Dog expert urges dog owners to stop walking their pets every day

Best-selling author and canine expert Niki French urges people to stop walking their dogs every day. Instead, she encourages owners to find stimulating new ways to keep their dog active.

She shared her belief that not all dogs benefit from a daily walk and some would prefer other activities instead. The 53-year-old dog trainer has since urged owners to rethink their daily walks with their dogs and is herself an advocate for a national ‘Don’t Walk Your Dog Day’.

Instead, Niki is a strong believer in positive reward and enrichment games like digging sandboxes, playing with cardboard boxes, using lick mats, and hide-and-seek activities. Small dogs are probably much happier with the occasional walk unlike larger breeds.

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She told the Mirror: “It might come as a surprise, but traditional walks are a human invention and not helpful for many of our dogs. Replacing walk time with house training games can give dogs the skills which they lack to lead a calm and happy life.

“Contrary to popular belief, dogs with behavioral issues may become more reactive or more excitable when we try to exhaust them with too much exercise,” she added. Niki points to her own two-year-old rescue pup named Brodie as a shining example of what less walking can do to a dog, describing him as “noticeably calmer” with fewer walks and playing more games instead. of enrichment.

“Skipping some walks can help dogs and owners relax. When more than half of the walks are stressful (for the dog or for you), it’s time to do something different.

Owners could also benefit from less frequent walks, Niki points out that it’s not a necessary daily obligation that you have to stick to. For example, if it’s too hot or too cold, you could both overheat or catch a bad cold.

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“Playing games at home is a great way to develop the skills our dogs need and strengthen our relationship with them. It’s nice to have other things in your toolbox.

“This applies to all dogs and surprisingly can work best for breeds that need a lot of exercise,” said Niki, who has been an animal lover all her life and became a dog trainer. three years ago.

“I want these people to know that they are not alone and that we are not judging them,” Niki said.

If you want to get involved with National Don’t Walk Your Dog Day, share your experience online with the hashtag #dontwalkyourdog. For more information visit https://go.puptalk.co.uk/awareness-day.