5 Common Dog Walking Mistakes

If you’re an avid dog-walker you know that taking your dog on a walk is much more than only a stroll down the street and back for them to just do their business. Their daily walks are crucial to their mental and physical health and should be done properly. Their walks are supposed to be relaxing, so it’s important you’re walking them correctly.

Not Letting Your Dog Take In All The Scents

Letting your dog sniff is part of their nature. Not allowing them to complete this action is going against their instincts and can stress them out. When they are able to carry out this behavior their walk becomes more relaxed because they are able to take in their surroundings. Your dog becomes more informed with this newly found information as well because just by sniffing they are able to tell if males, females, or puppies frequent the area. This is especially important for dogs who tend to be extremely nervous, sniffing allows them to grow more comfortable in their surroundings.

Jerking On The Leash

Tugging on your furry-friends leash won’t accomplish anything except putting excess stress and health risks on them. Pulling on their leash can create an abundance of throat problems.

Aggressively Scolding Them For Confronting Other Dogs

Of course, if you see your dog being aggressive with other dogs and people it’s not okay, and you need to seek out professional help immediately, here at Sit Means Sit we handle issues like these effectively and offer free consultations so if this is an issue you’re dealing with we highly encourage you to contact us. But excessively scolding them will only stress them out and may reinforce the bad behavior.

Not Allowing Them To Interact

If your dog doesn’t show signs of being aggressive then make sure you’re encouraging them to interact with other dogs. Letting them do this is extremely important to their mental health and promotes positive attitudes. It’s crucial your dog remains social and affectionate with other dogs.

Not Catering The Walk To Their Needs

Each dog is unique in their breed, age, and personality. So, you need to make sure their walks match their individual needs. An older dog will need a peaceful slower walk, a nervous dog will need more patience and time, and dogs with breathing problems may need new conventional ways of getting their exercise in during the summer heat. On a normal basis though walks should last between 20 to 30 minutes and frequent about 2 or 3 times a day.

Hopefully, through these tips, you can properly walk your dog and avoid any mistakes you were making in the past. Walking your dog properly can promote an improved behavior and overall happiness.