A survey commissioned by the pet food company Forthglade has revealed that dog walking is on the decline.  Of the 1500 dog owners surveyed, only 42% of their dogs are walked on a daily basis.  The statistics from the sample showed that the average dog walk is over in 20 minutes. The survey and other previous research have highlighted three distinct categories regarding the reasons behind a dog not receiving a walk.

 

1)      Owner needs e.g. work commitments, wanted to do other activities such as watch TV.

2)      Dog preferences e.g. not keen on the rain, has health problems or is on restricted exercise.

3)      Dog behaviour issues  e.g. doesn’t recall, pulls on the lead, not obedient etc.

 

Owner experiences of dog walking.

Like many owners, I’ve had relaxed and joyful walks with my dog, and at other times, it’s been rather stressful.  The time I let him off the long line to play with a dog friend and he caught site of a rabbit and legged it into a prohibited piece of land, frenetically chasing two rabbits, for what seemed like an age – was particularly traumatic.  Safety is high on the trainer and behaviourists’ list so when it comes to dogs out in public and with tighter dog laws, it is no surprise, that some owners are put off walking their dogs in a more social environment or in a less secure area. 

Many trainers will tell you, that the two top issues they are asked to address are recall and loose lead walking. In my book, this is a real positive, as it suggests a commitment from the owners to engage in quality time outdoors with their dogs. Training can make the world of difference for owner confidence and time spent training, using kind and effective methods, will undoubtedly benefit the dog-owner bond, as many researchers have concluded.

So apart from the obvious needs and benefits of exercise for us and our dogs, why did I feel it important enough to highlight the topic in my first blog?  Well, because for dogs, a walk is more than just a walk to them.

 

The dog’s point of view.

As a trainer and behaviourist it is always important for me to consider what activities are important to the dog and what might be missing in that list for a particular dog.  In other words, what gives the dog pleasure? And we don’t have to look too far beyond many of the natural behaviours we know dogs engage in – sniffing, digging, chewing, playing etc to find the answers.  But let’s not forget, that each dog is an individual and while some love nothing more than a bit of rough and tumble with a doggy playmate, others would much prefer to be chewing on that manky old ball they’ve just found rotting in the undergrowth.   If your puppy or young teenage dog had limited outdoor experience or a period of convalescence, they may have lost some of their sociability or earlier confidence when out and about.  One size does not fit all, and in the case of the dog walk – knowing what your dog likes to engage with, or would rather stay clear of, can be useful to consider. 

 

Mental stimulation vs physical activity.

Exercise although vitally important, is not the whole picture when it comes to a dog’s mental and physical well-being. One study showed shelter dogs had increased periods of activity and variation in behaviour patterns when left with food enrichment toys and were less likely to engage in repetitive behaviour patterns such as barking. Boredom is a key factor for humans and the mammalian brain exists in dogs too, so it stands to reason that a mentally engaged dog will decrease the likelihood of boredom and potential unwanted behaviours.  For some dogs suffering from arthritis, long walks, colder temperatures and challenging terrain are best avoided and enrichment needs to be found in other ways to help fulfill the gap left by reduced walking.

Whatever your dog’s individual needs, when you are faced with not being able to put in the usual amount of time for walking your dog, these 4 modifications could be very beneficial.

 

• 1.     The sniff-fest or ‘sniffari’ - an easy one for an on-lead walk when you cannot cover too much distance or are limited for time.  Let your dog explore their environment using their main sense – smell. Dog’s engage with each other and with their environment predominantly using smell.  Allowing your dog to fully explore the smells on the grass or by the lamppost is the equivalent of them reading a full blog article instead of just the main heading.  It engages them mentally as well physically.
• 2.    The rainy day or not so rainy-day games – inclement weather is highlighted as one of the main barriers to dog walking. Involving your dog in puzzles and games for 20 minutes can give them valuable mental engagement which is more tiring than the same time engaged in physical activity.  Food toys and puzzles such as kongs, hiding dry treats in nooks and crannies of a paper or cardboard package can work well.  Working on training a trick or revisiting and consolidating key behaviours are great for mental stimulation and cementing your bond further.
• 3.   The garden explorer – engage that nose in looking for some of their food allowance in the garden. Scatter all over the allocated space to prolong the activity, giving them time outdoors and some freedom of movement from indoors to outdoors.
• 4.   The long line – great for giving dogs with no recall some opportunities to explore non-urban environments or bigger spaces with a greater degree of freedom without compromising safety. NB: longlines should only ever be attached to a harness and never on the collar.

 

 

The Great British Dog Walking Campaign

On the back of the survey, Forthglade have launched The Great British Dog Walk Campaign to help motivate dog owners to get out with their dogs and reap the health benefits from spending time outdoors and being more active. It is a 6-week challenge that would be great to see owners participating in.  Click on the link or visit the website to see the campaign and survey results in full.

 

Remember walks do not simply solve behavioural issues, they may go some way to helping but if the problem is tied up with the walk itself, such as pulling on the lead, reacting to every dog that passes by, then it can be exasperating some behavioural issues and seeking professional advice on how best to manage this would be the way forward.

 

Companionship was given as the main reason why people got a dog in a 2015 study and with the recent Forthglade survey identifying that 93% of owners wanted to walk their dog more often, then why not make those first steps towards ensuring those walks work for both of you.

 

References.

 •Barriers and facilitators to dog walking in New England (2015) Schneider, K. Published in Comparative Exercise Physiology: 11 (1) - Pages: 55 - 63

•Dog Walking, the Human–Animal Bond and Older Adults’ Physical Health (2017) Angela Curl PhD et al. Published in The Gerontologist, Volume 57, Issue 5, 1 October 2017, Pages 930–939,

•Factors associated with daily walking of dogs (2015) Carri Westgarth et al. Published in BMC Veterinary Research2015 11:116

•Managing Arthritis [online] Available at: https://caninearthritis.co.uk/#managing 

•No Walks? No Worries! (2014) Sian Ryan and Helen Zulch.  Published by Hubble and Hattie.

•The effect of feeding enrichment toys on the behaviour of kennelled dogs (Canis familiaris) (2008) L. Schipper et al. Published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science

Volume 114, Issues 1–2, November 2008, Pages 182-195

•The Great British Dog Walk (2019) Forthglade [online] Available at:  https://forthglade.com/campaigns/walkwithus