7 tips for Walking Your Dog featured on Pets Best Insurance

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7 Tips for Walking Your Dog

Posted on: February 22nd, 2013 by Carrie Tiemann

At Pets Best Insurance we want your dog to live a long, happy and healthy life. Part of a healthy dog is ensuring they get good exercise, which we know walks give them. But did you also know it helps maintain the bond between you, and establishes you as the leader?

Professional dog walker, Kelley Goad, of BallWalkPark.com in Seattle shares her top tips/reasons for walking your dog.

1. Have the right gear for your dog

Some dogs do best with a front clip harness (reduces pulling and is very safe), or a head halter, a prong collar or just a flat collar. I find that almost any dog can adapt to the front clip harness very easily and it makes walking much more enjoyable for both of you.

2. Keep a short leash

I like to hold the majority of the leash with my right hand, cross my body and have the dog walking on my left side, and left hand just holds the leash closer to the collar. This gives you a good Plan B should the leash get out of your hand.

3. Carry treats

Carry treats and practice the “leave it” command. It can be very useful when it comes to squirrels, birds, or passing dogs if the sniffing gets a little too invasive.

4. Ditch your Phone

Try to stay off your phone and enjoy this time with your pup. It makes me so happy to spend this time with my dog and see how happy she is trotting along with a big smile on her face. I come home in a better mood every single time we go on a walk. Try it!

5. Exercise, Stimulation and Satisfaction

Walks are great because they provide exercise and mental stimulation. Your pup isn’t only tired from the walk, but is mentally satisfied after tracking down all those scents, observing the sights and sniffing the smells. This combination leads to a more balanced and calmer pup.

6. Dogs thrive on routine

Something as simple as a 20 minute walk in the morning and/or after work can be just what your dog needs to feel like all is OK in their world.

7. Bonding and Pack Hierarchy

Walking your dog is important for creating or maintaining the bond between you two, it also helps establish you as the pack leader.

Rowdy sibling walk

Bailey and Otis are basically brother and sister, they have spent more time together than apart in the last 3 years. They stay at each other's houses, spend holidays together and go on vacation together. They had me cracking up on our walk this morning. [gallery ids="1256,1257,1258,1254,1253,1251,1250,1252"]

New Years Resolution Part 2: Cooper

If this isn't the highlight of your day, I can't imagine what is. A HUGE thank you to Nancy's wonderful husband, John Holm, for his video editing skills and excellent song choice. The video I sent him was about 10% as cool as what he made it. [youtube=http://youtu.be/_6MoZaN8T9Q]

So, as illustrated by this video, Cooper hopped right into the truck under the influence of the magic cheese/prosciutto combo. The following times were a bit tougher to convince him about, then he decided it was a good idea to convince me to get in the back while he drive, but overall I would say it was a success!

We will definitely be revisiting this exercise as he could totally plow me down as soon as he decides he doesn't want to be in the back anymore. The goal is to convince him that the back is the place to be. Stay tuned!

What does the wind do to the dogs?!

**I have no scientific evidence or dog behavior theory to support this post, it's just my thoughts and comments are more than welcome!** Right as we got to the park today if got really windy for about 20 minutes. It has been sunny and beautiful earlier in the day, and as I drove closer and closer to the park for the afternoon trip, I saw dark gloomy clouds rolling in. By the time I got to the park, it was dark, windy and starting to rain. It's a common saying among the dogwalkers that the wind make the dogs go crazy, and on any windy day at the park, you will see a more chaotic scene than normal. Today was just about the epitome of that.

Almost as soon as the dogs bust out of the back of my truck, the wind gusts were blowing through the trees, almost as if it were blowing the dogs into the park. Normally, there is a big explosion of excitement and chasing, barking, jumping when we first get inside the gates, and it usually settles within a minute or two. Not today. And not just my dogs. They bounced, chased and wrestled their way across the big field over to the side field (we call it "the dome") where I hoped we could settle down out of the way of everyone else. The next 20 minutes were absolute chaos.

Normally I wouldn't write a blog to broadcast my lack of control over my pack, but since I feel these are dogs I normally have under control really well, and I know it was just the weather throwing them (and every other dog) off, I'm OK with sharing my less than role-model-dogwalker moments.

On a normal day at the park, you will see dogwalkers with their packs calmly walking along with maybe 1 or 2 dogs running ahead to catch a ball, maybe a little barking, but all in all pretty calm. You will see a dogwalker off in a field playing fetch with his/her pack. You will see a dogwalker neatly filing their pack through the gates to the water. Sprinkled in between packs are park patrons with their one or two pups who are either chasing their ball, sticking by their owner, or making friends with dogs in the packs. Despite how many dogs are in one place, it's actually pretty structured and calm.

