Three simple ways to make walks with your dog more enjoyable.
Taking your dog out for a walk is a common task you might do in order to meet your dog’s physical exercise requirements.
Walking your dog is not only great for getting those steps in (for you and your dog), but it is also an opportunity to provide your dog with mental enrichment and chance to engage in normal dog behaviors, like sniffing.
Before heading out on a walk, however, you should do some pre-planning in order to ensure that your walk is successful. I’ve picked three of my top dog walking tips to share with you to help you enjoy this time outside with your dog.
Bring treats.
Every interaction you have with your dog is a learning opportunity; one where you can either guide your dog’s behavior for the better (or worse.) There are no shortage of distractions you might encounter out on a walk, and a pocket full of tasty treats can help your dog navigate them with ease and grace.
Let’s say you encounter a fellow dog walker during your outing. Chances are, you’d prefer that your dog was able to pass by this other dog without lunging or barking at them. We can use treats to reward our dog for calm, polite behavior, like keeping “four feet on the floor” (not jumping), or checking in with you (eye contact) while this dog approaches. You can also utilize your reinforcement to redirect your dog’s attention away from the other dog while they’re passing you by tossing some cookies in the grass for your dog to seek and consume.
If you choose to walk your dog off-leash (in a designated off-leash area, of course), you will be readily able to reward them for coming when you call them. After all, recall is a difficult and expensive behavior for our dogs to perform, and one we want to ensure we are compensating for appropriately.
Personally, I try to reinforce my dog for every single recall he performs. As a result, his recall is fast (even for a senior dog), and incredibly reliable. Why? I’ve made it worth his while to come when I call, because this means he’s going to get paid (rewarded.)Choose your location wisely.
While walking out your front door to start on your walk might be the most ideal when it comes to convenience, we want to ensure we are walking in the right places. This is going to look different for every dog, depending on what they need on their walk, and what distractions they may or may not be comfortable navigating while out there.
If you’re walking a reactive dog, choosing a location without off-leash dogs, and less dogs overall is going to result in a more relaxing walk for your dog. You can always plan your walks for “quieter” times of the day, when it’ll be less likely to run into others.
If your dog struggles to keep their cool around people, or kids, walking near a school during morning drop-off time is probably going to result in a lot of frustration for your dog. Choose a quieter time of day, or a more subdued route when heading off on your walk, at least until you’ve taught your dog skills to navigate these types of distractions.
If your dog spends most of their walk sniffing, walking somewhere with grass, and changing up where your walk is going to offer them more scenting opportunities and incorporate more novelty. More novelty, generally means more mental stimulation, and will get you more “bang for your buck” during your walk.
If your dog wants to cover a lot of ground during their walks, walking with a long leash (20-30 feet at least) can provide them with more room to roam, without sacrificing your shoulder in the process. When using a long line like this, we need to ensure your dog is safe, so avoid walking alongside roads, and choose quieter trails.
Focus on the walk quality, before the quantity.
When it comes to walks, especially leash walks, most of us don’t have 2 hours a day to invest in this task. At the same time, most dogs aren’t going to be physically satiated by a 30-minute leash walk.
You can get more out of your dog’s leash walk by focusing on the quality of the walk, versus just the distance covered. Walking for 5km is great, but walking for 2.5km while allowing your dog a chance to sniff, explore, respond to “pee mail” (yup, urinating on light posts is good for the brain), will result in a dog who is more fulfilled, and more content when they get home.Keep in mind, we’re taking this walk for the dog’s benefit, so your dog should have a say in how that time is spent (within reason, of course.) My own dog spends the majority of his time sniffing, detailing and exploring the environment during his walks. We may not cover a lot of ground as a result, but the more my dog sniffs, the longer he naps when he gets home (win-win!)
Let your dog choose what they do on the walk (to an extent.) If they are all about logging the steps and covering ground, great, let’s do it! However, if they are much more interested in exploring, and sniffing things very carefully, oblige them!
Walking your dog is a great way to meet some of their physical and mental needs, while also getting some exercise and fresh air yourself. A little planning can go a long way, and can result in a walk that is more effective, and more pleasant.
Try implementing one, or all, of these suggestions before your next walk, and let me know if they helped you out!
Stay awesome.
Vanessa
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Vanessa Charbonneau, is the author of Dog Care for Puppies: A guide to Feeding, Playing, Grooming and Behavior. She owns Sit Pretty Behavior & Training, employing force-free training techniques, and specializing in working with fearful, aggressive, and reactive dogs. Charbonneau lives in Prince George, BC with her husband, two daughters, and one dog.