Structured Walks

The dog walk is a very important component to building a relationship your dog. There are many discussions about how often and for how long we should take our dog for a walk. To give you an idea, in nature, wolves and wild dogs walk for about 12+ miles a day. Of course we can’t compare our dogs to their wild ancestors in every situation, however not many dog owners spend even 3 miles of daily walking with their dogs, just to give you some perspective. One more thing that is very important about the walk; there is this misconception that the basic reason for a dog walk is for the dog to relieve themselves, therefore many dog owners simply conclude that the back yard is good enough for that, and bypass the walk entirely. A walk is one of the basics of a pack’s structure. In nature, animals spend most of their day on a walk and most of their social interactions happen during that time. The structured walk, where the dog walks along side of you, stops when you stop, and turns when you turn, can easily be controlled. No dog should pull their human. Use your walking time to interact with your dog, provide guidance and to build confidence as you explore different routes and different situations. Another great option is to practice your structured walks with a group. If you have a reactive dog and you’ve laid down the foundation for your leash work in a group class, a great way to continue working on your skills and exposing your dogs to other canine pals, is to join a dog walking group. It's a fantastic way to help you to continue working on your skills and exposing your dog to other canine pals, in a safe and controlled way. A structured pack walk—even if it’s just the two of you—helps a dog become more balanced, easier to handle, and trouble free when we as humans be their pack leader. Dog Walking Groups: Seattle, WA: WalkABulls- http://tinyurl.com/mnx73wf OR, Portland: Portland Pit Bull Parade -http://tinyurl.com/prekf2v OR, Portland Metro (and Vancouver area): The Respect-a-bulls - http://tinyurl.com/prekf2v Log Your Miles With WoofTrax:http://www.wooftrax.com/ AND ALSO ResQWalk: http://www.resqwalk.com/http://www.resqwalk.com/