Fur Real Life

Excited tail wags and whimpers fill the house when I arrive to pick up dogs for their walks. Owners will smile and say, “ She must know it her walk time because….” and then describe the excitement they see in their furry friend. I love witnessing that moment because walks are often when dogs truly come out of their shells.

Dog walks build confidence and structure in a dog’s life, which creates a safe environment for them to truly be themselves. During the first walk I have with a dog I let them take the lead a bit. When they are given that freedom, they sometimes pull more like letting a kid in a candy store. They are exploring independently but still under supervision.

I let them sniff where they want within reason and by walk three or four I notice they pull far less. By walk two or three, many dogs begin looking back at me more frequently. That eye contact matters. Every time they check in, I give them a treat and tell them “yes”. By walk four they’re often doing it consistently and before they want to do something. That tells me trust is building.

When dogs don’t get that structure, their energy sometimes redirects in other ways. If I don’t let a dog walk past a certain house, or greet another dog they may jump and or try to mouth at the leash ( like a child throwing a tantrum). That’s when I hear the most  “That’s crazy my dog has never bit anyone”. In these moments I reassure them its not aggression, it’s communication and its something we can work through. Dogs often behave differently with walkers than they do their owners, and that’s completely normal.

Dog walks aren’t just walks, they are gateways into learning who your dog is. Just from a 30 minute dog walk I can gauge how fast your dog gets overstimulated, what your dogs triggers are, where the best potty spots are, and where their favorite treat boxes are. Dogs communicate consistently; most of the time, we just need to slow down and pay attention.