About Walking Your Dog

    One of the saddest sights for a dog lover is to drive around suburban America and watch people walking their dogs.  Most of these people dutifully walk for fifteen minutes each morning and evening, leash in hand, dog roaming at the other end, and to watch them is to see a picture of disinterest.  They do not care what the dog is doing, and the dog does not care what they are doing.  And for many, this is the only attention the dog gets all day!!  What is the point of this ritual???  Surely not exercise.  Not fun.  Is it mere duty?  Staving off guilt for having ignored their "best friend" for years?

    "Walking" your dog should really be about spending time with him.  For a few minutes setting aside your universe and joining your friend in a mutual place.  Before you begin, take a minute to set aside your worries, concerns, fears, whatever.  Prepare to be in the moment.  Then take your dog out and really pay attention.  Have treats with you, and toys, and reward things you like.  Stop for a few minutes somewhere and work on basic obedience.  Stop somewhere else and get down on the ground for a good romp. Sometimes ask him for attention and praise it lavishly when you get it.  Other times release him and follow him to see where he wants to go.  Listen to what he has to tell you about the world.  Talk to him, pet him, remember why he is your best friend!

    Here are some things you can do while walking:

• Stop and run through sit, down, come, heel, stand, and stay.
• Any time you are out and she gets distracted, run the other way, make lots of fun noise, and play a chase game when she catches you, play and feed lots. Make this into a common game, any time she gets ahead of you or is not attentive, run the other way...
• Call her to you often and give GREAT rewards, not just food, but play tug and run around, and pet her, etc.
• Change directions on the walks often, so she learns to pay attention and that she cannot guess where you are going.
• IF YOU CAN GO SOMEWHERE SAFE, where you can work off leash but she cannot go anywhere, use abandonment--teach her hide and seek, and any time she is not watching, duck off the road (don't say anything) and hide and teach her to come to you for play and pay.
• Be very animated and interesting on walks--laughing, running, petting, playing fetch, hiding, sometimes running home all of a sudden and giving her a big wonderful meal at home, etc.
• Intentionally take her to other houses when nobody is home, and let her investigate the boring house while you walk away (use a long line)--when she leaves the house and comes to you, make a big deal about how wonderful she is.
• Stand in driveways sometime when people are there with her on a leash, and say nothing. As long as she is trying to go up the driveway towards the people, ignore her, as soon as she gives you attention, reward. Do this closer and closer to their house until she will stand 10 feet from their house with them home, and give you attention.
• Go to busy places (mall parking lots) and stand at a distance where she can see lots of people. Just wait, and any time she looks at you, give her a treat. Do this lots, so she gets bored with all the other people who never give her anything, and learns to stay focused on you for a treat.
• Walk her up interesting driveways or towards interesting dogs in heel position--positive and upbeat, but good attention and position, and make no progress towards them unless she is heeling beautifully.