We let our dogs into the backyard and call it exercise and I am truly confused by that. Are we picturing our dogs walking laps around the yard to get their steps in?
Exploring the same patch of grass for the 847th time like they’ve suddenly discovered new territory? Be so for real! Imagine if you never left your yard...? You’d probably know every crack in the cement and a spider’s favorite hideout spot by Tuesday.
We’re gone for hours during the week or confined to our desks, only to come home and feel frustrated by our dogs’ behavior. So we think training problem. But no amount of training can replace the movement their bodies are quite literally begging for.
No offense to anyone super into obedience training but you can’t obedience-train your way out of their misguided energy. If dogs didn’t live within our four walls and according to our human schedules, they’d be constantly moving throughout the day—and probably to a degree most of us don’t even realize.
In a 2021 study published in Ecology and Evolution, researchers fitted 73 free-roaming domestic dogs in western Kenya with GPS trackers and followed their movement over several days. The median dog traveled roughly 13.5 kilometers—or 8.4 miles—per day, with some dogs covering considerably more ground.
I’m not suggesting that we need to give our dogs 8 miles a day, maybe with the exception of a working dog. In reality, I know this is not feasible. Between work, raising a family, prioritizing a social life, etc. it can really feel like there are not enough hours in a day. But this does lead me to this conclusion, that dogs really aren’t exercised to the extent they need to be and it breaks my heart.
I get it, walking can feel stressful with reactive or anxious dogs. But the answer isnt to avoid it. What you resist persists. Whether that be eating unhealthy, putting off that doctor’s appointment, or skipping that oil change you needed last month. (I may be talking about me here.)
The walk is your greatest opportunity for connection with your dog. Migration and being in sync with them is such a seriously cool feeling that I know not all dog owners get to experience. When they do though, it feels heavenly. Like you’re on the same wave length. It’s a beautiful thing to feel connected to a being that isn’t the same as you.
If walking currently sucks for lack of a better word and that’s one of the main reasons you’ve held back from doing it, I have a great framework for your mind to get you ready for the next walk and you might even experience less reactivity or anxiety from your dog (no training needed).
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