When Gulf Coast temperatures climb past 95 degrees, even a short walk can be dangerous for dogs. Dogs Inc., the Sarasota-area nonprofit that trains guide and service animals, says owners can keep their pets active indoors without special equipment or extra space.

Jenni Scamardo, director of puppy raising services at Dogs Inc., and Emilee Perkins, manager of the organization's canine fitness program, told WWSB on Monday that the same exercises the nonprofit uses to prepare future guide dogs work for any household pet. The routines fall into three categories: strength, flexibility and problem-solving activities that challenge a dog's mind.

Problem-solving exercises are especially important for Dogs Inc.'s puppies-in-training because the skill translates directly to their future work guiding people with vision loss, the organization said. Mental enrichment can tire a dog as effectively as a long outdoor walk, according to Dogs Inc.'s canine fitness program materials.

The exercises are part of Dogs Inc.'s Canine Fitness and Puppy Raising programs, which together prepare about 1,300 dogs at any given time for careers as guide, service or skilled companion animals, according to Sarasota Magazine. The organization provides those dogs at no cost to recipients, including veterans, Gold Star military families and individuals with visual impairments. A guide dog obtained privately can cost more than $60,000, Sarasota Magazine reported.

Dogs Inc. was founded in 1982 as Southeastern Guide Dogs and rebranded in May 2024. Its campus is in Palmetto, but the organization trains dogs across the Sarasota area and serves more than 700 people nationwide. It breeds Labrador retrievers and Goldadors, and each dog takes about two years to go from puppyhood to placement.

How to get involved

Dogs Inc. is actively recruiting volunteer puppy raisers. Volunteers take a puppy into their home and help socialize it before the dog returns to campus for advanced training. Other options include working on the Palmetto campus, hosting a visiting Puppy Parent or fundraising.

Information about volunteer programs is available at dogsinc.org/volunteer or by calling 941-729-5665.