It is part of many dog owners' daily routine but some are saying that walking your dog every day may not be the best idea.
Bestselling author and canine expert Niki French is urging people to stop taking their dog for a walk on a daily basis. She is instead encouraging owners to find new stimulating methods to keep their dog active.
She shared her belief that not every dog benefitted from a daily walk, and some would prefer other activities instead. The 53-year-old dog trainer has since urged owners to rethink their daily dog walk, and is herself championing a national 'Don't Walk Your Dog Day'.
Instead, Niki is a strong believer in positive reward and enrichment games like digging sandpits, playing with cardboard boxes, using lick mats and hide-and-seek activities. Smaller dogs are likely much more happy to walk just occasionally unlike larger breeds. You can get more pets news and other story updates by subscribing to our newsletters here.
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She told the Mirror : “It might come as a surprise, but traditional walks are a human invention and aren’t helpful for many of our dogs. Replacing walk time with training games at home can give the dogs the skills they’re missing to live calm and happy lives.
“Contrary to popular belief, dogs with behaviour struggles can get more reactive or more excitable when we try to exhaust them through too much exercise”, she added. Niki referenced her own two-year-old rescue pup named Brodie as a shining example of what less walking could do to a dog, describing him as ‘noticeably calmer’ with fewer walks and instead playing more enrichment games.
“Skipping some walks can help both dogs and owners alike destress. When more than half of walks are stressful (for the dog or you), it’s time to do something different.” You can read about the UK's naughtiest dog here.
Owners might benefit from less frequent walks as well. Niki stressed that it wasn't a necessary daily obligation you needed to stick to. For example, if the weather is too hot or cold, you might both either overheat or catch a nasty cold. "Playing games at home is a great way to build skills our dogs need and boost our relationship with them. It's good to have other things in your toolkit.
"This applies to all dogs and surprisingly it can work best for breeds that need lots of exercise," explained Niki, who has been an animal lover her entire life, and became a dog trainer three years ago. "I want these people to know that they aren't alone, and we aren't judging them."
If you'd like to get involved with national Don't Walk Your Dog Day, share your experience online with the hashtag #dontwalkyourdog. For more information, visit https://go.puptalk.co.uk/awareness-day.
