Over this past week, I’ve been reflecting a lot on my last email to you because I don’t think I painted the full picture of what I wanted to get across. 

First, I would like to state the obvious: nobody is perfect. No one is going to get everything correct 100% of the time. Maybe even 50% depending on the type of day you’re having. Myself included. I make mistakes every week. I think the most important thing is that we’re able to reflect, learn from our mistakes, and try to do our best in the moment and moving forward. 

So what does that have to do with last week’s email you may be wondering? Well, my intention with providing those 6 tips on how to have a “successful” dog walk was to share ways for you to try something new if you have been struggling in certain areas or have had scary (potentially avoidable) situations. 

Following ALL 6 tips during every single walk is an impossible standard. Even for myself, who’s job it is to walk multiple dogs each day. Heck, even if you follow all 6 tips, I’m sure something can still happen that would be totally out of your control. 

The purpose is that those are general guidelines you can try from time to time!

Here are some additional thoughts on each:

1. Stay Alert! Maybe you know you have a pup with big feelings and particular reactions (barks, lunges, pulls, etc.). You take them for a walk and are distracted on your phone when suddenly you’re face-to-face with another person and their dog. Both dogs are barking and clearly not happy to be in such close proximity to each other. Perhaps sans-phone, you could’ve seen them approaching in the distance and used either tips 2, 3, 4, or 5 for the encounter to go much smoother. 
2. Carry food or a toy. In the above scenario, sans-phone, you see the other dog approaching in the distance, you have a reactive and food-motivated pup so you begin getting their attention right away by tossing them a treat. They make eye contact. You hold a treat in your hand while maintaining their attention as you pass the other dog. Voilà! Crisis averted. Except I’d like to remind you that this would be the BEST-case-scenario. It certainly won’t be perfect but each time you can notice something to improve next time. 
3. Keep your distance. It may sound strict, antisocial, and off-putting but having a “no leash greeting” policy will also prevent unwanted scenarios. Here’s another obvious: this does NOT apply to people or dogs that you or your dog already know. Of course, if your friend or your pup’s furry friend would like to say hi, by all means go for it!
4. Keep it moving. This may be controversial but I am of the opinion that while your pup is expressing big feelings is not the time to discipline them. They are clearly already upset. Yelling, trying to scare them into submission, or making them “sit” in the middle of what may be the equivalent of a human temper tantrum is not going to calm the situation. If it happens to work in the moment, the long-term damage may be worse. That’s why I say it’s best to remove your pup from the situation entirely and then be proactive about the trigger at another time and in a controlled environment (this is a training technique I hope to share more about in the future!).
5. Use your surroundings. Again, staying alert will allow you to see potential triggers ahead and using visual blockers such as a tree, car, or your body, will prevent a situation going from bad to worse. 
6. Let. Them. Sniff. Yes, sniffing is great for a dog’s overall well-being. But what happens if your pup has an upset tummy and is constantly sneaking bites of grass? They cannot be trusted!!! Kidding…kind of. This might mean you can’t allow any sniffing for the next few walks in order to lower the chances that they’ll eat something they shouldn’t.

To my non-dog parents: the above may still apply to you! If you yourself are out on a walk, I think it’s important to stay alert, keep your distance, keep it moving, and use your surroundings. In my opinion, it’s a matter of respect. Yes, dogs are animals AND they have feelings and preferences too. Respect their space. Some dogs don’t love when strangers get really up close. And you can’t blame them if they have a big reaction (growl, bark, lunge, jump, etc.)!

I hope these tips and follow-up thoughts made sense and are useful in some way.

I’ll be taking next week off so there won’t be a Tuesday email but I can’t wait to be back in your inbox on May 21st 🐶😻

Stay Comfy,

Tanya