Have I Been Walking My Dogs Wrong This Whole Time?!

Like most dog owners, my primary purpose for walking the dogs was exercise to achieve two goals:

1) Keep them healthy/in-shape

2) Reduce their energy, e.g. tire them out!

With foster dogs, we also walk them to leash train (stop pulling) to help set them up for adoption success. Albeit these are great reasons to walk dogs, there is another purpose I hadn't even considered.

I recently read an interview with Peta president, Ingrid Newkirk. Now, before you shut off your receptiveness because of the source (I'm not a big Peta person either), she did make some points that made me take pause. For one, she stressed the importance of not rushing a dog on their walk.

“Let them sniff!” Newkirk said. “That’s their way they read the news, that’s their internet (Chung, 2020)."

This statement made me think about dogs sniffing on walks with an entirely different perspective. Dogs take in their environment through olfactory senses. They have what is called a vomeronasal organ, otherwise knows as Jacobsen's organ, which is responsible for detecting the chemical messages left behind in pheromones. The organ then helps transmit that message to the brain so the dog can interpret and respond (emotionally and behaviorally) as appropriate (Farricelli, 2019). So it's science!

Carl sniffing around in the park.

So when dogs mark their spot (on lamp posts, bushes, fire hydrants, etc.), it's like their version of checking in on social media. As if they're saying "hey 'friends' I've never met, I was at the park today!"

Newkirk also said, "Don’t drag them along. It’s their walk, you know? That’s a very special occasion for a dog, to be outside and to smell and to look. It’s more than a bathroom break. It’s an excursion (Chung, 2020)."

Carl checking out today's news.

Carl is one of our foster dogs who suffers from anxiety. If he sees my put my athletic shoes he gets so excited, because he knows a walk is in his near future. He's also supremely leash trained, so he was the perfect dog to test out an "adventure walk" with. So on Carl's next walk, rather than take our normal route, (that I determined), I let Carl sniff out our route and choose where he wanted to go. I was also mindful of being present and attentive to what he was discovering and enjoying, and I encouraged him along the way. We ended up at the park in our neighborhood where there is a large retention pond with ducks, turtles, and other wild life.

Normally we only pass by a portion of the park and stay on the paved sidewalk on the outskirts of the pond. This time, he wanted to go into the pines....he wanted to watch the ducks...he wanted to relax and soak up the experience. I literally watched his anxiousness melt away. He was so happy! The biggest differences in this new approach vs our typical walks were:

• He was given the freedom to sniff around

• He was in control - his nose guided our course, not me

• He dictated the pace

• He was given the time to take in the sights, sounds, and smells HE wanted to experience.

Carl intrigued by the ducks. He didn't give chase, he merely wanted to watch them.

Our walk took the same amount of time as usual, we just covered less ground (distance); although, I suppose one could say we covered more ground - new ground! The result was incredible. This leisurely walk of discovery and adventure had a noticeable calming effect on him.

Carl feeling relaxed and happy.

I think this could be a good tactic to use when bringing home a new foster/rescue dog to help them get comfortable in their new environment. I should stress, before you can employ this type of dog walking style, it is imperative you have first trained your dog to respond to basic commands. Not every dog may be ready for or suited for adventure walks. With Carl, I use commands on our walks such as "Stop, Wait, Release." It's also important they continue to obey and take commands duing exercise walks, or walks where you simply may be in a hurry. You don't want to have your dog regress on their other training. Teaching commands such as "leave it," is also great to have down in case you encounter something you don't want them to smell (especially for potential safety issues). Here’s a fabulous video by Emily Larlham, aka Kikopup, on how to teach “Leave It.”

If you try the adventure walk approach, please do share your experience, including any watch-outs, tips, or positive outcomes. All dogs are different and have different needs, but with the amazing results I've experienced with Carl, I though it was worth sharing.

References:

Chung, G. (2020, January 29). You May Be Walking Your Dog Incorrectly, Says PETA President: 'It's More Than a Bathroom Break'. Retrieved from https://people.com/pets/you-may-be-walking-your-dog-incorrectly-says-peta-president/

Farricelli, A. (2019, March 27). I Am Your Dog's Vomeronasal Organ. Retrieved from https://dogdiscoveries.com/dogs-vomeronasal-organ/