For those of you who don't know - Bindi and I (Denise) are from Nebraska, and we are in the middle of quite a cold snap (they are forecasting a wind chill of -39 F on Sunday!).

I quickly discovered that when my little girl doesn't get her exercise, she is very bad at night (a la barking, biting, cat chasing, squirminess, and getting into all sorts of miscellaneous mischief). So, with it being too cold for her owner to bear a mile walk in the A.M., and a half-mile in the P.M. she has grown accustomed to - we have had to get creative for exercise ideas.

Game 1) 2-toy keep-away: my husband and I sit in opposite corners of the room and slide one toy *a hoof* to each other (we have a combo of hardwood and tile on the main floor of our house). Bindi chases it back and forth and will, inevitably, intercept it eventually. Once she sneaks off with the hoof, we grab toy #2 *an empty soda bottle* and slide it between the 2 of us - she gets distracted, leaves the hoof and comes bounding after the bottle (at which point, one of us goes after the abandoned hoof) - and vice versa... the game continues. It is quite fun, gets us both laughing, and before you know it - you have had 25 to 30 minutes of good fun!

Game 2) Laser tag: One of us uses a laser pointer to lead the dog around the room, running this way and that, in circles, in the kennel, out of the kennel, through the table legs, into the kitchen... (while the other one hides a bone, or similar delightful treat) - Eventually, after some hearty activity - the magic light leads her to the hidden treat.

What other indoor games do you guys know and love that could help keep my baby girl occupied in the cold winter temperatures?