Birds fly, whales swim, bears hibernate, canines walk. One of the most fundamental characteristics of all canines is that they travel long distances together. With dogs, walking is almost essential to their well being. Dogs form packs through walks. Hence why mastering the walk with your dog is so crucial. A walk is where trust and respect between the two species can be cemented. A walk is where the human can become an expert in dog psychology. Nevertheless one of the most common reasons that clients come to me is their inability to walk their dogs. Leash pulling, lunging, sniffing and marking everywhere, barking at other dogs or people… the list goes on and on. The reasons why people do not enjoy their walks with their dogs varies but it almost always involves the feeling that they are not in synch with their pup. One of my clients said she was scared of walking her dog because she knew she could not control him; it scared her, since he is a very big dog. Therefore she avoided it completely. Others say they walk their dogs very early in the morning or late at night in order to avoid meeting other people and dogs. How can one enjoy a walk if they are that fearful or hesitant? I believe that it is nearly impossible. How can one fulfill their dog if they dread that important part of dog ownership? The answer is simple: learning to trust that your dog will listen to you when you ask them to. Simple but not easy. So let’s dive into a few things that can make the process a little less daunting.
Mastering the walk is one of the most crucial parts in dog ownership. It will connect you with your furry companion in ways that few other activities will. Conversely, a walk that is chaotic and out of synch will usually highlight the lack of trust and respect in the relationship. How can one enjoy a walk if they are in constant high alert? Trying to avoid anything and everything that will trigger their pup? A walk with your dog should be an enjoyable experience. Anything other than that will make it a chore. Chores are usually things that need to be done – not necessarily something that one wants to do. Something so fundamental to a relationship shouldn’t be seen (or felt) as a chore, but as an enjoyable adventure. It might take some practice, it might take some time, but once one finds the joy in walking with their dog, then the relationship will change in extraordinary ways.
If you or someone you know has a really hard time walking with their dog, try practicing in the home before going out on long walks. Switching the mindset from one of “I have to go out to exercise my dog through the walk” to “let’s seal the deal in our relationship with the walk” can make a huge difference. In dog training we work with three variables: distance – duration – distraction. Ask yourself how much of a distraction is walking for my dog? If the answer is a huge distraction then let’s minimize the other two. If your dog reacts intensely to you picking up a leash: jumping, barking, running, not being able to stay still; then start the exercise right then and there. If the reaction to the leash is one of fight – flight then most likely the walk will be performed with the same energy. Conversely if you can teach the dog to surrender to the leash that becomes the first step in them surrendering to the walk. Practice putting and taking the leash off multiple times, that will help switch the mind set both to you and the dog that a leash means go. A leash can mean relaxation if we practice that with the right intention. If you budgeted 45 minutes to walk your dog, then surrender to the fact that in the beginning it might take 30 minutes to simply have your dog relaxing on a bed with their leash on. That’s ok.
Once the intention is set that a peaceful walk is what we are working on, then whatever time it takes to achieve that is simply part of the process. The length of time one walks their dog is less important then the state of mind that walk is done in. Remember the goal is to achieve trust and respect in the walk, neither of those are simple asks, hence why the process won’t be a quick one. Achieving a calm state when putting the leash on is simply the first step. The second one is to be able to walk in synch. Walking dogs should feel joyful, not stressful. The practice of it is almost like practicing a dance. You should move as one. In order to achieve that start the rehearsal by simply taking two or three steps in one direction. If your dog passes you, do a tap on a leash and turn to the opposite direction. That will start teaching the dog that every time they move too forward, they will get a reminder to follow (hence the changing of direction). The goal is to make the dog be focused on you, not in whatever is in the ground, the trees, or in the bushes. That makes sense to a dog, since when they travel together they become a cohesive unit. The intention here is to teach that when we are walking we are not hunting, marking or playing, We are traveling together. The human leading and the dog following. That is the mindset. That is the energy.
Start this exercise in your back yard, living room or a space that has little outside interference. Once you feel that the dog is with you in these areas of little distraction, then start venturing farther out. If it starts to feel like a fight then go back to basics. Do some drills inside the home before venturing outside. Waking your dog should feel effortless since mastering the walk means both species are in synch with each other. The traveling energy is very different than the scouting, marking or hunting energy. It is a peaceful feeling of us being a unit. The human leading (since we know the way) and the dog following. If the dog is leading, the chances of them making decisions how to act are raised exponentially. Since there is no middle management in the dog world (either one is leading or following) the chances of your dog acting out if she is pulling you everywhere are very high. Lead your dog with confidence, with grace if you will. Set a mindset of travel; sketch the perfect route in your mind, bring out the confidence that is needed when one is leading and then practice both the mind set and the paces of walking with your dog. The perfect walk is effortless, two species journeying together and in synch. If, at any point in the walk, you or your dog looses focus, go back to practicing tap and turns until your dog is back with you.
Mastering the walk is the first step in enjoying it. That might take time and lots of repetition in different environments. Nevertheless once you achieve that walk try to make a mental note of how it actually feels to be in synch with your dog, write it down if you have to. Then on the days that the practice goes out the window, train yourself to go back to that calm and confident state of mind; remind yourself that your life with your dog is a marathon, not a sprint. Anything worth having takes work. Your walk with your dog should be a time of bonding not nervousness. Practice how you want it to feel and look like and you will be able to get there. Set the intention, make a commitment, do the drills and then watch the magic happen.
Happy Walking!
