How To Walk Your Dog

The emphasis on the importance of exercise extends beyond the human species – it is widely known that your dogs need ample exercise, both physically and mentally, to lead happy and healthy lives. 

Other than calming boredom jitters, daily walks can also aid your pup's digestion and help him sleep better at night. Of course, before bringing your dog out for any walks, the first step is training him to get used to wearing a leash.

Earlier this week (on our social media), we recommended the amount of exercise time for your dog based on his age and activity. Now, let us introduce you to the types of daily walks your doggo needs.

1. Potty Walks

Potty walks are purposeful and quick, but if you find yourself spending more time than you have, your dog may not understand the purpose of the walk. Instead, he will recognise that the walk ends after he has relieved himself. This may cause him to delay relieving himself to prolong the walk.

If your doggo is unable to relief himself while on a leash, you will be relieved to know that many other pup owners have found themselves in the same situation. 

One of the most common causes is leash association. If dog walks have been rushed and tensed, your dog may associate leashing to those emotions. To rectify that, work with your doggo on creating happy associations with the leash. It will also be worth investing in another leash specially for potty walks – this can help your dog understand the purpose of the walk. 

Tip: To prevent indoor potty accidents, make sure your dog gets enough opportunities to relief himself (3 to 5 times a day). Remember that it takes about 5 to 10 minutes for your doggo to get comfortable in his chosen potty spot, so be patient and schedule enough time for potty walks!

2. Mentally Stimulating Walks

While humans understand the world primarily through sight, canines gain knowledge about the world around them through the sense of smell. A dog's nasal cavity has more than 100 million sensory receptor sites that can translate chemical aromas from a single sniff into the trail's recent past. For instance, your doggo will be able to tell if another dog has recently passed through the area and approximately how long ago, including that dog's gender and mood. 

Giving your dog enough time to explore with his nose allows him to gather information about the world and catch up on neighbourhood news, which provides him with the mental stimulation he needs. To keep things fresh and exciting for your doggo, change your walking route now and then! These mental stimulations can help your doggo expend excess energy and reduce the risk of early cognitive decline.

3. Power Walks

Power walks are all about exercising; these brisk walks help maintain and improve both you and your pup's cardiovascular health. 

These walks can help your doggo achieve and stay at a healthy body weight, build muscle mass, maintain integrity of his musculoskeletal system, as well as resolve boredom and unwanted behaviours.

The right pace for a power walk should have your dog is trotting alongside you with a short stride and high leg turnover rate; it should bring your dog's heart rate up to the "aerobic" or "fat burning zone", but be careful not to go too fast! For older dogs or dogs with injury, include a 5-minute warm up before increasing the walking pace. For healthy dogs with no pre-existing medical conditions, it Is recommended to start with 30-minute walks five times a week. 

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4. Training Walks

These can be used to train your dog for anything you can think of while he on a leash, from learning basic and advanced obedience commands, to leash manners.

Popular obedience commands training games include "Red Light, Green Light", which challenges your dog's ready-to-response rate to verbal-only cues like "sit", "stop" and "stay". If your dog is always running ahead of you, you can start training him by stopping or taking sharp turns in a different direction every time he gets ahead of you, Of course, remember to bring plenty of treats to encourage learning! 

As we have eased into Phase 1 of Post Circuit Breaker, here are some of the dog-friendly places you can bring your pups to: 
• Tanjong Beach
• Marina Barrage
• Singapore Botanic Gardens

*Please check ahead to see if they are open to public.

For the near future when society slowly returns to "normalcy", you can refer to our Top 10 list of dog friendly places in Singapore HERE.