Clubs Offering:
Your dog’s daily walk is likely one of the highlights of their day. Going for a walk can provide your dog with more than just a bathroom break. It can give them physical exercise, mental stimulation, and a chance to keep tabs on the neighborhood. To make sure your dog is truly enjoying their walks, be sure to avoid these three common mistakes.
Where dogs choose to go to the bathroom is an important decision. It’s not just about relieving themselves, it’s about communicating with the world-at-large. Dogs use their urine to signal their presence to other dogs. And in turn, smelling other dogs’ urine tells a dog all about the other canines in the community, including their gender, age, and health. This system of pee-mail keeps dogs up-to-date on what’s happening in their neighborhood.
While on a walk, dogs want to sniff out all the places other dogs have gone to the bathroom, so they can leave a fresh deposit on top. This is the equivalent of human graffiti, saying, “Rover was here.” Male dogs specifically will lift their back leg as high as possible to get their urine up to the nose level of other dogs.
If the urine or feces isn’t enough of a message, dogs sometimes scratch the ground with their feet to further emphasize their signal. Along with leaving an additional visual cue, they use special glands between their toes to leave extra scents on the ground as they scratch, adding even more impact to the scent mark.
All of this sniffing and scratching requires concentration and time. Giving your dog the opportunity to sniff the pee-mail and leave messages of his own will help him get the most out of his walks. If you want to keep your walk brief, or limit the areas your dog does his business, consider teaching him potty cues. This will let you tell him when and where you would like him to go.
Remember, your dog’s manners are a reflection of you. And your manners may well influence how others see your furry baby. From dog park disagreements to rifts with your roommate to defending your decision to dress up your pup, Dear Labby’s got the solution. So don’t let pet etiquette problems destroy your dog’s reputation or your own. Trust a professional–Dear Labby to the rescue!
Supplies Needed for a Free Walk
When taking your dog on a sniff walk it’s important to be prepared with your normal dog-walking supplies. If you’ll be in a quiet area, bring some extra supplies to give your dog a little more freedom. You’ll want to have packed:
While allowing your dog to take the lead on your walk it’s important to always keep safety in mind. Always follow leash laws, and don’t allow your dog to chase or harass wildlife. Regardless of how friendly your dog is, don’t allow your dog to approach people or other dogs. Your dog’s sniffing adventure shouldn’t interfere with anyone else’s safety, comfort, or enjoyment of the area.
Should You Allow Your Dog To Sniff On Walks – Dog Training Podcast
Why do dogs sniff everything? If you haven’t already heard, a dog’s sense of smell is 10,000 to 100,000 times more powerful than ours. Just as humans use their eyes to see and understand the world, experts say dogs use their nose to “see” the world. In fact, our dogs’ world revolves around smell so strongly, allowing them to sniff actually lowers anxiety and increases their mental health. Contents
So, while it can be frustrating to walk around the neighborhood with a furry companion who tries to stop every few feet to investigate something new with his nose, experts say you should allow your dog to explore on walks. Here’s more….