Snow Happens
Cold noses, frozen leashes, and snowballs stuck to fur — welcome to winter training in the mountains.
Snow doesn’t cancel dog training; it just rewrites the lesson plan. The trick isn’t to fight the weather — it’s to work with it.
When we treat winter as a pause button, our dogs’ brains start to hibernate right along with us. But if we reframe it as a playground for creativity, those cold days become some of the best training days of the year.
Training in a Winter Wonderland
Bagheera taught me this the first winter she lived in Truckee with me. She’d blast into a snowbank, roll around like a happy otter, and then stop mid-wiggle to look back at me like, “Are you coming or what?”
At first, I saw the weather as an obstacle — sessions cut short, frozen fingers, distraction city. But Bagheera didn’t see obstacles; she saw opportunity.
Snow turned into built-in enrichment, a sensory buffet, and a natural way to practice focus, recall, and patience.
Here’s how to make winter your training ally:
Short, Sweet, and Frequent. Cold air drains energy fast — for both of you. Trade one long session for three five-minute bursts. Quick wins keep spirits high and paws warm.
Rethink Reinforcement. Food freezes, fingers fumble. Use movement as reinforcement — chase games, snow scatters, or a quick release to zoomies.
Warm-Up the Brain First. Play a few easy focus games indoors (Name Game, Find It, or a short trick) before heading outside. It’s like stretching before a run.
Reward Reorientation. When your dog checks in with you mid-snowstorm, jackpot it. That kind of focus in a distraction-rich environment is gold.
Finding Calm in the Cold
Cold weather amplifies arousal. The crisp air, the crunch underfoot, the excitement of fresh powder — it’s sensory overload.
If you’re not careful, that energy can spill into pulling, barking, or “I can’t hear you right now” mode.
To balance it out:
Add calm breaks. After a burst of play, pause. Toss a treat scatter or practice a settle in the snow.
Keep movement mindful. Walk slower, breathe deeper, let your pace set the tone.
End on a cozy note. Back inside, guide your dog to her mat or bed and reinforce that calm transition. The goal is a dog who can shift gears, not one stuck in turbo.
When Plans Freeze
Sometimes, winter just wins. The roads are icy, the snow’s up to your waist, and the only training that’s happening is convincing your dog to pee. That’s okay.
Use those indoor days to:
Practice calmness and settle work.
Review cues like “leave it,” “touch,” or “place.”
Build micro-skills that pay off later — patience, duration, and disengagement.
Every small moment counts. Training doesn’t stop when the weather turns; it just changes form.
Closing Thought
Snow happens. Plans melt. Fingers freeze. But training is never about perfection — it’s about connection.
Winter isn’t your enemy; it’s your reminder to slow down, stay flexible, and find joy in the wiggles, the wobbles, and the snowflakes that stick to your dog’s whiskers.
Bundle up, breathe, and keep the sessions lighthearted.
Because sometimes, the best kind of training is the one where you both come home covered in snow and smiling.
