Dog Walking: Why To Start, How Often, And Where

[@DogsThat]

Check out our playlist on Loose Leash Walking - kzbin.info/aero/PLphRRSxcMHy1mGMfdVKXq_hiJ27Ej1shW

[@azogal53]

Me again. I thought of a couple more advantages to our daily 5 mile walks. We're known in our neighborhood! We've made several good friends just through our regular encounters. Great opportunity for Esmé to practice polite greetings and Recallers Go See game. We also practice polite greetings with other dogs. We've helped a non-walker start walking for her health ! Dogs truly are ambassadors. Twice a week, we drive to a safe conservation area for off leash fun and Recallers games in novel locations. Great chance to connect with nature too. For us, the benefits of our daily walk are repaid over and over and over.

[@Jenily111]

Yes! I have 3 Chihuahuas (soon to be 4). There is no way I would ever attempt to walk them all at once (for fear of off leash dogs rushing us and also it is a circus watching me with 3 dogs on leash). I got a dog stroller that is big enough to hold 4 small dogs. Oh my gosh they love it so much! Each dog takes a turn walking next to myself and the stroller. So we go for a long walk and I keep swapping dogs out so everyone gets a turn to walk. The dog doing the walking gets sniff breaks and exercise, the dogs in the stroller are just happy to be out and observe everything around us. I never thought I would own a dog stroller but it has really turned into a great training tool for us and my girls are getting out and about more than they ever have ❤🐾 Plus I have storage room for water, treats and toys 😁

[@skygazer_on_water]

I know this is a year-old episode, but... It's as relevant as ever. Before getting our Aussie, I'd do 5-6K steps a day. Since getting him, once he got past the puppy stage, we have 4 walks a day, totalling 11-15K steps a day which includes an almost daily trip to a local large fenced dog park. The only times we cut back on the walks is during the hot days, and then we visit the dog parks with water access (either river or lake) where he can go swimming. The plusses: he's very social (not not obnoxious), loves to chase and be chased by other dogs, is very healthy and trim, gets to practice much of his cue repertoire even at the dog park, and has grown into a confident and attentive companion. In return, I get a relaxed, well-exercised companion, very attentive and engaging. Unlike many walkers, I'm constantly interacting with him and use the opportunity of the walk to build a mutual understanding. Even as a loose-leash walker, he lets me know what he'd prefer to do. Sometimes, we end up doing speed walks, other times we're doing a deep study of a local part of the neighborhood.

[@mariebutler6619]

Thank you Susan 😊. I hardly trim my dogs nails at all, as he has a 20 min road walk, 20 min grass walk/run/sniff of lead time, then 20min road walk back home twice a day. Then weekends are adventure times, new green areas near me. I'm very lucky to live very close to lots of wonderful woods, grass areas and rivers. I love my walks, I need to be outside, it helps to to relax 😌. Have a lovely day.

[@puppylife9149]

Habit of gratitude, yes!

[@joannaycwang2706]

Love this episode. Thank you Susan and the team for creating and sharing it 💕

[@petereastwood7868]

My dog & I take two walks a day; one in the morning and one in the evening. I have found that he can tell the time. Come walkies time he sits in front of me and stares, and stares until I get up to take him. He is a relentless task master.

[@Stinabananas]

Aside from the heat waves we go out twice a day at least. I need it as much as my pup does!

[@azogal53]

Love love love walking -- 5 miles daily with my 12 yo Maltese/poodle. Just had her wellness exam, came through with flying colors! Glad you mentioned "Forever Dog," loaded with more great info on creating a happy, healthy, long life for your dog. Edited to add: would love tips on how to get my dog to walk in all types of weather. She has cold weather and rain gear and would prefer to skip walks on those days. I do balance breaks to play games and try to keep it fun. Thanks! 🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪

[@kathyhaas5440]

I can’t find words to tell you how VERY VERY thankful for this podcast series. Changed my and Miss Lily’s lives. God bless you hugely!!

