Hello, and welcome.
We often focus on what we’re doing with our dogs. Inactivity, relaxing activities, or those that just allow our dogs to ‘be more dog’ don’t always get the focus that they deserve.
Balance is key, when it comes to having a happy and healthy dog.
When you step out for your walk with your dog - are you likely to be thinking of ‘how to best to tire them out’ or ensuring they have a poop (let’s be honest, us dog folk talk about poo a lot!). Are you thinking about how many steps you get in or what the next job is on the to-do list when you return home?
Being fully present and providing an individualised walk is the biggest daily gift you could give your dog.
What does that mean? It’s less about how much your dog is doing on a walk, more what they are doing.
If you have a dog who’s been bred for a scenting role - are you allowing them time to sniff and explore their own way of reading the world? If your dog is one who would be doing a herding job (should they not be in a ‘pet dog’ home), are you encouraging them to move their bodies in patterns that feel good to them?
Walks can be breed appropriate.
If you have a playful dog who loves to run, chase, and engage socially with other people and dogs - are you allowing them some careful outlet for that? If you have an anxious dog, who prefers to spend time with you solo - blocking out the rest of the world - are you choosing your walking locations carefully to suit them?
Walks can be tailored to emotional needs.
Taking time to track a few weeks of your dog’s emotional wellbeing, alongside the type and location of walks you’ve taken on any given day can provide some great insight into what sort of activities are best suited to your dog as an individual.
Balance when it comes to your regular walks is really important - not only in terms of being able to regulate your dogs’s emotions, but it also allows you to provide outlet for a whole array of appropriate activities for your dog.
Next week, we’ll look at the sort of balance you can create at home - until next time, enjoy that range of walks!
Caroline
Really good reminder here - thanks!! So easy to get caught up in what we "need" to be doing instead of what we ARE doing, and our pets pay the price. They ARE companion animals, after all!