Now, have you seen Mean Girls? Remember when the "Burn Book" got out an everyone breaks into madness in the halls? That exact scene crossed my mind. Sammy was trotting around in circles like a horse with the ball in his mouth. Chesa was right at his heels. Salty was wrestling some puppy he met. Kato was barking at Salty trying to get in on the action, and resorting to humping when he wasn't getting his way. Josephine had found another puppy (less than half her size, of course) to play with. Cooper was intermittently body slamming and humping them. This was just my pack. Another dogwalker across the dome had his back who were wrestling, barking, humping and chasing. Park patrons were calling after their non-responsive dogs who were gleefully doing laps around the park with no regard for their name being called. This is what the wind does to the dogs.

I don't know what it is about the wind. I googled it and didn't find anything worth relaying. I've heard that the wind kicks up all the smells in the dirt and grass and throws the dogs off. I've heard the sound of the wind is too much on their ears and makes them go a little crazy. I tend to believe the kicking up smells theory... I imagine the dogs all going crazy because all of a sudden everything they knew got turned upside down. The dogs can't tell who smells good enough to hump so they hump any random dog, they can't tell what human has the treats so they just go jumping on everyone, and they can't tell whose ball it is so they just grab anything or leave everything to be found by another confused dog. Again, there is no scientific basis on any of this, it's just my dog-crazy brain trying to make sense of the chaos. Regardless of the reasoning, the dogs made sure there were no dull moments this afternoon. I have a feeling they all went home very tired today.

If you do know anything about why the wind does this to dogs, please comment! Let me know!

{products i love} Top 20 puppy shopping list items

Feeling overwhelmed about what you will need for your new puppy? Here are my top 20 favorites products for puppies. It covers just about everything except for the food and water bowls! Happy puppy stuff shopping! 1. Plastic or Wire Crate

Start crating your pup early and they will soon love their "house" in no time. I always suggest to give a special treat or Kong filled with peanut butter each them they go in their crate. There are many options for bedding available, personally, I like to put a big fluffy blanket or bunch of towels so the puppy can kind of nest and get cozy, and also get used to my smell even more. Plus it's easier to wash frequently than a dog bed.

2. Petstages Heartbeat Pillow

New puppies may have a hard time sleeping through the night at first b/c they miss the heartbeat of their littermates. This pillow mimics the sound of a heartbeat. Or you can go the old fashioned way and buy a ticking alarm clock at Bartell's. Also you can put a Nalgene bottle of warm water in the crate so it feels like a warm body next to them.

3. Baby Gate 

When not in the crate, make sure your pup is in confined areas so you can keep an eye on them!

4. Grain-Free puppy food 

There are a ton of good puppy foods out there, and majority of them will be grain-free. Talk to someone at your local pet store to help you decide what is best for your pup. I like to go to Mud Bay Granary, All The Best or Petapoluza. Nick at Petapoluza is especially knowledgable and helpful about dog foods and only carries the highest quality labels.

5. Merrick Lamb Lung treats 

These treats are great because they are easy to break into small pieces for little puppy mouths and lots of training, and they don't smell horrible but the pups love them!

6. Treat Pouch

Be it a treat pouch, a ziploc in your pocket, or just a pocket full of treats, make sure you are armed with treats at all times! You want to always be prepared to reward your pup for all the new behaviors he is learning!

7. Nylabone puppy teething pacifier

I don't know what it is about this toy, but pups seems to love it!

8. N-Bone Puppy teething ring 

This little ring gets soft and gummy for young puppies teeth. Bambi lived on these for several weeks.

9. Kong Activity Ball

This is a great toy to stuff with treats when you put your pup in their crate.

10. Kyjen Plush Puppies Hedgehog 

This is a ballwalkpark puppy gift basket classic. Everyone loves a squeaky hedgehog! Until the squeak drives you crazy..

11. Kyjen Hide-A-Bee toy 

The squeaky bee is another ballwalkpark classic. The bee is smaller and easier for pups to hold onto. Still soft and squeaky fun!

12. Poop bags and bag dispenser

These little poop bag dispensers help prevent the unthinkable: getting caught without a bag! Always gotta be prepared....

13. Pet Force Stain and Odor Remover

Accidents will happen. If your puppy can smell where the accident was, they will be more likely to have another one in the same place. This enzyme cleaner takes away all of the smell better than anything I've found. It's also ultra concentrated so a little goes a long way. You can find it at Mud Bay.

