Walking your Doggie

I've put together some tips and pointers for dog walkers. Whether you're a first time dog walker/owner, or a seasoned veteran I'm sure you'll find some useful information here.

Things to bring with you on each walk:

• Baggie(s) for picking up poop. No one likes to see (or step in!!) dog poop! Please do your part and pick up after your pet. Your neighbors will thank you.
• Treats for rewarding your good pup! You should give your doggie a treat after it relieves itself and for walking next to you, the way you want it to. Also, it's a good idea to give your pooch a treat anytime it's behaving well (and often, this means for no reason other than just laying on the floor.)
• Throw toy (Frisbee or ball) for times when you find an open, pet-friendly space or any alleyway.
• Leash to keep your doggie safe with you at all times.
• Cell phone in case of an emergency. Bonus if your cell phone has a camera on it for those candid moments! (No texting while walking!)
• Clicker if you are training with one. It's good to keep this on you at all times when you are with your pet.
• Camera for candid shots of your pet. I also like to take photos of other dogs we meet because I just can't resist making friends with those furry little guys.
• Water bottle to rinse off areas where your pet relieves itself.

You might want to invest in a satchel or fanny pack to carry everything. It looks dorky, but what are dog lovers and pet owners if not dorks?! We love talking about dogs, so we should know how to care for them as well. Or you can take the "cool" approach and wear a hoodie or jacket with lots of pockets.

And if you're walking your doggie at night:

• Everything listed above
• Flashlight to be safe and it comes in handy to see the poop when you're picking it up. It also helps to scan the area for critters such as raccoons and skunks!

Be aware of your surroundings. While you're dog is occupied with sniffing something, take a look around you and take note of people walking. Listen for the jingling of another dog's collar if you are going around a blind corner. Be sure that your dog is walking next to you or just behind you so that your dog isn't caught off guard.

When approaching other doggies, call ahead to the owner before you approach and ask if their pet is friendly and let them know whether yours is or what their limits are. Keep an eye on your dog to see how it's reacting to the approach and correct any unwanted behavior such as growling or showing their teeth. 

Learn your dogs boundaries. If your dog is aggressive, physically stop your pet and squat down in front of it. Make your dog sit and speak to it in a soothing voice and pet it. You may have to do this each time you approach a new pet, but with patience and practice, the more your pet is exposed to other dogs, the more friendly it will become.

Dogs feed off your energy. It's important to stay calm and be cautions when approaching other dogs. Walk slow, pulling your dog back a little and let them sniff each others' noses. When they get comfortable doing that, they'll walk next to the dog to sniff whatever else they like to sniff on each other. 

Talking to your dog is the easiest way to communicate with it. It's okay to tell your dog NO. Mark constantly reminds me of this. I often say "stop it", "no thank you", or "get back here". A flat out NO is straight to the point and your dog will learn to understand that it's doing something you don't like. Ex: Charlie likes to lick our wet legs when we get out of the shower. We say "NO. Where's your ball?" and he goes to find his ball. The NO stops the behavior and the next line distracts him and directs his attention to the next fun thing to do. When I'm walking him and I see him get fixated on someone or something I say "Leave it. Come on let's go this way." The command "Leave it." stops the behavior and the next line makes him focus his attention back on me and where we are going. I might even jog a little to get him excited about where we are going.