This may have happened to you. It is late on a dark winter evening. You sit down to relax after a busy day. There is just one thing keeping you from sinking into the couch and focusing on a good book or show. Your dog. Your dog is running all over the place, jumping around, throwing toys about. She seems to have lost her mind.

Maybe she did. Or maybe she has been cooped up too long and needs to get out some pent-up energy. To give your dog a regular energy outlet, think about getting your dog more exercise during the winter months. With the right precautions and planning, you can have a great time and get a little more quiet time in the evening. Here are a few tips to get you started.

Bundle up

You dog’s fur might not be enough to stand up again the cold. If it is extremely cold out, you might want to wait until a warmer day. If the cold is tolerable, though, think about putting your dog in a sweater and even booties to keep him warm. This is especially important if you are going to be outside for a while.

Keep moving

Without overdoing the physical activity, keep the blood flowing by doing something continuous like walking at a moderate pace. Intense fun like playing fetch or tug-of-war is great, but get on with walking when you are done to keep your dog’s temperature up.

Pace yourself

Set sensible limits for your outdoor time. It doesn’t take much for your dog to work off his excess energy. It also doesn’t take much to get too cold, so have your fun and get back inside to warm up. Ask your veterinarian about how much time your dog can spend outside playing.

Repeat

Get out with your dog regularly. The more you have these fun short bursts of activity, the happier and calmer you dog will be, the more peaceful your evenings could become, and the closer you and your pet will grow.