14. Microfiber Towel

We are in Seattle. Muddy paws are an inevitable part of life. This ultra-absorbent towel will make your dry-off job that much easier.

15. Multipet's Chilly Bone

Run this bone under the water, put it in the freezer, and give to your pup for some soothing relief.

16. Wonder Walker Body Halter

A must-have for leash training! Check out my blog last week about the Wonder Walker body halter here.

17. The Grrrip Two Handled Dog Leash

I like this leash because it has a handle close down to the dog's neck also so you can keep them on a short lead at corners, cross walks, or in crowds. Bailey and I used this thing walking around Greenlake every single day for almost 4 years. Whether it's this leash or not, I highly recommend a flat nylon or rope leash as opposed to a retractable leash.

18. Chuck-It Ball Launcher

Pretty much the greatest invention ever. My profession pretty much relies on this handy little tool, considering I can't throw more than ten feet on my own... A great way to exercise your pup once they are a little older!

19. Pet Hub Link Tag

A QR code ("quick response") on a pet ID tag links to your pet's online data to show emergency contacts, medications, dietary information, and much more. Modifying your data is immediate, free, and does not require a modification to the physical ID tag.

20. Healthy Paws Pet Insurance

Health Insurance is a MUST! Rates are reasonable, starting around $25-$30/mo depending on breed and depending on which plan you choose you can receive up to 90% of your vet bills back on accidents, illnesses and genetic problems. Healthy Paws is a great local Seattle company. I have had nothing but wonderful experiences with them and highly recommend!

Click the image below to save 10% off FOR LIFE!

It's all fun and games when Harley ends up in a cone

Todd, Harley's owner, told me a story yesterday that I have not been about to get out of my head. I have been literally laughing out loud at random times since he told me yesterday. Obviously, I had to share. Harley, if you're not familiar from Facebook pics, is an adorably grumpy looking brindle French bulldog with one front tooth that peeks out at all times. Simply looking at Harley makes almost anyone smile. Once he starts dancing around and doing his Harley thing, if you're not laughing, then we are clearly not on the same page as to what's important in life.

So, Harley-man has been in a cone the last week or so. He got a hot-spot in some of his frenchie face wrinkles and has been wearing the cone to try and heal. Harley goes to daycare twice a week when he is not with me. We had a change in schedule last week and he went on one of his normal "me" days. Todd thinks the different schedule must have meant a different crowd of dogs or something, because they gave Harley-man quite a hard time.

Todd says he got a call from daycare around 11:30am saying Harley had to be placed in isolation. The other dogs were using Harley's cone as a toy and the only way they could make them stop it by getting him out of there. Harley is a good dog and I can't imagine he would ever be put in isolation for any behavioral issues. Todd says when he picked up Harley at the end of the day that the cone was in very rough shape, holes, tears, just a complete mess. Although I'm sure Harley didn't enjoy isolation, its a good thing the folks at daycare take such good care of him!

I can just imagine poor Harley-man being the center of a tug-o-war game (which he usually dominates). Definitely a grumpy face, probably a few snorts, and his stubby musclely (i know its not a word) little legs trying to get traction on the daycare floor. Harley-o-war. Seriously wish I had been watching the webcam for that.

I guess at daycare it's all fun and games when Harley ends up in a cone!

{products i love} Wonder Walker body halter

When it comes to walking your dog, you have to find a way to make it work for you and your pup, otherwise neither of you will enjoy it. When your pup is pulling your arm off and he is choking for a breath of air, nobody is winning. That's why I love the Wonder Walker body halter. It is a simple (and stylish!) halter that has three straps, around the chest in front, under the chest, and around the back. It has clips in the front (chest) or back.  The idea behind the Wonder Walker is to clip your leash to the front of the harness, which prevents the dogs from pulling. If they pull, they are essentially pulling against themselves, so it is not rewarding. Another main feature is that is pulls from the dog's center of gravity, rather than head or neck, which is better for dogs, especially disproportionate ones like the Frenchies ;)

The Wonder Walker is much safer alternative to choke chains, and even a flat collar if your dog pulls. This harness can be used on any dog, of any age. Which brings me to another reason I am such a fan - if you start using this harness on a young puppy, you teach them the right way to walk from the beginning and eliminate pulling as a problem before it even starts.

The Wonder Walker comes in a ton of great colors that you can custom order. Another reason to love this company? It is local, based in Seattle! Explains why almost every dog walking up and down Queen Anne Ave is sporting one these days. I have bought mine at All The Best on Queen Anne.

http://www.wonderwalkerbodyhalter.com/

**I am not given any incentive to write about this harness, I just really like it and want to share with everyone!