Making the Most of Your Neighborhood Walk

Your dog needs exercise to stay healthy, alert, happy, and calm. In fact, exercise can prevent a lot of nuisance behaviors like excess chewing or barking. The good news is that your dog doesn’t need a marathon a day to stay healthy. A nice daily walk can give you both excellent results.

However, taking a stroll around your neighborhood shouldn’t be just a quick leg workout. You can get more out of your neighborhood walk each day with any of our tips.

Add Training Pit Stops

We love incorporating physical exercise with obedience practice – it’s like a full body and mind workout for your dog. Your neighborhood gives a lot of extra distractions that your dog doesn’t have to deal with at home, so it takes even more energy for him to listen to you and obey. Try making training pit stops a part of your walk routine. 

Sit before crossing a street, Down when another pedestrian approaches. These simple techniques will build your training bond and give him the chance to practice his skills in a high distraction environment.

Encourage Safe Socialization

Neighborhood walks are also the perfect time to practice manners and safe socialization with other animals and humans. Stop to chat with passersby, having your dog Sit and wait nicely without jumping or extra sniffing. As you approach the person, let the person know you would like to put your dog in Sit before anyone pets him. If you anticipate your chat to be longer than normal, you can have your dog wait in a Down.

Your dog can also safely socialize with other dogs while on your walk. This will encourage confidence and discourage any anxiety. Just be sure you ask the other owner if their dog is friendly and up for a visit before approaching. Encourage your dog to walk nicely on his leash and not pull while approaching the other dog.

If you aren’t going out on a neighborhood walk as often as you would like because your dog does not do well on a leash, it is time to remedy that. We would love to show you what consistent obedience practice can do for your dog, and for your relationship. 

Call Dog Training Now Charleston today to learn more about our services and to schedule your consultation.