[@sylviakonik6191]

Best podcast ever! So wise and so useful! I've met too many people who deprive their dogs of proper walks. Some claim their dogs don't like leaving the flat (!!!!). Others are worried their dogs will catch infections or diseases from other dogs. Many people believe letting a dog out into the garden is perfectly enough 😞 I'm sharing this podcast on my fb hoping more will realize how important a decent walk is 💞

[@kathymagar9709]

I live in a 55 and older community. We have formed a dog walking group. It is so fun to introduce owners to the idea of pack walking and how dogs figure it out! So many people believe their dogs will not walk well with other dogs. I encourage them to try and our group continues to grow! Thank you for this podcast!

[@BeyondTheRx]

I LOVE walking my dogs! We live near the beach in FLA. we walk early morning mid afternoons before it’s too hot and at night before bed. Rain, cold we walk… if it’s too hot, I check the pavement for heat we will take a shorter walk through my neighbors yards in the grass.

[@sallyherndon3258]

SO TRUE!! I love walking with my Recallers Alumni every day. Would be lost without that good time together outside! I Watched this Podcast this morning and was inspired to take an extra long walk venturing down an long dead end road that we rarely travel. We were rewarded by a little tub that was labeled "Sticks". We peeped in and there were also 2 tennis balls. I said "Bring Me" to my dog and we had a fun off-lease retrieval game on this lonely little street! Thank you Susan! And Yes, I agree that my next puppy I will do more puppy games close to home until 3-4 months with bonding before going out for long walks and I will build up to walks with great training games along the way.

[@straight.no.chaser1708]

I take mine (he’s 4now) swimming at hydrotherapy centre once a month in spring summer, great exercise and gets them used to water . They can do this from 3 to 4 months too ☺️

[@rachelm7525]

Forest. If you have woodland near you, that's by far the best environment when it's hot. 🙂

[@nanettelai1525]

So many benefits of walking the dog (Mini fully agrees with this because she loves being outdoors). Min and I walk 1 to 2 hours daily, which demonstrates how my life has been #shapedbydog since 2020. Only extreme weather (e.g. tornados) replaces our walks where we play Crate Games or Perch work. I agree that humans reap so many benefits from walking the dog daily - I have MS and walking Min every day is congruent with my doctors' recommendations for physical activity. Besides that, training her during walks contributes to my own cognitive health :)

[@michellem2892]

A walk (and the accompanying sniffing) is my dogs’ New York Times… it’s their Netflix episode…their movie night…their favorite book…their Spotify… etc. I need reading and entertainment as integral spices of life and so do my dogs. And as for A Dog’s Freedom To Sniff, I feel sad for dogs who get dragged away “mid-article/mid-episode/mid-song/mid-movie” etc. Thinking of it from this perspective motivates me to walk my dogs Every. Single. Day. (and be patient while they stop and “smell the roses” in their lives

[@Thegirlnamedsomthing]

Great message! A daily walk has been "the rule" for dog owners in my country for at least 20 yrs I'm sure. At least an hour walk daily is my rule of thumb, though exhaustion hinders me some days unfortunatly. Most weeks I think I manage to average two hours a day. Nothing like a long hike in the woods on the weekends! I should get better at morning walks though, too lazy at that time of day...

[@wendylevine6076]

I've been walking my dogs twice a day for as long as I can remember. It's one of the best times to do real world training, and we both love it. It's a personal habit as well since I get my own walk without the dogs. That quotation "motion is lotion" definitely applies.

[@dortenielsen8253]

My favourite dog is walked off leash 3 times a day. And he has the kindest and calmest mindset, you can imagine ♥️

[@janegilbert9851]

Another great video. It still amazes me when I hear some people don’t walk their dogs. It’s the most natural thing to do when living with a dog. I know I’d go stir crazy if I didn’t get my exercise. Thank you for pointing out the facts.

[@bethl7399]

FINE! I'll walk my dog! LOL My dog are in good shape, but I am not. So this was the kick in the butt I needed. I actually did get up and take them for a walk. Not as long as they would have like, but as much as I could do. I'll get in better shape and then we can do agility again.

[@JuanitaClarkGarcia]

I walk for me as much as I meet my dogs need.,I have an app on my phone that measures my steps, etc.

[@ChrisReher]

My havapoo is an outdoor girl, unusual for the (cross)breed. Out twice a day, and the crappier the weather, the more she likes it. After decades of back problems, she was the solution and I'm more fit now than I have been in many years.

