It's not the length that matters – it's the quality.
…and what do I mean by that 😊 Yes, your dog walk! For me, the most important thing is that the dog has been stimulated and exercised at the same time – in other words, had a wonderful walk with lots of new input.
It has NOTHING to do with how far we've gone – no, it has something to do with whether she's been sniffed, examined, a lot along the way.
I (unfortunately) see far too often that dog owners walk with their nose in their phones, and when the dog stops to sniff, the owner doesn't see it (because they're walking with the damn phone) – and then the leash is jerked, and "Fido" just has to come along…..no time for all that stuffing up. ☹ It's SO wrong – it really hurts my dog's heart.
If you want to get home in a reasonable amount of time, choose a shorter route, and of course there should be grass/bushes etc. that you can sniff through 😉
We have a number of routes that we know, and we also know all the places where Emma should have time to “read the Sunday Berliner”… it is typically on a corner between 2 paths or other fixed places that you KNOW there is a lot of “dog traffic”.
OK – what's so good about sniffing….well – look here:
When the dog is allowed to sniff when you go for a walk, it gets stimulated, and therefore tired, but in a GOOD way. Which is much more valuable than a dog that farts around after a ball – precisely because it can VERY often become OVERstimulated (ball crazy) – so sniffing doesn't do that 😉
Effect:
· Calming: Relaxing for the dog.
· Reduces stress: When they use their sense of smell, the dog's heart rate slows down and reduces stress levels.
· The environment: They read the area with their noses – “who has been here before me”.
· Healthy tired dog: Without having trotted 10 km
So put your phone in your pocket (of course) – put on your yes hat and be patient. It's THE DOG'S walk, not yours. You've been to work – in town and shopping etc. and have been saturated with impressions and got all your info – now it's YOUR DOG'S TURN ! 😊
A little about the blogger.
Her name is Lotte. She spends most of her free time training with her dog Emma, who is an 11-year-old beagle. They have trained and competed in Schweiss's tracks for several years. Agility without much success (you can't lure them with treats), and now they train Nose Work. They competed at NW3 level (but Emma is now retired from NW), but they had a party together when they applied <3 – because the most important thing for this dog handler is that the DOG has fun, and that you learn the most from the mistakes you make. So instead of being angry/disappointed about a test that didn't go as planned, learn from it! In most cases, it's not the dog that makes the mistake <3
Do you let your dog finish sniffing?
It's not the length that matters – it's the quality.
…and what do I mean by that 😊 Yes, your dog walk! For me, the most important thing is that the dog has been stimulated and exercised at the same time – in other words, had a wonderful walk with lots of new input.
It has NOTHING to do with how far we've gone – no, it has something to do with whether she's been sniffed, examined, a lot along the way.
I (unfortunately) see far too often that dog owners walk with their nose in their phones, and when the dog stops to sniff, the owner doesn't see it (because they're walking with the damn phone) – and then the leash is jerked, and "Fido" just has to come along…..no time for all that stuffing up. ☹ It's SO wrong – it really hurts my dog's heart.
If you want to get home in a reasonable amount of time, choose a shorter route, and of course there should be grass/bushes etc. that you can sniff through 😉
We have a number of routes that we know, and we also know all the places where Emma should have time to “read the Sunday Berliner”… it is typically on a corner between 2 paths or other fixed places that you KNOW there is a lot of “dog traffic”.
OK – what's so good about sniffing….well – look here:
When the dog is allowed to sniff when you go for a walk, it gets stimulated, and therefore tired, but in a GOOD way. Which is much more valuable than a dog that farts around after a ball – precisely because it can VERY often become OVERstimulated (ball crazy) – so sniffing doesn't do that 😉
Effect:
· Calming: Relaxing for the dog.
· Reduces stress: When they use their sense of smell, the dog's heart rate slows down and reduces stress levels.
· The environment: They read the area with their noses – “who has been here before me”.
· Healthy tired dog: Without having trotted 10 km
So put your phone in your pocket (of course) – put on your yes hat and be patient. It's THE DOG'S walk, not yours. You've been to work – in town and shopping etc. and have been saturated with impressions and got all your info – now it's YOUR DOG'S TURN ! 😊
A little about the blogger.
Her name is Lotte. She spends most of her free time training with her dog Emma, who is an 11-year-old beagle. They have trained and competed in Schweiss's tracks for several years. Agility without much success (you can't lure them with treats), and now they train Nose Work. They competed at NW3 level (but Emma is now retired from NW), but they had a party together when they applied <3 – because the most important thing for this dog handler is that the DOG has fun, and that you learn the most from the mistakes you make. So instead of being angry/disappointed about a test that didn't go as planned, learn from it! In most cases, it's not the dog that makes the mistake <3