Dog Walking

　　As a responsible dog owner, the first thing you should do every day is to take your dog for a walk and teach it to relieve itself outdoors. But do you have the same problem as me, where every time you go out, your dog pulls you around? Small dogs are manageable, but large dogs can be exhausting! You might think, am I walking the dog, or is the dog walking me? Of course, maybe you would say, why use a leash? Just let the dog walk freely! But free walking also has downsides. What if it scares children? What if it fights with other dogs? So today, let's talk about issues regarding dog walking.

　　1. Preparations Before Walking the Dog

　　This goes without saying: bring the leash, carry garbage bags, take your dog, and you’re ready to go!

Dog Walking

　　2. Timely Stopping of Aggressive Behavior While Walking Dogs in the Community

　　1. Stop your dog from jumping on people immediately. Pets love to be close and play with people; this might be common "social behavior" for them. However, some people unfamiliar with dogs might perceive it as aggression and react nervously or suddenly. Dogs may see this as provocation and become aggressive in response. To avoid this chain of "misunderstandings," always leash your dog while walking and avoid elderly, disabled people, pregnant women, and children.

　2. Stop your dog from excessive barking. This is not only your personal issue but also affects neighbors’ rest. Before going out, you should teach your dog how to be quiet.

　　3. Make sure your dog plays in safe areas, which can prevent many accidents such as dog bites, frightening people, or traffic incidents.

Leash

3. About the Leash

　　I must talk about the leash separately because as a dog owner myself, I have deep feelings about this. If you don’t bring a leash, it might be fine for well-behaved dogs that always follow their owner. But if your dog is lively and enthusiastic toward people, I strongly recommend using a leash. Here are some reasons I personally summarized:

　　1. Good dogs can go wild sometimes, and if suddenly frightened by a noise, it’s safer to have a leash on.

　　2. Not everyone likes your dog, and some people might be scared. Seeing an unleashed dog can make them nervous and try to run away, which might trigger the dog’s chasing instinct, leading to bad outcomes.

　　3. Dogs in heat are hard to control. A dog in heat may act very excited when seeing other dogs and might follow them unknowingly. Female dogs might even get accidentally pregnant!

Dog Walking

　　4. Common Mistakes Dog Owners Make While Walking Their Dogs

　　1. Taking your dog out at fixed times every day

　　Of course, for busy office workers, taking the dog out during limited free time is already commendable. Walking before work and after work at fixed times seems reasonable. But do you realize this “good” habit doesn’t help with training but actually makes dogs stubborn. Dogs are sensitive to time. If you walk your dog at fixed times, say 6 AM and 8 PM, within a week, the dog will anticipate it. If you can’t go at that time, the dog will become restless and bark noisily, disturbing neighbors. Being a nice person, you reluctantly stop your work to walk the dog. This routine walking loses its fun and trains the dog to manipulate you with this trick at any time.

　　Therefore, to avoid this, I suggest not sticking to fixed walking times. The owner should decide the time, and the dog must cooperate. Even if you skip a day, the dog must behave. This helps improve obedience.

　　2. Thinking walking is only for defecation

　　Honestly, many people walk their dogs primarily to let them defecate outside to keep the house clean. They link walking with toileting, so if not taken out, the dog cannot relieve itself. Caring owners fear their dog’s discomfort and take them out regardless of weather, which can be miserable.

　　Therefore, defecation and walking should be separated. Train the dog to use a specific spot inside the home as the toilet, so the home stays clean and problems are avoided.

　　3. Letting the dog pull the owner around

　　For new owners, being pulled by the dog might be exciting initially, but it gets exhausting. The dog thinks it’s the boss and you must obey.

　　So during walks, the owner must lead; the dog must walk on the owner’s left side. Keep the leash loose; if the dog rushes forward, tighten the leash and say “no” sharply. The dog’s neck feels pressure briefly and eventually associates the command with stopping.

　　4. Allowing the dog to mark everywhere

　　Dogs, especially males, mark everywhere – bushes, fire hydrants, endlessly. This is instinctual, claiming territory. But if owners neglect this behavior, the dog’s dominance instinct grows, reducing obedience. Dogs only feel happy and relaxed when obedient. When dominance rises, nerves stay tense, causing stress.

　　To aid training, owners must control dominance during walks and prevent marking everywhere.

　　Finally, dog owners, please remember: it’s our decision, not the dog’s! I hope this article helps everyone who keeps dogs!