[@MikeHeebz]

Working on the no leash, reinforcement zone to my side at my hip in the kitchen with my 4 month old blue heeler/Dalmatian mix "Penny". Outside time is full of pulling, wanting to sniff around, forgetting I'm there & high intensity excitement anytime the neighbors & their canine pals come by. I've tried the up & down the block walk but I think it was pre mature & only intensified the pulling now. This is my first dog & it's been quite the process & frustrating at times since bringing her home at 9 weeks old. Training the Sit, Down, Stay, & Touch has come very easy to her, but she seems to not like leave it or come! Plenty of more work & learning to do on my part as I've been reading & watching dog training material all the time. The hUman (ME) definitely needs more of the training than the dog. Sending Peace + Love to yoU & all your furry friends. =)

[@jozeepare9616]

Today, 2 walks for a total of 5km, 30 min agility pratice and 15 min swimming with me . This is our typical day! When we don't do agility, we walk for an average of 7 to 8 km a day, with and without the leash. Oops, plus Wag Nation games, of course !!! My Helsie sleeps like an angel every nights ! 😉

[@nadiagower9056]

Thank you Susan! 💕🐾💕

[@ambitionroad]

i adopted two little dogs who make me walk them 2-3x a day!!! and it's been such a blessing. it gets me exercising and more than that it gets me to walk my senior dog who is well behaved so i was neglecting his needs. win win win :)

[@vania2338]

This is a basic dog need(In my opinion)...walking isn't just good for our dogs but also for us...I actually feel guilty when I can't walk my dogs(like this morning due to heavy rain (uk weather) )...but I will walk her later on after work even if it's still raining 😊...this is good advice 🙏

[@mareeuhh]

as someone who lives in a big city with low budget for out of town trips, i can 100% say there are so many opportunities for high intensity off leash play (but ofc if the dog has a recall)

[@egbun]

Walking is good, but some running mixed in to get a serious aerobic benefit, takes it to another level. Things like retrieving a frisbee or ball; swimming; running alongside a bike; running up and down hills or stairs; running with other dogs etc. need to also be part of the "walks".

[@sophiesmith5922]

Lol. I got my 2 dogs together because they will make ME walk. This applies to humans, too! We need to MOVE! But during extreme heat or cold we dont got out as long, or maybe stay in with AC. So we do crazy stuff indoors. Its 30 feet (10 meters) back and forth in the house over and over. It is SUPER for practicing a focused heel and obedience. In my community, we can also go to a home store, and for socially acceptable dogs, join the mall walkers prior to store openings.

[@lisapeer5310]

LOVE LOVE LOVE this one! And my Siberian Sea Dog agrees!!! MUST have walkies every day!!

[@ammi_10]

Another benefit is your dog's nails won't need trimming as often.😉 FYI in Canada dogs aren't really allowed at ball diamonds, playgrounds and especially conservation areas and you can get a fine. 🙄Most of the time you can get away with it at ball diamonds and playgrounds but be warned. Happy walking! 🐕🚶‍♀️ 🙂

[@bethanyreilly2809]

This is also true in the US. During covid lockdown I let my dogs run twice in a tennis court when there was nobody around, and the anti dog folks in the neighborhood got a "no dogs allowed" sign posted. Maybe under cover of darkness though lol.

[@lbuchananify]

Actually…dogs are welcome in most conservation areas…in Ontario anyways. I camp all over Ontario and there are always dog friendly trails. Susan is in Ontario as well. They just need to be on leash. I’ve actually never heard of any outdoor public area in Ontario that would fine you when your dog is on-leash.

[@ammi_10]

@@lbuchananify like I said just be warned and know your own local restrictions. We have an area down at the Old Man River Bottom and surrounding coolies in Lethbridge, Alberta that is entirely wonderful as a huge, intertwining dog walking trail for most of it and some of it is even off leash but there is a conservation area where the dogs are not allowed.

[@carolynmvc]

I love to walk with my dogs but have a problem that I am not sure how to handle. Our youngest pup, who is 16 months now, was frightened by a firecracker at the end of a walk on May 24 weekend this year. It was still daylight and we arrived back to our yard, only to have a neighbour set off a very loud firecracker right beside us. Since then, the pup has been much more worried about loud noises than he used to be, loud cars, motorcycles, gunshots in the distance, to the point where he does not want to go for a walk anymore. A couple of nights ago he ran and hid upstairs to avoid going. I do not want to make his association of walks with loud noises worse but I also want him to be able to walk for all of the benefits it provides. Suggestions please???

