I was walking my own little guy this afternoon and realised if there is one thing you cant go over enough here at your online dog blog its the importance of walking your dog.

Taking your dog outside for a walk exposes them to the fun stimuli of the outside world, allows them to burn off excess energy and get exercise. But the most important result of walking your dog is the obedience and leadership factor.

Walking a dog teaches them that the leash is an extension of your dominance and a measure of your control. They learn that their fate is tied to where you are leading them.

See that word there… LEADING.

There are some right and wrong ways to lead your dog and some of those have been covered already in this blog but I will briefly cover them again.

• Your dog should be paying attention to you and where your going not dragging you where he feels its great to go!
• Changing direction often keeps a dog paying attention and makes sure he realises your boss.
• Stopping and waiting for a sit at the kerb means he knows he shouldn’t be running across the road. (especially hand habit to have in case your dog ever gets away from you)

With winter down here in the southern hemisphere mild so far and the warmer months up there in northern hemisphere what are you waiting for? Grab your leash and take your best friend outside!