Transform Your Dog Walks

I miss the days when I could pretend to be a plane whilst walking down the road.  At what age does this become socially unacceptable?  You hit a certain point in time when walking means that you keep yourself to yourself, stay sensible and perhaps say hi to the odd passerby.  It is such a shame, there is real joy and value in interaction, play and being ‘free’, particularly, if not more so, for our dogs.

See, I am an observer.  I could watch people and animals all day.  I sometimes fake interest in football just to watch the crowds (ssh, don’t tell the other half…).  I seem to have a magnetic radar when it comes to people walking their dogs; it fascinates and yet perplexes me at the same time.  So often is the case that we want our dogs to walk nicely by our side, to go at our pace and allow us to enjoy our walks and yet I am ever bemused by the fact that I very rarely see anyone interacting with their dog(s) when they are out walking.  I know, I know, we play ball in the park, we play Frisbee on the beach, we even take our dogs to sporting events sometimes; but when the lead is on and we walk down the street, how often do you see any interaction between dogs and their humans?  There might be the odd name call when Scamp is sniffing or a few words here and there when Fluffy seems more interesting than you, but that’s just the thing: anything and everything else IS going to be more interesting than you when you’re no longer the plane at the end of the lead.

Walk with your dog, talk to your dog, tell them how your day was, tell them your deepest darkest secrets (they’re good at keeping them), anything!  Stop and play tug/chase/catch-it games, stop and do tricks, pop a spin in as you walk or leave a treat trail behind you along the floor (to go back together and ‘find it’ as a team), twist and turn, alternate your pace, show excitable interest in the sniffs (“what’s that Scamp, what can you smell? Ooo, let’s take a look together…!”).  Quite often I have found myself scurrying about in bushes to explore a scent with them (no, I can never actually smell it) and, from experience, it’s a damn good way to bond and get their focus back on you!  Let yourself trump Fluffy, or the chip on the floor or the scent that was left last week (yep, they will still smell it), because without you being the most interesting thing on their walk, it’s a sure fire bet that they will find entertainment elsewhere.

Now, I’m not saying go all out hyperactive (some dogs love this, some others not so much) or ignore any calmness needed to train loose lead walking, but by building value in yourself, you’ll be cashing in when it comes to being by your side; on and off lead.  You might get some odd looks from the other ‘boring’ walkers but boy, does your dog care? They are going to LOVE being with you!  Your ‘Team Scamp!’ walks will transform you and your dog’s walks forever, for the better, and you’ll soon wonder why you ever stopped being a plane. 

Go for a walk, see for yourself, you’ll get what I mean.

Get in touch now for help with loose lead walking, how and why we should allow sniffing on walks and how to maintain the training and manage those walks when we just don’t have time.