Friday, August 19, 2011

The Importance of Disciplined Exercise

In recent weeks I have met many dog owners who do not seem to understand the importance of the daily walk. There seems to be some confusion between the concepts of exercise and walking.

It is not enough that your dog may be left to "run around" the back yard. It does not even matter how large the yard is. It is wonderful that the dog should have such a situation, but this kind of exercise is different than the exercise and benefits that come from a daily walk.

If the walk is done correctly, then the dog will receive some valuable training. The walk is an opportunity for the owner to hone his or her leadership skills. The owner is walking the dog correctly and using leadership and energy successfully if the dog is walking calmly by the owner's side and not pulling. The entire walk is the exercise of the dog's mind as well as the dog's body. The discipline that comes to the dog from learning how to follow the owner, and the benefits that come to the owner from learning how to correctly walk the dog as a leader, are invaluable and carry over into other areas of life. The mental exercise that the dog receives from having to follow the owner's rules, boundaries, and limitations actually act as another form of "exercise" for the dog.

As a teacher, I have often used dogs as exercises in leadership for my young students. When working with a strong doggie personality or when working with more than one dog (I have six grown dogs living in my home), the student must grapple with issues of posture and energy in order to stay in control of the situation.

Dogs are sensitive creatures and respond easily to shifts in a person's energy levels. The walk is a great place to practice leadership skills and to develop a good working (walking) relationship with the dog.

I walk the dog on my left side. I hold the leash in my right hand and take up the slack in my left. When I walk a new dog for the first time, I take along a yardstick. If the dog starts to pull ahead of me, I just put the yardstick out in front so that the dog knows not to go ahead. I stop and make the dog sit. After the dog seems relaxed again, I say, "ready?" Then I turn on my energy and move forward again. I repeat this process over and over a few times.

I have also used another trick I got from the Lassie and Rin Tin Tin trainer Walter Koehler. If the dog pulls in front of me on the left, I will unexpectedly make a quick left turn and "walk" right into the dog. I do not hurt the dog, but the dog almost immediately learns that a better place to walk will be at my side where the dog can easily see whether I will be making a turn. Whether I use this trick or not depends on my dog's personality.

Exercise in the back yard is fine, but it cannot replace the value of the walk. This advice benefits both the dog and the owner. This week, why not make a commitment to get out there and take the dog for a walk? If you have not walked your dog very consistently, you may have a few rough days at first. Keep plugging away, and you may notice a positive change by the third or fourth day.

Please leave me a comment to let me know about your walking experiences. If you are interested in reading about one way I use my dogs in a teaching situation, go to my blog posts about that: 


How much can a dog walk? I have miniature dachshunds. I have taken some of my dogs on run-walks when I have trained for my half marathons. We have gone several miles. I have taken a few of my dogs on 7 or 9 mile excursions. We built up to that distance, but the little guys love it. Sometimes they have more energy than I do and will tear around the back yard once we return home.

Remember, commit to daily walks this week. Start small, maybe 15 or 20 minutes. Maybe you can find time to do a walk at both ends of the day, morning and evening. Please let me know how your experience is.

If you would like more information or suggestions about walking your dog in the manner I advocate above, please check out Cesar Milan, the Dog Whisperer, and his explanation: www.cesarsway.com/node/1460

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