Why, when we say ‘dog walk’, does it sound like a chore?
Why are dog walks something that we do just to get done?
Why are dog walks a task we set daily, with the point of doing at least half an hour, or at least a mile?
Well, they don’t have to be! A dog walk doesn’t even have to be a walk!
I’m trying to encourage people to stop for a moment and think about their dog walks and what this teaches their dogs.
A typical ‘traditional’ dog walk looks like this: You taking your dog on a route from point A to point B (which for many people is the same route every day), with very little stopping to allow your dog to do ‘normal dog stuff’. Often for this walk owners are on their phones for most of the walk, or they have their headphones in.
What’s this teaching your dog?
— If you go the same route every / most days, your dog knows the route so doesn’t have to do much ‘thinking’. This can also encourage your dog to pull on lead.
— If you go at your pace, that’s not so natural for your dog! Going at their pace encourages natural behaviours and can reduce unwanted behaviours.
— If you’re on your phone, you’re teaching your dog that on walks, you’re not paying attention to them, so a) they can do what they want and b) it’s not bonding time.
I see a huge difference in both dogs and their humans who go on these walks, compared to those who go on more fun, bonding, and dog-oriented walks, or as I call it, experiences!
Dogs that go on these walks are…
Less likely to pull on lead
Less likely to be reactive to other dogs and people
More likely to be better at recall
More likely to pay attention to their owners
More likely to LOVE their walks
So, what is involved in a ‘dog outing’ or their ‘outdoor experience’?
The number one rule when switching to this way of walking is: You don’t have to go out with a destination in mind, nor a set amount of steps to get done. This time is all about your dog enjoying their time with you and their time out of the house. Your dog will enjoy their walk much more if they get to go at their own pace, stopping to sniff when they want and interacting with you! Of course physical exercise is important, but your dog can get that in the house and garden, or off lead in the secure dog fields. Spend this time out and about creating fun times for your dog and encouraging natural behaviours....
Encourage natural behaviours! All the behaviours we typically ask for on a walk aren’t normal for dogs. Dogs like to go at their own pace, which often changes from slow to fast. They like to have lots of sniffing time as well as opportunities to pee and mark.
Focus on your dog! Dog walks are not an opportunity to be checking your emails or chatting with your friend. Be in the moment with your pup and spend that quality time with them. Talk to them, watch their behaviour, and interact with them. Your dog knows if you spend the walk on your phone, so they won’t get your attention. What do they do instead? Pull on lead. Bark at dogs. Chase leaves. If you want your dog to walk well on lead and pay more attention to you, you have to pay more attention to them too!
If possible, allow time for your dog to go their own way. This could be your dog choosing the route on a shorter lead, or even better, it could be having your dog off lead or on a long-line in a more open space. There is a recent stuffy that showed dogs on a long lead spent 280% more time sniffing than those on a short lead, and 330% more when off lead. If you can’t have your dog off lead (for safety, lack of recall, or any other reason), that’s okay! Long-lines are absolutely great and still provide a wonderful opportunity for sniffy time!
And finally, don’t let the walk be all about the walk. I probably spend half of my dog’s ‘walk’ not walking! It might be that I’m stood still playing interactive games with her, such as tug, focus games, or ‘find it’, or I might be sat with her on the park bench watching the world go by. You’ll likely also find me doing training with her, which is sometimes useful things such as focus or recall, or sometimes pointless (but fun!) things such as dance, spin, or jump through my arms!
No matter what I’m doing with my dog on her walks, even if I’m just sitting with her, it’s creating that bond, which is 1000% better than a typical dog walk! Plus, it encourages positive behaviours and makes walks much more enjoyable for everyone!
For more tips and advice, make sure you visit my freebies page!
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