If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you’ve noticed that we walk the dogs every day. There is the occasional day off due to weather, feeling under the weather, or just giving the dog a day of rest (those can be just as helpful for dogs as they are for humans!) but for the most part, every dog in our care is walked every day. When our trainees return home, we encourage our clients to keep up on this daily walking practice.
There are several reasons why daily walking is beneficial for your dog. Here are a few of the big ones:
1) Structured walking is a leadership exercise
I talk a lot about the relationship with your dog, and how it needs to shift a bit to include a leader-follower dynamic. You’ve also probably seen how quickly we teach dogs to heel politely on the leash; leadership is part of what makes that possible. The structured walk is an opportunity for you and your dog to practice that leader-follower aspect of your relationship. Practice makes perfect!
2) It’s a good way to meet your dog’s exercise needs
Walking is good exercise—that’s no secret—but structured walking is on a whole other level! The structured walk burns more energy than allowing your dog to pull you around because it engages a dog both physically and mentally. Your dog is using physical energy to walk, mental energy to maintain the heel position, and using a combination of mental and emotional energy to control their impulses. It’s a heck of a workout!
3) Dogs need to be out and about
One of the saddest things about modern dog life is the lack of adventure in the lives of many dogs. A daily walk can help to fulfill this need. Epic adventures are fun, but your dog will be happy just to walk the neighborhood each day. You can vary your route every once in a while just to keep it fresh. Dogs appreciate just being out and about—it doesn’t have to be anything fancy!
What about off-leash time?
Dog owners who have a large property and/or who have off-leash trained dogs who can run free and explore are tempted to skip daily structured walks. We figure that the dog gets plenty of exercise running loose and it’s probably more fun. You may be right about that, but you’ve also overlooked one key thing: relationship. As stated above, the daily walk is an opportunity to practice that leader-follower relationship that’s so crucial for having an obedient, well behaved dog over the long haul. It’s also more than that: it’s a bonding experience. There is something special about moving together. The dogs feel it, and if you pay attention, you’ll feel it too.