Stop in the name of love
What is the easiest and most powerful thing you can do to improve not only walks with your dog but also your entire relationship?
Wait for your dog when she stops during walks.
This sounds incredibly simple (mostly because it is), but still we see dogs being hurried or dragged along when they are trying to sniff, observe or even relieve themselves. We believe their humans are not doing this to alienate or harm their dogs. They just never got the chance to think about it and learn why stopping with our dogs makes such a big difference. Here are some of the reasons:
Exercise for the brain, not just the body
We've said it before and we'll gladly say it again: walks should be more than just physical exercise. They can provide fantastic mental stimulation which helps your dog become smarter, calmer and more confident. But in order for mental stimulation to happen, a dog first needs to use her senses. Dogs will most often stop during walks to do just that. They might use their amazing sense of smell, observe something in the distance, listen, touch or even taste. All of this provides exercise for their brain. Investigating their environment is the most natural behaviour for dogs, and one that has helped them survive and thrive for thousands of years. All we need to do to help them activate their amazing powers is stop and wait for them to finish sniffing that street corner.
Respect goes both ways
We all want our dogs to respect our wishes in certain situations. We want them to behave in nice and non-disruptive ways: walk calmly past other dogs or people, refrain from stealing food from the counter, leave our shoes unchewed and so on. Dogs have adapted to us and our needs in many ways, even though some human rules make absolutely no sense to them. Respecting their wish to stop and sniff or pee where and for however long they want is the least we can do to repay them. Not only is it fair, it will help us build a stronger relationship with our dog. When she sees that we are listening to her wishes, she will likely be more inclined to listen to ours as well. This way trust is built, your bond becomes stronger, your everyday life becomes easier and you can achieve more than you could have imagined.
Calmness is a habit
Many of us lead busy lives, full of deadlines, commitments and pressure. A walk with our dog becomes a chore to be accomplished: distance travelled in the time slot we had planned. So we hurry the dog along, wanting her to move and do her business as quickly as possible. This is teaching her to hurry mindlessly, never stopping and thinking. The next time we stand hopelessly watching her chase yet another squirrel, bark at the garbage truck or gobble down something disgusting she found, we might wish she had the habit of stopping and thinking before she does things. Helping our dogs be calm and relaxed is a multifaceted process, but supporting their need to stop and think is certainly a part of it.
Calmness is a habit, and so is stopping and waiting for your dog. Give it a try and see how your dog's behaviour and especially your relationship starts to change.
And if you are already practising this good habit, please let us know what you have experienced!
To find out more, we invite you to read these blog posts:
