COVER STORY
To Walk or Not to Walk
Barb Levenson explains why she does not
walk her dogs and highlights alternatives to ensure they get sufficient physical and mental stimulation, plenty of
positive canine-human interaction,
M
and, last but by no means least, fun
y dog training facility is in what I refer to as a “cottage community,” i.e. an upper income residential area with a well-designed retail space that meets the needs of the community. Along the main street is a pedestrian path that is frequently used by joggers, older residents out for a stroll and the locals out walking their dogs “for exercise." Even though I have been in this area for almost 14 years, I have never used this path. In fact I have never walked my dogs for exercise. I know, I am an anomaly. But I have strong convictions as to why I do not. For years my clients have been telling me they walk their dogs for exercise. At the same time, however, many of them complain about their dogs pulling on the leash and various other behavior problems they continually experience. I recently had a client whose puppy screamed the instant she saw another dog or person on the street. The client continued to walk the puppy saying, “She’ll just have to get used to it.” Other people tell me they want their dogs to have “fresh air.” Lately, a very responsible client of mine was denied a rescue dog because she does not believe in walking her dogs. Instead she follows my lead and exercises her dogs in other, more positive and fun ways. So I decided it was time to present my reasons as to why it may not always be good to walk our dogs for exercise.
© Can Stock Photo/ksuksa
Why NOT to Walk
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Better than a walk? This dog is getting a full workout from a game of Frisbee
BARKS from the Guild/July 2015
Why do I not walk my dogs? My clients have taught me that walking their dogs can lead to a variety of behavior issues. They then come to class to learn how to eliminate ______. I can fill in the blanks with any of the following: • Pulling • Chasing cars • Running away when the owner drops the leash • Lunging, barking and going after unfamiliar dogs • Lunging and barking at people How might these “problems” be fixed? In many cases, people might resort to some form of correction or punishment in an effort to thwart the problem escalating. But let us first discuss some of the issues. Pulling Pulling on the leash is particularly troublesome with larger dogs.