Helpful Tips for Walking Your Dog

Before you got your pooch, you likely imagined walking a dog would be a wonderful experience of long relaxing strolls, exploring neighbourhoods and hiking trails. In those pre-dog fantasies, your four-legged sidekick likely trotted obediently by your side on a leash, following your every command and looking at you adoringly.

Then you got your dog and the fantasy disappeared. Why does my dog have to stop and pee on everything? Why does he have to stop and sniff every blade of grass? It can be frustrating, but don't hang up the leash!

After all, walking a dog is important to their health and happiness. Walks keep your dog agile and limber and can help relieve issues like constipation, according to PetMD. Regular walks also help keep your dog from gaining unwanted kilos. Walking a dog can also go a long way toward reducing or eliminating destructive behaviour. Dogs who haven't had enough exercise–who feel pent up or have extra energy–can turn to digging holes in your yard or chewing everything from your shoes to your couch cushions.

Walks with you also strengthen your bond with your pooch and give them a chance to meet and interact with other people and dogs in a controlled environment. Having a dog that is socialised is very important. Socialised dogs are typically happier and friendlier than unsocialised dogs, who can be anxious and fearful around new humans or animals.

And we haven't even talked about how walking a dog impacts your health! A study from Michigan State University and reported by the New York Times found 60 percent of dog owners who took their pets for regular walks met the federal criteria for regular moderate or vigorous exercise, with almost half of dog walkers getting an average of 30 minutes of exercise a day at least five days a week. In comparison, only about 30 percent of people without dogs got that much regular exercise.

But what is with your pup's strange habits on your walks? Let's take a look at some weird (and annoying!) things dogs do on the leash, why they do them, and how you can work to reduce the issue.

Dog Peeing while Walking

Why your dog does it: Dogs are territorial, and urine is a natural way a dog can mark their territory. It communicates to other dogs that they have been there. Marking usually begins in puberty.

What to do: First, consult your vet. You want to make sure the fact that your dog stopping to relieve himself every few meters is, in fact, related to marking and not because of a health issue such as a bladder infection. If it's a behavioural issue, you can train him to reduce his need to mark as much, but it might be impossible to get him to stop it all together. Also, dogs that have not been spayed or neutered have a larger tendency to mark territory than those that have.

Rolling in the Stink

Why your dog does it: When you encounter a dead animal, garbage, or anything else stinky, does your dog stop, drop, and roll? While it's not known exactly why dogs have this disgusting habit, one train of thought is that it's a trait inherited from wolves. They roll in the scent then take it back to their pack for further investigation.

What to do: Keep your pup leashed on walks (this is an important tip regardless of whether they like to roll in filth or not). Train them to recognise the command "leave it," then reward with a treat when they do. Never pull hard on the leash to yank them away from the smelly object to avoid injuring your dog.