04/03/2025
Absolutely this! Thank you for the wonderful post
You feel like you're supposed to walk your dog. But every time you try, you're just left more discouraged.
Whether you're dealing with aggressive or rude off-leash neighborhood dogs, leash reactivity in your own pup, a dog who pancakes and doesn't want to move, a dog who pulls so hard you feel unsafe, or any other reason, it's OKAY not to walk your dog if you're struggling.
Dogs need physical and mental exercise every day for their health, but those can be provided in plenty of other ways than leash walking.
First of all, know that walking at the pace-of-death by your side while ignoring everything interesting isn't something that dogs are biologically programmed to do. 😉 Groups of dogs never all walk forwards, shoulder to shoulder, ignoring their environment. Instead, they stay loosely together, zig-zagging, sniffing, and exploring in a friendly manner. Walking in this manner, with a "keep the leash loose" agreement between you and your dog, is much more satisfying and realistic for your pup.
What does this mean for your dog? It's possible to balance your need for a polite companion with your dog's need to check out their world! If your issues are pulling, sniffing, or general unruliness, compromising and meeting your dog's needs can be highly effective.
Consider:
💡 Use a longer leash! 4' or 6' leashes give very little margin for error. If you're able to walk in areas with few or infrequent dogs or people, try a 15' biothane line instead. It's likely that giving your dog a bit more room will result in a dog who pulls *less.*
💡 Put sniffing on cue, and use it as a reward! Teach your dog that walking politely will earn her the opportunity to check out interesting odors.
💡 Exercise your dog before the walk! Leash walks don't actually provide physical exertion for most fit, healthy dogs. Consider draining some energy from your wild child BEFORE the walk using a flirt pole, fetch game, sniff-and-seek games, or recalls.
💡 Add mental enrichment to your walk by throwing in some training (tricks! freestyle! heeling! obedience!) or occasionally letting your dog pick the direction.
What if it's the neighborhood that's the problem? Not every area is pleasant for you or your dog to walk in. It's absolutely ok NOT to walk your dog on your street if it's not safe to do so!
Consider:
💡 Drive to a better location! A 5-minute drive may get you to a much nicer area, where walks will be more enjoyable.
💡 Need to avoid other dogs? Office buildings, medical facilities, and other 9-5 businesses in your area are often deserted after work. Scope them out without your dog first. Walking in the parking lots or on the grounds may afford you much more privacy than your neighborhood.
💡 Look for natural spaces. Check out Google Maps' satellite view to look for public areas that have lots of green/undeveloped land.
💡 SniffSpot is a website that offers yard and property rentals by the hour to exercise your dog. See what's available in your area!
Need more help? We can make walks enjoyable for both ends of the leash!
Leash Pullers Anonymous is a 3-week-long class that focuses on polite walking for non-reactive dogs.
💙 SE MN options: https://paws4u.dogbizpro.com/public/registration/index.aspx?cls=32
💛 Twin Cities options: https://paws4u.dogbizpro.com/public/registration/index.aspx?cls=61
Leash Walking Adventures is a 6-week-long class that starts in the classroom, then takes your skills on the road for real-life practice with lots of support!
💛 Twin Cities options: https://paws4u.dogbizpro.com/public/registration/index.aspx?cls=307
Basic Manners Intensives are 25-minute, one-on-one solo sessions with an experienced trainer to get you customized help for your unique dog!
💙 SE MN options: https://paws4u.dogbizpro.com/public/registration/index.aspx?cls=372
💛 Twin Cities options: https://paws4u.dogbizpro.com/public/registration/index.aspx?cls=375
Reactive Dog Rehab is a 6-week-long course designed to deal with leash reactivity. If your dog lunges and barks at other dogs, this is the class for you!
💙 SE MN options: https://paws4u.dogbizpro.com/public/registration/index.aspx?cls=21
💛 Twin Cities options: https://paws4u.dogbizpro.com/public/registration/index.aspx?cls=54
Need more personalized help? Private lessons are available both in-person and virtually, and our certified, professional trainers have loads of experience helping tricky cases achieve success!
💚 https://pawsabilitiesmn.com/private-lessons/
Holistic training with proven results- yes, it’ll work for your dog too!
