28.09.2018

Dog Behaviour, The Walk

The walk -
I have read a couple of posts recently about how some dogs do not require walking every day. However, unless your dog is being shattered by some other form of activity (some dogs get this from Doggy Day care for instance), I beg to differ. The walk is far more than just a physical activity for your dog.

Before I established Dogs Best Friend, I operated a Dog Walking business and I have to say, there was a look of shear joy on the individual dogs faces when I arrived to take them for a walk.
There are so many smells, sounds and sights ready to be experienced! The world is even more interesting when you only get to see snippets of it at a time in ‘Walking Windows’. The walk may very well be breaking up your dogs very long day at home.
The walk with the leader is primal bonding time where you demonstrate you have what it takes to confidently lead ‘out in the big wide world’. You could say, it’s like you are going off ‘On the hunt’.
For a healthy dog, of any breed, I would be recommending two walks per day. The length of each walk would then vary. As a general rule, a large adult dog, 2 X 1 hr, medium sized adult 2 X 45 minutes and an adult small breed 2 X 20/30 minutes.
*Now, I know a look of shock will be on some of your faces with the above numbers, it’s important to look to those times as walks to aim for. However, if substantial pent-up energy is present, behavioural issues will be made worse.
**There is more stimulation (meeting new dogs and different sights, smells etc.) when you break up the day with two walks and this approach also burns more energy than a single big, less intense one.

Throwing a ball or Frisbee does not calm the mind of the dog, these activities hype the dog up and we are wanting a calm energy. Most certainly you can do these activities but they should not really make up the bulk of any exercise regime with your dog, Selina McIntyre, Dog Behavioural Consultant, Dogs Best Friend.