Do You Know the ABCs of Dog Walking? Read before you grab the Leash

Dog walking is an essential activity that every dog owner should master. As a matter of fact, if you don’t want to go into the rigors of dog walking once or twice a day, you should probably not keep a dog, and think about owning a less active pet instead. Dogs are generally very energetic, and they need to have regular exercise if you don’t want them overweight and depressed. Below are helpful dog walking tips that every dog owner should take note of.

Handling the leash

The first step in dog walking is to teach your dog to walk next to you. This means that s/he shouldn’t be pulling on the leash while you’re walking the streets. Make sure that you have your dog’s full attention when you’re training him/her to walk with you. Take away his/her toys while you’re training, and if you can, you should train in the yard first.

Never let your dog run around with his/her leash in tow as well. The leash symbolizes your power as a “leader”. Remember, your dog is innately a pack animal, and unless s/he learns to respect the leash, you shouldn’t be in public places just yet because you’re bound to lose control of him/her.

Keep the leash short for the first few weeks of training. Some trainers like using pinch collars during the first few stages of training because it allows them to reel their pets in when they get out of control. You can probably use a regular collar only when you’re sure that your pooch won’t try to run off on you.

Of course, you shouldn’t pull too much on the leash, too, because dogs have sensitive necks. Some owners even need to use harnesses because their pets’ necks are fragile. Unless your pet has a neck problem, though, don’t use a harness. According to studies, harnesses can encourage pulling, and this can be a problem when you’re handling big dogs.

Pooper Scooper or Plastic Bags

Aside from exercise, dog walking is also meant for something else: letting your dog do his/her business outdoors. It’s good to time your dog walking after your pet has eaten his/her meals. This will prevent nasty little accidents in the morning. The last thing you want is a grown dog’s business next to your couch especially if you’ve just woken up.

While you’re walking your dog, make sure that you bring a pooper scooper, or at least a plastic bag to clean up his/her business. While dog droppings may be pretty good fertilizers, your neighbors won’t like it when you’ve messed up their front yard. You should be a responsible owner and clean up after your own pet. If a pooper scooper is not in your budget, an inside out plastic bag will do. You can use this as covering for your hands so you won’t soil it while you’re picking up your pet’s dropping.

When to walk them

You wouldn’t want to walk your dog in the middle of the day because the asphalt tends to absorb heat. When it’s too hot out, you’ll ruin your pooch’s paw padding. While their paws may seem tough and leathery, they also have nerve endings, and you can end up injuring your pet unless you’re careful.

If you must walk them before the sun goes down, make sure that you let them wear appropriate dog shoes. Some dogs, though, might be uncomfortable wearing these. On extremely cold weathers, on the other hand, when your pooch can’t bear the cold snow, you can set up temporary newspaper stations and teach him/her to use them until the weather becomes warmer.