Last winter was really tough for our pack.  With an abundance of snow, and many freezing temperatures, it was difficult to get them outside to exercise.  This made for many WILD days inside, as German Shorthaired Pointers need to run, run, and RUN (did I mention run?!).  So for Christmas, Brian bought the pups a doggie treadmill to keep them in shape this winter, and to help keep the GSP zoomies at bay.

Our only feline fur-kid, Loki (aka PHATcat), was officially the first family member to attempt get on the treadmill.  (Funny, because he could TOTALLY benefit from it!! haha!!)

Hooch watches from afar as Loki sits on  “the big scary thing in the bar room .”

In typical Hooch fashion, Hooch hates the treadmill.  Yup – scared to death of it. He will stand next to it while it is off, but will not stand on it -or be in the same room with it while it is running.  … That’s my Hoochie Man 🙂

Limoncello will do pretty much anything you ask of her. She lives by her Papa’s motto, “Champions are made in the off-season.” 🙂

 Lager does EVERYthing you ask of him, and does it like it’s his job… he took to the treadmill quickly, and enjoys it so much, that he will actually go stand on it, waiting for someone to turn it on!

Overall, this Christmas gift has been a lifesaver.  On bad weather days, the dogs can still get their exercise in!  We have developed a routine with Hooch for “treadmill nights.”  Instead of the treadmill, we play ball indoors with the Chuck-It indoor ball.  

Brian will throw the ball up over the balcony so that Hooch has to run up the steps to get the ball, and back down. Once Hooch has the ball, he is so proud that he will run down the stairs, jump over the couch, and run through our bar room into the kitchen…so our steps become a doggie stair-master, our couch turns into a hurdle, and our bar and kitchen rooms, a sprinting path.  Hooch LOVES it!

This winter we vowed to keep the dogs busy (and tired!) despite whatever Mother Nature presented to us… even though our house may be a bit crazy, we are keeping our word, and the dogs are having a blast!