Courtney Dicmas
An illustration of dogs at an indoor agility course.
Between winter cold and icy conditions (your dog might not fall down, but you might), the idea that you could exercise your dog indoors can be appealing. While walking around large pet stores with your dog on a leash technically fulfills the notion of a “walk,” other dedicated dog facilities create more of an indoor dog park. That said, these sessions can run from $15-$45 so may be an every-so-often treat.
Dairy Ridge Dog Park, 8102 Dairy Ridge Road, Verona, has an indoor facility for dog exercise and training. It can be booked for 50-minute private sessions for you and your dog. Or you could invite your dog’s friends. Or your friends, and their dogs.
Doggieland Play Park, 4233 W. Beltline Hwy., offers play area rental with use of the agility equipment for 45-minute sessions. It also holds doggie meetups, grouped according to size of dog (small, medium, large, extra large, and puppy) so your dog can play with a group of other dogs. Meetups last for two hours, though you don’t have to stay the whole time.
Other dog training centers like Canine Sports Zone, 3036 Laura Lane, Middleton, rent indoor training space, which you could use to give your dog a good run. Canine Zone won’t rent space that contains agility equipment your dog isn’t trained for, but there are two plain rings, too.
