Blog — Category_Activities

5 Fun Activities for your Dog in the Fall Who doesn’t love fall? The leaves are changing colors, spooky programs are coming onto television and you can watch football every Sunday! While there are many fun fall-themed activities for you to indulge in, Sparky Steps wants to provide you with some autumn-inspired fun for your dog! Leaf piles! The classics never get old. Raking up all of those leaves can be a pain, but having a dog makes it more fun. Throw the good old tennis ball into your pile and watch as your pooch nosedives right on in. They’re...

Five Rainy Day Activities For You and Your Dog Along with warmer weather comes summer rain and storms. Sometimes these storms can last for hours, even days, making you and your dog go stir crazy from sitting inside all day. However, we at Sparky Steps think that just because you can’t take your dog on a walk doesn’t mean that you still can’t have fun or get exercise indoors. Here are some activities for you and your dog to do while it’s raining cat and dogs outside:   Puzzle Toys Puzzle toys can be great for dogs not only when...

Dog Park “Petiquette” and Whether Dog Parks Are All They’re Cracked Up to Be? The concept of dog parks started in California in 1979; today, they can now be found in every state except Alaska. In Chicago alone, there are some 23 off-leash dog parks, according to BringFido.com. The whole idea of dog parks was borne to provide a large space (usually not less than one or two acres) in which dogs can exercise and play off-leash and interact with other dogs in a controlled environment, under the supervision of their owners. The last part of that sentence is they...

Fun Activities to do with your dog when it's Snowing! Winter is truly a remarkable season and once it starts snowing it's time to do something! People often have mixed emotions about it, and so do dogs. Nevertheless, snow is a part of life in Chicago. As such, we here at Sparky Steps came up with some ideas for you and your fluffy friend to get the most out of this winter season. Here are the top five things to do with your dog in the snow.   Go for a walk This may sound like a no-brainer, but many...

5 Safety Tips for your dog this Halloween Halloween is coming up, and it’s sure to be a spook-tastic time! We here at Sparky Steps love Halloween, and are excited to introduce our first annual costume contest! Plus, we wanted to give all dog owners some tips to ensure your pup has a safe and enjoyable holiday.   Don’t leave candy or chocolate out Trick-Or-Treating is always essential when it comes to Halloween. Free candy? Awesome costumes? Score! But, it’s important to make sure that your dog can’t get to any of your succulent sweets, as they could make them...