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Make Fetch Happen: The Outdoor Dog Play Guide for Southern Winters

While the rest of the country is snowed in, we're outside. Here's how to actually use that.
January 2025  ·  5 min read

Living in the South means you get to be smug about winters. It's 55 degrees, the sun is out, and your dog is losing their mind at the back door while people in Chicago are shoveling their driveways. This is the advantage. Use it.

January in the South is genuinely one of the best times of year to be outside with a dog. The heat is gone, the bugs are mostly gone, and the trails aren't crowded. Here's where to go and what to bring.

Why winter outdoor time matters more than you think

Dogs don't really understand seasons. They understand whether they got outside today or not. In a lot of parts of the country, winter means shorter walks, fewer park trips, and a dog that's been staring at the same four walls since November.

That's not the situation in the South, which means Southern dog owners have a real opportunity to keep their dogs mentally and physically stimulated year-round. A tired dog in January is a well-behaved dog in February. The outdoor time compounds.

The best Southern spots for fetch this winter

Mild weather and great parks are kind of the South's whole thing. These are worth the trip:

  • Zilker Park, Austin TX 350 acres, off-leash areas, Barton Springs access. Our personal home base and genuinely one of the best dog parks in the country. January here is perfect.
  • Piedmont Park, Atlanta GA A southern staple with dedicated off-leash areas and enough open space to run a proper fetch game. Gets busy on weekends but worth it.
  • Audubon Park, New Orleans LA Massive, lush, and almost always a good temperature in January. Dogs and their people are everywhere. Bring water and plan to stay a while.
  • Shelby Farms Park, Memphis TN 4,500 acres, which is not a typo. Trails, open fields, a dog park, and a lake. One of the most underrated outdoor spaces in the entire South.
Pro Tip Southern winters can flip fast. Check the forecast before a long trip out — a 65-degree Tuesday can turn into a 38-degree Thursday with no warning. Pack a layer for yourself and watch your dog's paw pads on cold mornings.
How to actually make fetch better

Fetch is one of those activities that sounds simple until you're standing in a field with a bad stick and a dog who won't give it back. A few things that make it work better:

  • Pick a good stick before you start Look for something with flex, the right size for your dog's mouth, and no rot or splinters. Five seconds of inspection saves a vet visit. The safe stick play guide on the blog covers what to look for in detail.
  • Teach "drop it" and use it Fetch only works if the stick comes back. A dog that won't release is a dog that's playing a different game than you are.
  • Vary the distance Short throws, long throws, different directions. Keeps your dog guessing and makes for a much better workout than the same 20-yard toss on repeat.
  • Know when to stop Dogs will play fetch until they collapse if you let them. Watch for heavy panting, slowing down, or losing interest in the stick. That's the signal.

Winter is short. The park is open. Go.

Show us where you and your dog are spending January at @dogsticklibrary.

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