The Art of Walking Your Dog: An Opportunity for Connection & Mindfulness

When we consider that dogs spend most of the day confined (to a crate, pen, room or even the whole house), and that we people are the ones making many decisions for them, it’s no wonder that their walk is a welcome change of pace!  We can enrich their walk even more by giving them the opportunity to do all the things listed above and to feel freer and at choice.  This will contribute to their emotional and mental well-being.

However, it is important to remember that each dog is different and will have different needs on a walk. For example, puppies will delight in exploring everything they encounter and go from one thing to another rather impulsively. For us, this might be annoying and hard to understand, but for them, it’s akin to a young child in a candy store for the first time!

Older adult dogs will prefer to go calmly and slowly, pacing themselves and often dealing with some normal aches and pains.  Getting to know what your dog most needs during each stage of their life will go a long way towards keeping them happy.

If the walk is enjoyable from your dog’s perspective, they will be able to satisfy instinctual needs (such as sniffing and exploring), which will facilitate a state of relaxation. After all, if the goal is to have a good time together, it’s important to take both our needs into account and maintain a flexible attitude so we can best accommodate them. This includes avoiding situations or environments that are not favorable to your dog.

Here are some things to keep in mind to make your walk as pleasurable as possible:

• Give your dog as many opportunities to explore and sniff at their own pace as possible.
• Practice mindfulness on your walk: observe your dog and the environment--take your phone in case of an emergency or to listen to music, but don’t scroll or talk on the phone while you walk.
• Don’t rush.
• Use a comfortable harness for your dog.
• Try a 10-foot leash in urban places or 20 or 30 feet in parks, so your dog feels freer when walking and exploring.
• Keep the leash as slack as possible.
• Take them to a place in nature where they can find more olfactory stimuli and can roam freely at least once weekly, twice or more is even better (especially for more active dogs). If you can’t do this, just varying the routes near to home will be more interesting for your dog.
• If your dog enjoys being with other dogs and people, give them the opportunity to do so.
• Finally, use the time during your walk as an opportunity to connect with your dog, keep each other company and strengthen the bond between you.

A quality walk will help your dog be more relaxed every day; their overall emotional well-being will improve as they feel satisfied and less stressed. This, in turn, will strengthen their immune system and keep them healthier for longer, which is bound to make you happy too!