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Walking the dog seems to be an essential part of being a dog parent. However, many people wonder if they have to walk their dog every day. For example, some dogs may not enjoy walking while others may misbehave when walking in public. So walking is necessary?
Let me start by saying that I rarely walk my dog. As in, my dogs don’t always get a daily walk around the neighborhood or the park. So you don’t Have to walk your dog, but you need to exercise your dog.
The idea that your dog has to go for a walk practically every day is not true. Most dogs love to go for a walk, but for some dogs it’s actually counterproductive and can even be dangerous.
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When walking is a good idea
If you have a lovely, well-rounded dog that loves going out and meeting new people and dogs, there’s no reason why you can’t walk your dog every day. Dogs of this type will often run to the door as soon as they see you holding them on a leash.
When walking, your dog should greet people with a relaxed body and a wagging tail. If they encounter another dog, they should stay calm and politely sniff their tail. If your dog gets too excited but the other dog doesn’t share their excitement, keep going for a walk.
That’s not to say that less social dogs can’t walk either. If you live in a non-crowded neighborhood, you can easily walk your dog without interacting with anyone else. Besides, you shouldn’t let your dog interact with other people without their permission no matter how well behaved your dog is.
In general, your dog should not only enjoy walking, but should also behave appropriately when out in public. Sadly, many dogs have surrendered to shelters because of the way they behave while walking. Many people get frustrated when dogs don’t walk well without realizing that dogs don’t Have walk.
When walking is NOT a good idea
Everyone wishes their dog could be the perfect angel on a leash, but that’s not always the case. In fact, I own two social dogs and two on the “no walking” list.
Dogs that are not suitable for daily walks are dogs with fear problems, whether it’s cars, people, dogs, aggression, or reactions. My two non-walking dogs are perfect examples.
One of them came from a breeder who intended to show her, but she had a bad tooth and couldn’t show it. Instead, she spent the first five months of her life never meeting or seeing anyone except that woman and her dogs. That upbringing gave her a fearful and reclusive personality. While we were working on it, giving her a daily walk without turning each walk into a workout would be a disaster. It would only reinforce her fears and frustrate me.
My second “do not walk” dog is a resource guard who can become aggressive if a dog lunges at him. Since many people have no control over their dogs, it wouldn’t be smart to walk even a slightly aggressive dog in public. Otherwise, the walk won’t be fun for the dog or the owner. In this case, my dog is constantly “alarming”. We’re both stressed out on walks and constantly looking for a dog that might out of nowhere.
In either case, walking can be dangerous. The last thing I want is for Dog #2 to attack another dog or Dog #1 to attack to the point where it shows signs of aggressive fear, which can happen if you keep pushing your scared dog in. situations in which they are uncomfortable. .
You are responsible if your dog does anything, so you need to respect the safety of other dogs and people. If you happen to be walking on the street and don’t pay attention to your dog, accidents can happen because of that.
What is the purpose of a walk?
Why do so many people walk their dogs every day? Most people would say exercise. However, if you have a dog similar to either of the dogs described above, how much exercise do you actually get? Your dog gets scared all the time, so you might even pull or hold them at times. If your dog has aggression problems, you will have to constantly stop to let other dogs pass you.
So there’s not much exercise going on in those cases. It would be better to exercise your dog in the backyard instead of trying to go out for regular walks. When you go for a walk, you may just make their behavior worse and stress yourself out.
However, walking isn’t just for exercise. For many dogs, they are a fun activity to keep their minds occupied. So, if you’re not walking your dog, make sure they’re entertained in other ways, such as through training sessions and puzzles.
Let’s go play instead
I’m not telling you never to take your dog with a behavior problem out.. If you don’t, they will never get better. But when you take them out, it should be for training, not exercise.
These activities are more like “going out” than “going for a walk,” where you address their fears, reactions, aggression, and other concerns. For example, when I take the dog out (individually and one by one!), we are not allowed to move from one place. Instead, I can click/reward for watching passing cars without fear or barking at passing dogs. I keep an eye on my dogs and I’m monitoring them to make sure nothing bad happens.
Working with a certified professional dog trainer will make training easier and you’ll see results much sooner. With their help, you can go for a daily walk one day. But for now, don’t feel that you have to or that you’re a terrible employer if you don’t. After all, a good dog owner knows when a walk is appropriate or not.
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