Over this past week, Iâve been reflecting a lot on my last email to you because I donât 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 youâre having. Myself included. I make mistakes every week. I think the most important thing is that weâre 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 weekâs email you may be wondering? Well, my intention with providing those 6 tips on how to have a âsuccessfulâ 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, whoâs job it is to walk multiple dogs each day. Heck, even if you follow all 6 tips, Iâm 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:
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 youâre 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 couldâve seen them approaching in the distance and used either tips 2, 3, 4, or 5 for the encounter to go much smoother.
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. VoilĂ ! Crisis averted. Except Iâd like to remind you that this would be the BEST-case-scenario. It certainly wonât be perfect but each time you can notice something to improve next time.
Keep your distance. It may sound strict, antisocial, and off-putting but having a âno leash greetingâ policy will also prevent unwanted scenarios. Hereâs another obvious: this does NOT apply to people or dogs that you or your dog already know. Of course, if your friend or your pupâs furry friend would like to say hi, by all means go for it!
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 âsitâ 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. Thatâs why I say itâs 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!).
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.
Let. Them. Sniff. Yes, sniffing is great for a dogâs overall well-being. But what happens if your pup has an upset tummy and is constantly sneaking bites of grass? They cannot be trusted!!! KiddingâŠkind of. This might mean you canât allow any sniffing for the next few walks in order to lower the chances that theyâll eat something they shouldnât.
Booster takes her neighborhood-watch duties very seriously.
To my non-dog parents: the above may still apply to you! If you yourself are out on a walk, I think itâs important to stay alert, keep your distance, keep it moving, and use your surroundings. In my opinion, itâs a matter of respect. Yes, dogs are animals AND they have feelings and preferences too. Respect their space. Some dogs donât love when strangers get really up close. And you canât 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.
Iâll be taking next week off so there wonât be a Tuesday email but I canât wait to be back in your inbox on May 21st