Walking a dog is an easy task, or so many people think. The truth is, many people walk their dogs the wrong way! You might think there’s no wrong or right way to walk your dog, however, this is simply not true.
When you are walking your dog, you need to remember that it is their walk, not yours. There are so many people who rush their dogs on their walks, not allowing them to stop and relax. Dogs enjoy sniffing plants and flowers along their walk, and although this can become frustrating for us impatient humans, it is actually very important for dogs.
When dogs are out in nature, they are back in their natural habitat. This gets takes them back to their natural instincts, which is sniffing everything. It’s not only their way of exploring the world, but it’s also their way of socializing.
Dogs pick up scents while they are on their walks, and this is a form of mental stimulation for them. Next time your dog is stopped in place and sniffing a plant for a long time, allow them to do it. It helps them to connect with their surroundings and relax.
When we rush our dogs on a walk, they also tend to become stressed. If they never get a chance to stop and process everything around them, they become even more anxious. This defeats the purpose of going for a walk in the first place.
If you turn it around and imagine that your mental stimulation in your free time is to watch a movie or read a book, you wouldn’t enjoy it if someone came along and rushed you or turned your movie off.
In fact, it would do the opposite. It would most likely frustrate you! Dogs feel the same way when they are pulled along their walk and not allowed to enjoy their time out of the house. Walks are their free time after all. Whenever you are out on a walk with your dogs, take the time to enjoy yourself and connect with your surroundings rather than trying to get it over and done with.