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The 5 Minute Dog by Personable Pets Dog Training
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The 5 Minute Dog by Personable Pets Dog Training
#137 Walks Cannot Be All About You
Ever wonder why your dog seems just as energetic after a brisk walk as before it? The answer might surprise you. While we humans often view walks primarily as physical exercise, our dogs experience them completely differently.
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If you're someone who walks for exercise, you know you've got a goal, you've got a pace, you're trying to get your steps in. That's awesome. Walking is great for both you and your dog. But for your dog, walks aren't just about walking and getting steps. Walks are about experiencing the world sniffing, exploring, pausing, processing. It's how they gather information, it's how they relax and it's how they use up all of that excess energy.
Speaker 1:When we rush through walks like we're on a treadmill, we're missing the part of the walk that actually matters the most to your dog, that actually benefits the dog. Their brain needs time to slow down and to engage with their environment. So if you're walking for your exercise, that's totally fine. But you really have two options Either schedule separate walks, one for your fitness and one for your dog or work sniffing opportunities into your exercise walk. Maybe you start building in sniff breaks where every three blocks you stop and let your dog sniff uninterrupted for three to four minutes. Or maybe you pick a route where there are grassy patches, trees or quiet corners where you can stop moving and allow your dog to sniff and explore without feeling rushed.
Speaker 1:It doesn't have to be a total stop and go situation the whole time.
Speaker 1:But it does need to be fair to your dog. Their walk shouldn't just be about keeping up with you at a power pace with no time to use their nose, because when you let them sniff and explore, you're not just giving them enrichment, you're actually helping them burn mental energy, and a dog who is allowed to sniff and explore is usually a much calmer dog when you get back home. So the bottom line, walks cannot be all about you. If you expect your dog to be calmer after a walk, to be able to settle and relax in the house for the next couple of hours, you have to allow them the time to sniff and explore. So either modify your workout walk to include sniff and explore time for your dog, or take your workout walk alone and then take your dog on their own sniff and explore walk. It will make a huge difference in your dog's energy level and, honestly, once you slow down and start watching them sniff and explore, you might start to enjoy their walks a little bit more.