4 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Dogs Walk

One of the most crucial parts of dog ownership is ensuring they get outside for a daily walk, or two. Walking your dog is important for a variety of reasons such as exercise, mental stimulation, and bonding time between you and your pet. Taking your dog out for a walk multiple times a day can cure behavior issues while keeping your dog fit and healthy. Today, I’m sharing 4 ways to get the most out of your dogs walk. 

Let Your Dog Sniff on Their Walk

Every dog parent knows the feeling of standing outside for what feels like forever while your dog sniffs the same tree over and over again. It can be tempting to pull on your dogs leash to get them to hurry along when this happens. However, allowing Fido to sniff whatever he wants for as long as he wants is the best way to get the most out of your dogs walk. 

Dogs learn about their environment from sniffing, the way humans do by seeing. While we can enjoy a walk by looking around at the scenery, a dog needs to sniff to absorb their surroundings. Not allowing them to sniff around would essentially be the same as a human taking a walk with their eyes closed!

Dogs learn a lot from a couple of sniffs. Smelling the grass or fire hydrant they walk by allows them to exercise their brain, which is just as important as exercising their body! Being able to interpret information from an object by using their sense of smell takes practice, and therefore is a great way to get mental exercise. If you don’t let your dog get mental exercise, they’re likely to return from their walk just as playful and full of energy as they were when they left for it. 

Take Different Routes On Your Dogs Walk

Taking the same walk through the same neighborhood every single day gets boring for both dogs and their owners. There’s only so much to look at and smell on the same route every day. To get the most out of your dogs walk, take them to different locations or on different walking paths frequently. 

I have 5 or 6 different routes that I alternate between while walking my dog to keep things exciting and fresh. If you live in a large neighborhood, find different areas to walk in and around every day to keep things interesting for both of you. 

If your neighborhood doesn’t have many options for walking routes, try taking your pup to new locations every once in awhile. Find a nice park or hiking trail near by, or even a neighboring neighborhood to switch things up constantly. 

Ensure Your Dogs Walk is an Appropriate Length

Do research on your dogs breed to ensure that the walk you’re taking them on is an appropriate length. For some dogs, a 20 minute walk once a day will be plenty, while other dogs may need an hour (or more) of walking time each day.

Monitor your dog closely on your walks to figure out the best length for them. Their age and breed will play a factor into how long their walk should be. 

If your dog is coming back from their walk and still bouncing with energy, they likely would benefit from a longer route. However, if your dog is panting heavily or refusing to keep going by the end, their walks should be shortened.

Use Your Dogs Walk as a Training Opportunity

Walks are a perfect time to work on training with your pup. Many dogs struggle with walking on a leash and will pull a lot or even become reactive. Walks are a perfect time to work on leash training with your pup to teach them loose leash training, heel, and other commands that will make walking them easier. 

Training is a great for bonding between dogs and their owners. It creates mental and physical stimulation for your pup. Training them while on a walk will allow for double the exercise and double the bonding time for your furry friend. They’ll be sure to return home ready for a nice, long nap.