27/03/2022
I stumbled upon this study on a friend's page today. It makes perfect sense and further confirms what I have always felt and practiced. I think in the rush to get so much done in our busy lives sometimes a dog walk can just become another task on our to-do list.
I see some people rushing along on a walk around my neighbourhood and look at their dog holding back just to...get...one...more....sniff. The owner might think they are trying to get exercise for both themselves and their dog, but I often have to ask if a dog walk is meant to be time for the dog to get enrichment. Let's face it. Our dogs live a life mostly controlled by the human. We dictate their walks, when they sleep, when they eat and to an extent when they p**p.
I think a dog walk should look like more than let's walk this route. You p**p here and then we do this circuit and will get back home so I/owner can do x, y, z. Don't get me wrong. I am not trying to guilt anyone. Life is busy and most of us are trying to handle multiple tasks that should often be handled my more than one person. Good on you for handling work/life balance and still managing to think about your dog. But let's think of ways to make our dogs lives more enriching. You might be surprised to learn that am investigative walk can be more exhausting to your dog than covering more miles.
So, I want you to ask yourself, "What does it mean when you say you are taking the dog for a walk?"
What does a dog walk look like for you and your dog?
These are some results of our field study about the walks of our dogs. It explains how some behaviours can affect the dog's pulse and reveal some observations we came across during this study. The study compared walks on a 1.5m leash, a 5m leash and an unleashed walk. The dogs’ pulse was recorded ...
