17/01/2022
Do you question the benefits of dog-walking?
You may think that it doesn’t really matter because your dog doesn’t seem to enjoy walking, especially when it’s not sunny outside.You might think it’s more trouble than it’s worth.You might think putting them in the backyard provides enough exercise.
Here are 6 reasons why walking your dog has been proven important to their health and wellbeing.
1. Walking your dog helps the dog feel less stressed.
2. Pups who do not get exercised can quickly become obese, which can ultimately lead to cardiovascular and liver disease, osteoarthritis, and insulin resistance.
3. Consistent walks can also improve digestive and urinary health.
Dogs love their schedules and routines. Often dogs prefer to “go” on a schedule and providing your pet with the opportunity to relieve itself consistently can help prevent constipation since walking promotes digestion. Bladder retention can also lead to urinary tract infections so allowing your dog to regularly empty it’s bladder will keep him/her both happy and healthy.
4. Lack of exercise and walking can affect dogs’ mental health as well. If your pet is not given the opportunity to explore new sights and smells he or she can become bored, and as many dog owners know, boredom leads to destruction. Lack of exercise and interaction can also lead to fear or stress.
Walks can also help teach your dogs how to adapt to its environment more effectively. Many dogs hate the cold, the heat, the rain or the snow (or all of the above!). Adding the positive association of walks and sniffing and special bonding time to these often upsetting weather conditions can recondition your pooch to appreciate rather than fear the weather.
5. Connsistent walks with your dog can decrease their loneliness.
Sitting home all day can get pretty lonely for your pooch. Not only can walking with you (or a dog walker!) help to alleviate some of that loneliness, walking can help to build trust with your pet and improve their behavioral development. Walking dogs, particularly shy ones, is one of the best ways to get them to interact directly and form positive associations. Not only does walking help build your pet’s trust, but it helps build their confidence in interacting with the world around them.
6. Dog walking can boost emotional health and mitigate unwanted behaviors.
Ever have one of those dogs that sits in front of you staring soulfully into your eyes and then promptly smacks you with her paw and lets out an ear piercing bark? Constant attention seeking through unwanted behaviors like pawing, jumping, whining, and barking is annoying to us and harmful to your dog’s ability to interact with society. Regular walks helps your pooch get out excess energy and allows your pet to spend time in a positive manner.
So if you were skeptical of the benefits of dog-walking before this post – you no longer have to be. Let your pooch get out in the world, after all their your four-legged best friend!
