Creative in the Cold

This has been a hard winter in Texas. I realize those of you who live farther north will probably be laughing at that, but sometimes "winter weather" is a matter of perspective. In 2014 we've had 3 days that UT has closed for "inclement weather" and have had 4 delayed starts. Most of this has been because of ice or predicted ice. Because no one here is used to driving in winter weather the whole city pretty much shuts down. It's been kind of nice to have those unexpected days/hours off!

Morey doesn't mind the cold at all. He grew up in Indiana winters and enjoys the cold and snow. I also grew up in Indiana but somehow the cold and snow just isn't as enjoyable for me anymore (hence the move to Texas!). That means when it gets cold Morey gets frisky and energetic and I just want to hibernate. It has been challenging to figure out how to balance both of our needs in cold weather but we've come up with some creative options.

One is to use what we have available. I might not want to sit outside for 20 minutes throwing the ball for Morey to chase but I have no problem doing that inside. At my internship there is a long hall way and we take advantage of that to play some inside ball. Luckily everyone in the office likes Morey and doesn't mind if he pops into their office on his way back down the hall!

 

We also play more hide and seek/"find" in inclement weather. I will hide Morey's toy or ball somewhere inside and he goes and finds it. He's not very efficient in his search skills so it sometimes takes him a while. He is very persistent and uses a lot of energy running around and looking for his toy.

 

Another way to give Morey some stimulation is through interactive toys. I have several different options including a Kong Wobbler and a Buster Cube and getting a meal or treats out of those often wear him out.

 

Hopefully we'll have a few months of nice weather to enjoy being outside before we have to resort to these options again because it's too hot !