The Importance of Walks to your Dog

Walks to your dog is therapeutic for them. It is a physical outlet for their bodies (exercise), their time to explore the world, their time to go potty, and their time to socialize. As someone who lives in Queens, which is semi urban/suburban, I notice a lot of my neighbors who own small dogs don’t walk them outdoors. These same small dogs are the ones who are overly protective and begin barking/growling if anyone comes near their territory (fenced in yard, front porch). 

Although you may have a small dog, that does not mean you do not need to supply them with exercise outdoors. Walking (exercise) is a therapeutic activity for humans, so just imagine how much calmer and happier some dogs would be with daily exercise. Daily walks help to maintain a healthy weight for the dog, prevent muscle loss, prevent/alleviate arthritis and degenerative joints. It is recommended that a healthy dog’s heart rate is elevated for 20 minutes a day.

Another important factor is to allow your dog to explore the world they live in through their nose. They need this in order to maintain a healthy state of mind. Dogs learn about the world through their sniffing. Sometimes you take your dog out for the sole purpose of going to the bathroom, and other times you take your dog out for a leisurely walk at which point you should allow them to sniff around a little.

Dogs should be taken out for walks at a minimal effort every 3 days before their physical muscle structure begins to break down. Common reasons why people don’t walk their dogs is because the dog isn’t trained and pulls on the leader, the weather is bad (raining, snowing, too cold, too hot), their dog isn’t socialized properly, or the size/age of the dog (small or old dogs don’t need to be walked). Owning a dog means being a problem solver, and sometimes that means being creative, but above all being consistent. 

Dogs who pull on the leader need to be trained. You can allocate 10-15 minutes a day to take your dog out in front of your house and walk back and forth to train them. There are various training techniques to dealing with problem pullers. Remember to use positive reinforcement: as soon the dog begins to pull, stop walking. Don’t yell, don’t hit, don’t even make eye contact. Just stop. When the dog gives slack on the leash begin walking again. Dogs are animals of habit, the dog will eventually come to its own conclusions on how to walk next to you if they want to keep moving forward. Be consistent though. If just once you revert back to allowing them to pull, all the previous effort is out the window.

Bad weather is inevitable. Prince refuses to walk in the rain and I’ve noticed he isn’t into snow falling either. I bought him a hooded raincoat, and a weatherproof winter coat. This should keep him dry and warm while he’s outdoors taking care of business. We tend to cut down our walks during rainy days. If it is too hot outside, I try to take Prince out early in the morning, or later at night. Going outdoors for a walk in the summer, at high noon is the worst idea. Dog owners/walkers need to be mindful of hot pavement/asphalt in the summer. Dogs can burn the bottom of their paws if the sidewalk is too hot.

If your dog isn’t socialized, they may show a number of different moods when they are outdoors and they see another dog. They might bark, growl, get very excited and pull, they may get scared and snap in the air to warn off the other dog not to come near. Several ways in dealing with this, crossing the street ahead of time is my favorite. This way all disaster is avoided for those dog owners not so confident in the situation. However, you can also shield their view of the other dog by using a parked car, or bushes. Another method is to use treats to keep your dog’s attention on you while you pass the other dog and reward them with it after.

Small dogs need exercise just as much as any other sized dog. They are dogs after all and have the same genetic makeup with the same behavioral needs. Older dogs need exercise, as well. Just because they are older doesn’t mean it’s time to hang up the leash. They may not need as much but they still need the exercise, weight maintenance, and mental stability.

If you do not have the time or you have been injured but still would like your dog to get plenty of exercise, that is when you call on a trusted dog walker to make sure the job is done. In later blog entries I will go further into leash training and behavioral issues from my personal experiences, but I hope that this has helped to change some people’s minds about walking their dogs more frequently.