What Are My Responsibilities When Walking My Dog?
Bruce Edwards
Have had many excellent professional work experiences. Now enjoying retirement!
One of the biggest mistakes that we all make when walking our dog is to worry about what other people are thinking about us and our dog. Are we walking our dog in a manner that “they” approve? They walk their dog on the left side right off their left foot, why aren’t we doing the same? Why are we allowing our dog to stop “there” to sniff and poop? How fast are we picking the poop up and did we leave any miniscule amount in the grass?
We often spend most of our “dog walking” experience worrying if there are “snoopy neighbors” watching and judging us. Because of this, we focus on the mechanics of walking when out with our dog. We make sure that he is right by our side. We never let him lung or bark at our neighbors or their cats. We pull him off the street when a car approaches. These are all “mechanics” and would be the bullet points in a “Here is what I want you to do” list.
If we only focus on this, we will completely forget about our responsibilities towards our dog. We are his boss, caregiver, provider, and best friend. That requires responsibilities. Performing them correctly gives our dog a sense of safety and security. It also strengthens the bond between owner and dog.
Robin and I have a great dog training article that explains all of this. Please read our dog training article titled “What Are My Responsibilities When Walking My Dog”.