Walking question....

[JstPooh]

Has anyone seen the commerical with this guy who is talking about walking his dog? He is reminding people that the walks are for the dog. He mentions that we shouldn't pull them and let them sniff all they want, but that is my dilemma. When I walk Gizmo he will sniff everything and not just a little whiff. He wants to stay there and smell and sometimes he wants to lick the bush, ewww. I let him sniff every time and after a while I say let's go and he'll continue to walk. However a lot of times he digs his paws into the ground to stay and I have to pull a little harder. Am I wrong for slightly pulling on him and saying leave it or let's go? When I do pull I feel so guilty and I think of that darn commerical. I'm hoping sniffing so much is a puppy thing cuz he's still so dang curious about EVERYTHING.

[chachi]

No your not wrong. My chachi is a sniffer too and I will have to give him a pull here or there so we can get on our way

[JstPooh]

Originally Posted by chachi

No your not wrong. My chachi is a sniffer too and I will have to give him a pull here or there so we can get on our way

I'm so glad to hear that. I see all these other dogs just take a sniff and keep on walking and then there's Gizmo practially making love to the bush or tree!

[chachi]

I know chachi has to pee on every pole and he always has to take a dump out oln walks but hes so cute he gets away with everything

[yorkietalkjilly]

To my way of thinking, domesticated dogs have been taken from their normal place in nature, closeted in our homes and apartments and cut off from much of the out-door life with its sights, scents, energy, lacking most of their ingrained ability to seek and hunt, run and venture about the land that they used to enjoy before humans changed so much of their lifestyles.

And I see the first half of the walk as a way of allowing them to feel they are getting a chance to roam, seek and wander just a little bit and enjoy taking in all the "information" we are told is in the odor left on the grass/dirt/pavement by dog's paw sweat, urine and fecal matter left behind by previous dogs.

When the dog stops to smell something intensely, the experts say the dog is eagerly finding out all kinds of information about his canine world (kind of like us getting on the internet to get caught up with the national news and hearing from our friends)the sex, health, adventures and attitude of the dog that left that scent and to our little house-bound dog, that is very exciting, big-time, much-wanted information. As there are more critters other than just dogs out and about, our little terriers can pick up the scents left by those critters as well. Not to mention getting to see people and other dogs and cars coming and going with the occasional chance to meet a person or dog.

It must be wonderful for them to get a chance to commune with nature and information left by other dogs and critters! A dog with a really developed nose ability, can even track the scent of humans that just passed that way. It's all bound to be pretty heady stuff for a dog removed from nature and living inside 24/7 and you can tell how much they like it as they get crazy excited at the very mention of getting to go "walkies" and find out all about what's been going on and get to roam, sniff and exercise and meet and interact with other dogs and people.

So, during a walk, the first half of it, I allow Tibbe to take his time, meander and wander out to the end of his leash at times, stop, smell and sniff and pee, pee, pee just about all he wants as he has no chance to get that kind of intensely natural/informative fun in the back yard as there just isn't all that activity going on back there as there is out on the walkways and paths. Then, the second half of the walk, we go pretty fast with him trotting along at my heel and getting a good cardio and muscle work-out all the way back. To me, the walk is for the dog's benefit and and I try to let him really enjoy all aspects of it.

[JstPooh]

I do let him linger, but he will stay at one spot for quite a while. I will time them tonight and report back. I don't mind him sniffing and exploring, it's sniffing one spot for quite a while.

[yorkietalkjilly]

Originally Posted by JstPooh

I do let him linger, but he will stay at one spot for quite a while. I will time them tonight and report back. I don't mind him sniffing and exploring, it's sniffing one spot for quite a while.

LOL. I understand - I do. Sometimes I'm tempted to want Tibbe to just get on with it and then I remember who the walk is for and what it's all about. I consider his life, kept indoors most of the day and night, away from his natural outdoor habitat and restrained from so many of the things canines love about the outdoors. He's only lingering to find out as much as he can in the short opportunity he's given. He's finding out all he can from the scent as there are layers and layers of scent, broken down into many, many pieces of information, each relaying different stories, which takes time for his brain to process.

I try not to to hurry him much at all during the first part of the walk as I think of it as getting to read only part of a text or email someone sent me if I were stopped before I got to the end. Then we go double-time on the way back so it's not so bad for me. He usually doesn't demand too much of me for all he gives so I feel like I owe him some natural time to take some time to seek and sniff.

[Buster Brown]

We always joke that Buster is checking the peemail in the neighborhood thread.

[R-Teddy]

Originally Posted by Buster Brown

We always joke that Buster is checking the peemail in the neighborhood thread.

ROFL....that is so funny

[4carolyn]

Thank all of you for reminding me why we are out there! I get so caught up in things that are not important. She is worth all the time she needs.

[Maximo]

I let Max and Teddy sniff, but if they take too much interest in an area, they often are up to something naughty. When they plant their noses and start spinning in a circle, they often are digging up something like a dead bug, or something dropped on the ground that could be hazardous (chocolate, bones).

When I want them to move along, I say "Let's go" and I move their leashes such that they brush their backs or give a slight tug. They know to move along because if they don't, they will get helicoptered away from the spot (the benefit of being in a harness).

[yorkiefan_]

I can't let her sniff around because people are such pigs at my local park. If I let her sniff around she invariably ends up finding a chicken bone or a rib bone, or sometimes a cigarette butt. Or of course dried up dog poop.

[gemy]

I can usually tell (at least in my imagination I can) when a really interesting animal has passed by. My pack is intensely interested in that scent. It is like they are mashing their noses right into the ground. I let them sniff for a long time, and sometimes one or two will be tracking where the scent went to. As long as they don't take me into muddy and slippery terrain, heck we go that way.

But like Jeanie part of my walk always includes obedience work, and play time as well. If I can I let my dogs off lead a bit for ball retrieval which they all adore. They also like to climb up on benches, and walk the plank, place front paws up onto large rocks etc. I try to exercise them over different surfaces too, like sand, gravel, rough pavement, hard dirt, etc. In playgrounds we will walk up a teeter totter, or under the slides, nb; make sure your dog has eliminated well before this. And I don't let my males mark the playground equipment either.

[JstPooh]

Don't get me wrong, I do let him sniff it's when he stays in one spot for what seems like forever to me. Last night we walked and I let him sniff as long as he wanted and as promised, I timed him. His average is about 30 seconds on each spot. One spot was really good cuz he stayed there for almost a whole minute, but once he decided he wanted to taste it that's when it was time to move on. I'm always more worried when he has his nose completely inside a bush cuz I don't know what he's going after.

Thanks everyone for your responses. I appreciate hearing from everyone.

[Doodlebug]

Our walks are for the dogs too. Like Jeanie, I let them sniff whatever they want to unless it is a food wrapper, Kleenex or poop, during the first half, then I move them along for a little exercise. If Daisy is sniffing really intently she will sometimes lower her shoulder and roll in something really stinky. We have ended a few walks having to rush home and get a bath. I keep an eye on that shoulder and if I see her taking the position to drop to the ground I will tug her leash and tell her to walk.