5 REASONS NOT TO WALK YOUR DOG
5 reasons why you wouldn’t walk your dog
January is Walk Your Dog Month and, while going for a walk is a great thing for many dogs, there are actually lots of reasons why you wouldn’t take your dog out for a walk! Here are 5 reasons why you might not want to walk your dog. Plus what you can do instead to help them be physically and mentally fulfilled.
Reason 1 – Your dog is scared of other dogs, people, or traffic
Some dogs really struggle with confidence when they’re outside the home. It could be other dogs, or strangers or loud traffic noise. It could be really specific – big black dogs, or the sound of lorries and buses. Or it could be that they are generally scared of lots of things.
Whatever it is, constantly exposing them to what makes them scared won’t help build up their confidence with these things. Even at a distance, this can be really challenging for them.
Scared dogs might be reluctant to go out of the house to start off with or even run away when you pick up the lead or harness. Perhaps they pull on the lead to head back towards home. They might get so scared that they crouch down, tuck their tail under or even go completely flat (‘pancake’) to the floor and not want to move at all.
Building up a dog’s confidence at home with the right games will help them grow the skills they need for a happier life.
Reason 2 – Your dog is ‘reactive’ to other dogs
Dogs that are barking and lunging when on their walks can often get labelled as ‘aggressive.’ But more often than not, they’re behaving like this because they are anxious or scared. This behaviour is probably quite successful for them in that you remove them from the situation that is worrying them. Or the other dog’s human moves their dog away.
By rehearsing this response it becomes their ‘go-to’ behaviour to keep the things away from them that they are not happy with. To stop this cycle we need to stop putting them in situations where they feel the need to react like this.
With fun games in relaxed environments, we can help them to choose new behaviours! But when they are ‘in’ the situation i.e. worried about another dog, they are not able to learn.
Reason 3 – Your dog gets really over-excited and can’t stop pulling on the lead
If your dog is dragging you down the street, it’s probably not much fun for you; even if they’re not a big dog. The root cause can be that your pup is finding the outside world completely over-exciting, and they can’t concentrate on anything or anyone. It could be they are pulling you from smell to smell. Or wanting to get over to greet people and other dogs.
Pulling on the lead, whether attached to a collar or a harness, feels good for them! It might seem odd to us that a dog is practically choking themselves or rearing up on their back legs to pull forwards. But so many breeds and generations of dogs have been bred to pull and work for us over thousands of years.
We need to teach them the skills they need to trot along calmly at your side, or beside your wheelchair, pram or buggy. These skills are so much easier to learn when they are in your home or garden. They will be able to concentrate and practise the behaviour that you do want, instead of getting used to the feeling of pulling.
Reason 4 – You’ve got a new puppy
Assuming your puppy has had their necessary vaccinations, you might think it’s all systems go for your family walks. But puppies aren’t just born with the skills they need to go for a walk. We need to teach them these skills and this is a lot easier to do this around your home and garden first.
Once you’re out of the house the world can be so exciting or scary, they find it difficult to learn anything. It can make for frustrating walks for you as they zigzag or circle around you, sniffing everything or chasing leaves. Or plant their bum firmly on the ground and don’t want to go any further.
Let’s grow the skills they need first!
Reason 5 – The weather is too cold, too hot, or your dog just hates the rain!
Sometimes the weather is unpleasant for us or our dogs. Other times it might dangerous. Whether it’s extremes of cold or hot, it’s always useful to have ways to keep your dog physically exercised and mentally happy without leaving your front door.
What can you do instead?
No matter what the cause of your walks not being 100% relaxing and fun, there are lots of games you can play at home that give your dog plenty of mental and physical exercise. As well as teaching them important life skills.
Hiding a favourite toy and playing a game of ‘find it’ can be fun. Start off ‘hiding’ it somewhere that’s visible and really celebrate when they go to it. Use the toy’s name if they know the name of it. You can build up the difficulty by hiding it out of sight or in another room as they get the idea of the game.
Calming activities could be as simple as giving them a natural chew. But why not hide it under a towel or in a box for them to find it before they tuck in? It will taste even better if they had to ‘work’ a little for it first.
Scatter feeding (scattering some of your dog’s dry food on the floor inside or in your garden) is a lovely natural way for dogs to eat. If you’ve got a dog that loves their food, it will take them longer than a few minutes to find pick up all the individual pieces!
There are so many games you can play with your dog that give them a physical work out and mental stimulation to keep them happy. You can also target any specific behaviour struggles with games designed to help them grow the skills they need. Whether it’s nervous and anxious dogs or over-excitable dogs, you can have calm and happy walks with a little effort and consistency in the right areas.
For lots more ideas, check out the book STOP Walking Your Dog on Amazon now. Or click on this link https://go.puptalk.co.uk/stopwalkingyourdog/ Available in paperback, Kindle e-book and Audible.
If you want to join one of the friendliest communities of dog lovers of Facebook, click here www.facebook.com/groups/puptalk/
If you’re wondering how much you should be walking your dog, read my guest blog for Doggy Warriors here https://doggywarriors.com/how-often-should-i-walk-my-dog/
If you’re looking for more ideas for activities to do with your dog on a hot day, read this blog HERE https://puptalk.co.uk/what-to-do-when-its-too-hot-to-walk-your-dog/
BUY BOOK >