Life with pets | PETS
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her sister passed away. While she initially walked
him out of a sense of obligation, she soon found
that Charlie “tugged at her heartstrings”.
This sense of connection is one of the
factors a recent study identified as a key
motivator for regular dog walkers. Researchers
have dubbed the aspects of the dog–human
relationship that inspire owners to walk
their dogs “the Lassie effect”. These include
owning a larger dog, having a strong level of
attachment to your dog, knowing your dog
enjoys walking, believing walking keeps your
dog healthy, and having support from your
family to go walking.
Regardless of how motivated you are, a dog
won’t automatically walk on a lead by your
side. But with a little training, you’ll soon be
enjoying relaxing walks with your best friend.
If you are anxious or lack confidence, your dog
will sense it, Belinda Marinus, who runs Heel,
Sit & Stay dog training in Queensland, says.
She recommends enlisting the help of a trainer
or enrolling in an obedience course to develop
the skills you need. “The time and investment
will be worth it when you can enjoy walking
your dog,” she says.
MAKING WALK TIME EASIER
If you’re looking for things you can do at home
to help make your dog-walking experience
easier, Belinda suggests avoiding hyping up
your dog with a high-pitched, “Who wants to
go WALKIES?”, which can “send them off the
Richter scale to a level of over-excitement
that makes walking on a lead overwhelming”.
Instead, calmly put the lead on at your front
door or gate. If your dog remains over-excited
and difficult to control, walk 10m or so before
turning around and heading back home. By
repeating this process a few times every day
for a week or so, “your dog will still be excited
to go for a walk but won’t be so stimulated
they can’t control themselves”, Belinda says.
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You can then start increasing your distance.
After you’ve established calm lead walking,
you can venture into more exciting territory,
like the park. If your dog gets over-excited
around other dogs, you should maintain some
distance, get him to sit and wait until the
other dog passes, or calmly walk in another
direction while keeping the lead relaxed,
Belinda advises. “A tight lead on a dog sends a
message straight down to it and can make the
situation worse.”
If your dog has been well-socialised and you
meet another dog on-lead that you want to
greet, you should keep the lead loose, allow
the dogs a quick greeting and “calmly walk
away before they get too excited”, Belinda says.
It’s also important to maintain communication
with other dog owners. Letting them know
your dog is in training, gets overexcited or is
anxious around other dogs reduces the chance
of any difficult interactions.
Difficult behaviours could be more likely if
you have a rescue or rehomed dog that has an
unknown history. Belinda suggests being alert
for unusual reactions, such as being spooked
by passing cars or an animal in a paddock.
“Be aware and watch your dog for changes in
behaviours so you can manage these before
your pet becomes overwhelmed, defensive or
aggressive,” she says. If regular training isn’t
working, a dog trainer can help you deal with
behaviours that might stem from your dog’s
past experiences.
If your dog is large, strong or hard to
control, you might need some equipment to
help with training. These may include head
halters and “no-pull” harnesses, but they need
to be fitted and used correctly, Belinda says.
Do some online research or get professional
help to choose the right gear for your dog.
With the right equipment and training,
you’ll soon be reaping the benefits of a daily
walk with your best bud.