[@hubbs777]

Susan, you have to reach out to Scottie Barnes. he got a dog and needs to train it. We both know your methods lead to a great relationship with your new family member. Go for it! He has both a twitch & youtube channel!

[@jeffreyH360]

Nice to see Susan embrace her curls after all these years

[@willowtheaussie7380]

I try to walk my dog before work but in my neighborhood she has a few areas she wants to sniff and sniff and sniff… she then does the “Aussie Pancake” when I want to get her moving. I end up playing in the yard with her many mornings instead. Frisbee and chasing her jolly ball are her favorite. Oh and the wild bunnies… yeah they are adorable but dumb as rocks. We do walk some evenings and go on long weekend walks. I try to motivate her to move and don’t treat her until we are moving along. Gets frustrating when I have to get to work.

[@burtcocain1986]

I'd go mad if I didn't get a walk in at least twice a day and my Jack Russell Eddie would probably get quit antsy too. I can't understand why anyone wouldn't want to walk their dog daily. When I first got the little fellar, it was impressed upon me that if I DIDN'T walk him for at least 90 minutes a day, I was asking for behavioural issues.

[@CrayolaCoffeeBean]

You might end up answering this, but I have a 9mo Samoyed. Depending on how busy I am with work, we go on 2-3 walks a day. The morning and midday walks are 10-15 mins, the evening walk is anywhere between 30min to an hour. Is that too much? Or is it ok?

[@crankyoldlady5433]

But my dogs totally do zoomies around the yard as a duo. They fly around like wild children. Which is why I don’t mind only doing leashes walks. They gallop around my huge yard like wildings

[@pubculture]

I walk my dog at least 2h a day. In Europe,where a lot of people live in apartments it's absolutely necessary. Can't imagine any other way. Recently in Germany they even made it a law that dogs need to be walked at least one hour a day ☺️

[@ldavis-henry5065]

I also walk my dog 2 hrs/day and he also gets an a.m. early walk with my husband. I live in 🇨🇭,love walking in nature! Every day. So blessed. In some cantons there is also a rule similar to DE that dogs have to be walked each day and also new dog owners must attend dog classes. And totally agree with the “grounding effect” 👍

[@pubculture]

@@ldavis-henry5065 I live in Poland in a 40m² flat 😅 and I would actually love to see what's like to be able not to walk your dog because there's a backyard 🥲

[@berlinorama]

I live in Berlin and also can't imagine not walking my two crazy terriers 3 times every day;-))

[@RaptorsGirl]

Yes I had read that about Germany but totally forgot to include it in this podcast, thank you for the comment!

[@chriso3479]

Please, a video on how to deal with dog (I have 15 mo old Lab) who thinks a leash is a tug toy and jumps at it and that escalates to rough play as if I'm another pup. She has poor impulse control, although not aggressive or mean. I do my best to stay calm and calm her down but still struggling with unpredicability. I'm sure I'm not alone.

[@DogsThat]

Hi @Chris O - check out this video, it covers that very thing from around the 14 minute mark - kzbin.info/www/bejne/mnaWpY2Yr7OahtE

[@dessertthingy]

Great video as always. My 13-year-old dog now gets out for a one-hour walk about 4 times per week, which is still less than ideal, but better than last year when walks were just an occasional thing. My new puppy is 4 months old, and I've just started taking him for short walks.

[@crankyoldlady5433]

Two of my dogs hate each other so it makes daily walking (I own four dogs) a bit of a drama show. I walk them two by two now and it’s been way nicer :)

[@luanndavis-jindela3223]

Love this!!

[@DogsThat]

Thank you, LuAnn!

[@jessicajarsak7812]

How long or how far do you walk a mini dachshund? And how do you work on excitable dogs that pull when they see a stray cat or another dog? I have three medium dogs and a mini dachshund. A husky mix, border collie and border collie lab mix. How do you walk that many and work on their pulling lol

[@chelseal654]

My Border/Lab mix definitely needs a walk everyday. Sometimes my husband walks her twice. Otherwise she’s a holy terror!

