Walks in urban areas
We often say that the locations we choose for walks don't always need to be beautiful to our eyes, it is more important that they are interesting and enriching for our dogs.
Urban areas can be a good choice for our walks, but they also carry some challenges. As they are often busy with noises, moving things and other stimuli, they have a potential to be stressful for many dogs. This is mostly something to be aware of, as there are things we can do to reduce the stress and still have a lovely Smiling Leash walk there.
If we pay attention to our dog's behaviour we will be able to spot clues telling us the dog is slightly stressed. These may include being more sensitive to things like noises, people walking by, traffic and similar, speeding up (which may be what is happening in this lovely video, to a degree), sniffing less and looking around more, starting to pull on the leash and similar.
If we feel that our dog might be getting a bit overwhelmed, here are some aces we have up our sleeve:
We can choose a quieter time of the day to take our walk.
We can find a less busy part of the urban area.
We can increase the distance to whatever may be bothering the dog. It makes a big difference!
If we encounter a stressor, we keep the leash loose to avoid adding extra tension to the situation. We give our dog time and space to process.
We can slow down our pace, as dogs tend to follow our speed of walking, even if they are walking in front of us.
We can find a quiet spot and have a calm session or a treat search.
We can make the walk shorter next time and head home while our dog is still handling the situation well.
Of course rural and natural areas have their own set of challenges as well! Would you like us to post about them in the future? Please tell us!
Many thanks to Gerardo for sending us this and other videos!
