitness work with your own dog, it’s always wise to check in with your veterinarian first—especially if your dog is still growing, has medical considerations, or is recovering from an injury. And if you want guidance beyond the basics, look for trainers who hold certifications from reputable canine fitness programs. 

 

Canine fitness is its own specialized field, with advanced training in anatomy, movement, and safe exercise progression, so working with someone properly credentialed can help you learn correct form and keep your dog’s body supported as you train together.

Snowball Fetch

I’m sure I’m not the first person to invent “snowball fetch,” but it remains one of my favorite winter games. Jax and Tink loved it, and Quill has a blast every time.

 

I pack a snowball, toss it, and he chases it. Sometimes he brings most of it back; other times he eats the entire thing on the spot. My favorite part is watching him use his powerful nose to find the snowball by scent alone—the proverbial needle in a haystack.

 

Although snowball fetch gets him running, I view it as more of a mental exercise. Once I realized he was tracking the snowball by my scent, I started packing them with bare hands or breathing on them to make the scent stronger. Of course, with a dog’s nose, he’s probably picking up my scent through gloves anyway. 

Hide and Seek

Hide and seek is a classic in our house. I’ve been playing it with my dogs since Jackson was a puppy in 2011, when I needed to burn off some of his energy after long workdays.

 

It only takes four or five rounds before Quill is mentally exhausted—not from running, but from the effort of sitting and waiting in one room while I hide in another. I like to make it more challenging by ducking into the powder room or slipping behind the curtains.

 

It’s simple and incredibly effective. It is also a great way to get your dog used to doing a sit/wait when they cannot see you or make eye contact, which might be a life-saving skill one day. 

What I Believe About Winter, Dogs, and Time

The truth is, if you are going to have a sporting breed like a Labrador and live in the north, you’re going to have to embrace winter. Of course there’s regular winter, and then there’s January in Illinois, aka subzero temps and slippery sidewalks. 

 

In addition to the ideas I mentioned above, there are fun food toys and games that I like to use like Kongs or West Paw Toppls stuffed with bananas, peanut butter, and pumpkin and then frozen. We also rotate through puzzle toys where the goal is to find treats or pieces of kibble.  Instead of pre-made games, you can also make snuffle mats, roll up towels with treats hidden inside, or set up simple scent games.

 

My husband loves to play a silly game of chase around the kitchen island.  We play a lot of indoor fetch when it’s too cold outside. I even lay down on the ground and pretend to chew on the moose antlers with Quill, now that my dogs have taught me that chewing bones is a group activity. 

 

Whether you are enjoying perfect weather, or finding something engaging to do indoors during bad weather, the most important thing is this:

 

It’s not about tiring out your dog.  

 

It’s about giving them something interesting to do each day, and doing it with them.

 

There are so many ways to have fun with your dog in general. It doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. Most dogs just want to be with their owners doing something together.