Now, being a dog walker, this could land me in trouble, but I wouldn't be the professional dog carer that I strive to be, if I told you lies.
You Don't Need to Walk Your Dog Every Day
You don't need to walk your dog every day. There, I said it.
I remember reading an interesting article last year by Award Winning Dog Trainer Niki French who wanted to encourage pet owners to ditch their usual dog walk and replace it with a more stimulating activity.
Niki told The Mirror, "It might come as a surprise, but traditional walks are a human invention and aren't helpful for many of our dogs. Replacing walk time with training games at home can give the dogs the skills they're missing to live calm and happy lives."
As a dog walker and dog care professional, I have to agree. Most owners think it is absolutely necessary that their dog has 2 walks a day (sometimes more) but they can never tell you why they need those walks. I often see pet owners walking their dog's for walking sake; dragging them down the road just to say they've been "out for a walk". Dog's get absolutely nothing from this!
Niki has said that dogs with behaviour struggles can get more reactive or more excitable when we try to exhaust them through too much exercise.
I mainly walk nervous and reactive dogs and I always fill my walks with lots of opportunities for the dog to sniff, take in their surroundings and go at their own pace - walking is about mental stimulation, not just exercise. When I see that a walk is too much for the dog, we go home and spend some time doing scent work or just relaxing with a cuddle.
The perfect example of getting yourself and your dog out of the routine of a daily walk, or 2 or 3, is when the weather is just too bad. Take last year for example, when it reached record temps of 35 degrees and the amount of social media posts I saw from worried pet owners because their dog couldn't have its usual walk. It's true, your dog won't die from missing a walk!
Dog Enrichment
If you want to try something else with your dog, instead of a walk, try the following dog enrichment activities:
Snuffle Mats
Licki Mats
Puzzle Toys
Hide and Seek - yourself, their favourite toy or treats
Sandpits
Paddling Pool
Kong Toys (the stuffable ones)
You don't have to spend a fortune on these games and toys - make your own. Pinterest have some great ideas!
Give it a go and let me know what activity you did with your dog.
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