About this Episode
A question I get frequently is “How aloud I walk my dog?” I know that sounds silly, but all people are really wondering is whether they should let their dog sniff around and wander or keep their dog next to them the whole time.
There is no absolute answer to this question. We handle this in a very structured way, which we believes helps a dog become calm and get over aggression, and behave well. We’ve found that walking dogs in a specific way does make it easier to achieve those results. Maybe that sounds ridiculous to you.
The answer, to me, comes down to context. Generally speaking, if I’m walking a dog on the sidewalk in my neighborhood, the dog is heeling. If I notice that she needs to use the bathroom, I’ll scoot over to a green strip and encourage her to use it. In that case, I would let her wander a little bit. But for the most part, I want her at my side when we’re in the neighborhood. Now, dogs who have reactivity and aggression issues, this is ten times more important. When your dog is in a position to encounter distractions and triggers, they really need to pay attention to you. Is a walk about exercise? Yes. But it’s actually more about what’s going on with the mind than what’s going on with the body.
I’ve had clients through the years who say things like: “My dog and I will go up to the hills and he’ll chase me on my mountain bike for two hours—but when we come home, he still has a ton of energy! I don’t know what to do!” How do you get that energy our? Well, if that same dog walks beside their owner in a focused way for thirty minutes, they’re suddenly a completely different animal. They’re calm, relaxed, and yes, even tired. You tire a dog out much more quickly through mental exercise than physical exercise. So when you’re in the neighborhood, walk your dog next to your side. He’ll handle distractions better and feel more fulfilled.
Some people struggle with this because they like their dogs to be able to wander. Today, for instance, I was out walking my dog on a trail near my home. Up until we reached the trail, she heeled at my side the whole time. But once we got to the trail itself I let her off leash to run around.