[@nancylpr]

I worry about my dachshunds backs. I had a dachshund that would lay down when we had walked a bit. I thought he was lazy. It turned out he had a back problem.

[@queenduane]

I walk our dog 3 or more times a day, but feel we get little exer. Her nose is on the ground sniffing constantly. We’re lucky to walk 4 blocks in 20 minutes. Any suggestions?

[@DogsThat]

Hi Donna, we have a video about sniffing on walks to help - kzbin.info/www/bejne/mKnbZoWkoJmnj9U

[@chmueller59]

I think they will make it a law in my country that dogs must be walked at least for one hour twice daily. In summer we go before sunrise and after sunset, when it is not so hot any more. However, in spring It is not a good idea to let the dog off-leash in nature when all the wild animals are breeding and raising their babies. Respect all animals, not just your own.

[@bob1234881]

What about veey reactive dogs? Chances are both dog and person aren't enjoying the walk. I do think there are some times where ditching the walk is beat for the dog, person and probably everyone else. A good indicator is 5 out if 10 walks aren't enjoyable. Anyway love your channel and often point people in your direction.

[@emilyspalding2982]

I'm working on my 7 month old Aussie's extreme dog reactivity. Every time she sees a dog she redlines because she's so excited, happy & wants to play. Walking has to be limited so she doesn't have a chance to rehearse that reactive behavior while I'm working to build value for reinforcement zone. I hope as we continue to work on growing her ability to withstand excitement without redlining that we'll be able to do longer walks or running beside a bike on bike trails. *I take her to a location where she she can run loose without seeing other dogs at a family member's house several times a week.*

[@bob1234881]

@@cyborg8623 yep. A walk is just loop, this can be a very small one.

[@pubculture]

@@emilyspalding2982 7 months is still a baby, you will get there. Test out how far away from the dogs she is able not to freak out and gradually work your way creating less and less distance with plenty of rewards 🤞

[@casdragon_5939]

My dogs aren't reactive, but in order to go for walks we have to pass a ton of dogs that are very fence aggressive. We've had them jump out or squeeze through holes to get at my dogs; so now if we ever do go for walks (not often) we carry pepper spray.

[@Jenily111]

Well, I guess it depends on how reactive the dog is. I have one dog that barks at other dogs and small children. I got her right before covid hit in 2020, so as a puppy she didn't get out as much as she should have...now I pay the price for this 😆. Now she is a small dog, but I recently got a dog stroller and this has helped a lot. I put the canopy completely over her when I see she is starting to get stressed. So it's almost like a crate on wheels, she is totally in her own little world. I make sure we have distance from whatever is triggering her and give her treats. I think the option to cover her helps her confidence. But I know the stroller might not be realistic with a larger dog!

[@meljordan220]

I have 4 acres and I have two German Shepherd dogs. I run them an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon. We play fetch we run around we do something called run a lap which is all of us going around the house I'm usually the slowest so they wait for me. Is this enough? Or should I use some of that time leaving the property on leash?

[@dortenielsen8253]

An important reason to walk/ run/ exercise your dog sevetal times a day is that physical activity promotes intestinal peristalsis in all mammals - including humans. That implies that the dog will relieve himself during the walk. My dog relieves himself at least 1-3 times on every walk and never at home in the house or in the garden.

[@dortenielsen8253]

That implies that the dog will relieve himself during the walk. My dog relieves himself at least 1-3 times on every walk and never at home in the house or in the garden.

[@haventli]

I love walking my dogs. The only situation I've found where I don't feel it's the best for my dog to go on a walk is when we are training anxiety or reactivity and we are avoiding triggers. Otherwise walk, walk, walk. 😊

[@Laura-yo1gh]

Interesting! I am in the UK and there's an opposite thing going on here specially for gundogs: STOP walking the dog!!! That's for folks that have taken a gundog into a pet home and lost control of them in open countryside - putting themselves through intense daily stress of a very unenjoyable walk and the dog out of control. For these dogs, stop walking and get training! Outdoors but control the environment (staked longline in field with retrieve games great) not that i would ever disagree with susan lol! I just know here in the UK, there are owners putting themselves through daily torture🤣 Believing this daily walk is essential.

