Now that warmer weather is here you’ll have fewer excuses not to give Fluffy a walk once or twice a day! There are a few brave souls who walk their dogs every day no matter what the weather, I used to be one of them! Kudos to them! But since we have a fenced in yard now, especially when winter comes, Ty doesn’t get his daily walks. Who wants to risk slipping on the snow and ice and get icy wind blowing in their face? But running around in a fenced in yard is really not enough exercise for dogs. They want to get out and about in the neighborhood and smell all those new smells! You can really tell when they are getting cooped up too much; they will seem more hyper, bark more, want to play more, and may resort to destructive behavior to release some of their energy.
Get Outside and Exercise!
Luckily warmer weather is finally hitting the Columbus, Ohio area and we’ll start to see more and more pet owners walking their dogs. But if your lifestyle makes it hard for you to find the time for adequate exercise for Fido, finding a professional dog walker to help out is a great alternative. Remember that most breeds need 30-60 minutes of physical exercise plus extra time for mental exercise each day. A few good articles on canine exercise needs can be found at: DogTime and Dog Training Community. So a walk around the neighborhood technically is not enough, but it’s a start.
Leash Etiquette
Don’t neglect Fido’s walks just because he tugs on the leash and barks at every dog. Do you get tired of the constant struggle to keep him behaved? At Trusty Paws Pet Sitting and Dog Walking, we can work on these behaviors to help enforce leash etiquette. Pulling on the leash and aggressive behaviors can be dangerous to both the dog and passersby. They also mean that the dog is stressed out and not calm and balanced. I know how hard it can be to correct these issues. I’ve worked with Ty since we got him and still haven’t made much progress with aggression towards other dogs. Although I’m not a professional trainer, having someone else to think of new training methods may help. Contact Trusty Paws today and give your dog his much needed exercise!