[@victropolis]

is a 4 mile, 1h 20m walk too long?

[@Claire-zr7lt]

How sad you even have to do a video on this. I can’t even imagine not walking my dog every day-sunny, rainy, snowy, whatever we are out. It grounds me, it grounds my dog. I can’t even begin to imagine why anyone could even consider a dog and plan on walking. It’s so sad what we have been doing to our dogs. Thank you.

[@ambitionroad]

i know SO MANY people who have dogs and never walk them :(

[@MaximillianandRubyGrace]

I take my newfs Out in the trails every every morning! I wouldn’t miss it

[@RaptorsGirl]

WOW good for you!

[@Ocudavidimvideooo]

People who let their dog get obese don't actually love that dog, no matter what they say. It only serves as a (wrong) need fulfillment of theirs, whatever that may be - if they truly loved that dog, they would face the facts and put the dog's needs first. Same goes for obese people saying they "love their body" (but I assume if the obesity wasn't being popularised and incessantly presented by media and celebs who get rich off of it as something good, there wouldn't be either obese people or obese dogs) - if you do love it, why do you keep harming it? I've been trying to provide my girl with at least two 1h walks + play per day (3 1h walks in total once she grew up, and while she was a puppy I followed 5mins per month of age rule), we would skip the afternoon walks during the summer heats. Now in my third trimester (started during summer) I had to limit myself to only a morning walk with her, and the spouse would take over for the other two (this last 1.5 months of my pregnancy I'll have to concede all of the walks to him, it's getting very difficult for me to move) and even take her with him on his evening runs, which I can't wait to be able to rejoin - as soon as I recover from childbirth and the pediatrician clears it, it's going to be all 4 of us on the runs! 😅

[@angelariley271]

Are you familiar with the dog aging project from Texas A&M I think you would be interested.

[@antoinettegeyer8832]

Thank you for spreading this information. It's just sad that this has to be taught - it's an undebated and logical (if not practical) given that owning a dog means food/water, shelter, daily walks and training. All this just seemed to have been replaced with over affection, anthropomorphising and pushing dogs to be more like us and adapt to our schedules - not allowing them to be what their dna and breed demands and require of them. Personaly didn't own a dog for a long period because our schedules and priorities didn't allow room for one. Dog's needs over own emotional gratification. A lot of people need to think before making that purchase or adoption.

[@ashhachavaan1356]

Working breeds like Doberman should be walked or exercised DAILY

[@catherinetrapani5398]

Thank you Susan- this is super helpful as I am re-learning to walk my 2 year old McNab after 7 month recovery from leg fracture. Unrelated question: Do you know of a good way to transport/ fly with my gurl New Jersey to Seattle? Cheers!

[@DogsThat]

Thanks for tuning in, @Catherine Trapani! In our store we have an eBook to help with flying - dogsthat.com/product/flying-your-pet-ebook/

[@veroniquedejong3493]

Strange subject to be talking about, when you're from the Netherlands. Over here, everybody walks their dogs 3-4 times a day. Okay, not everybody walks them very long walks. But the idea of 3 walks per week just sound ridiculous from our perspective. And by the way... when/where do they do 'their business' when you don't walk?

[@happyswissjoe]

Dogtator.... some dogs are force to walk because their human walkers WANT to walk.

[@catrinholmes7026]

I thought all of this was a given for dog owners?!

[@RaptorsGirl]

Sadly no it is not. I know of MANY professional trainers who do not agree with my pov on daily walks.

[@casdragon_5939]

When mine are in my yard they're running pretty much the whole time lol; we rarely go for walks as the area is quite boring. After 2-3 days walking the same path I don't want to stare at the road anymore and my dogs get bored too. I've tried podcasts/music/etc. and walking is just so boring!!

[@michellem2892]

A walk (and the accompanying sniffing) is my dogs' New York Times... it's their Netflix episode……their movie night.…their favorite book……their Spotify.. etc. I need reading and entertainment as integral spices of life and so do my dogs. And as for A Dog's Freedom To Sniff, I feel sad for dogs who get dragged away "mid-article/mid-episode/mid-song/mid-movie"etc. Thinking of it from this perspective motivates me to walk my dogs Every. Single. Day. (and be patient while they stop and "smell the roses" in their lives