National Walk Your Dog Week
This past week has seen ‘National Walk Your Dog Week’ founded in 2010 by Colleen Paige, her intention was “to bring awareness to the ever-increasing problem of canine behavior issues and canine obesity in America”. You may have seen mentions of it on social media this week.
Spending quality time with your dog is also a great time to focus on walking nicely (with a loose lead), and to strengthen your relationship.
I sometimes see people walking dogs with head phones on, which always strikes me as a missed opportunity for both dog and human! In my experience people with dogs like to chat, the benefits of this particularly evident when we were all stuck at home during lockdowns. And of course, I talk to Jake and Truly as we walk.
World Mental Health Day Sunday 10 October
Organised by the World Health Organisation, World Mental Health Day is designed to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world, mobilising efforts in support of mental health. You can find information on NHS mental health support here.
Spending quality time outdoors is proven to improve our mental health, and walking our dogs multiplies this. If you have a canine family you already know the benefits of unconditional affection and non-judgemental companionship. My canine family have seen me through good times, and the not so good times. Dogs just know how to listen, especially if they think there’s a treat in store. Maybe that’s just Jake and Truly!
If you find walking your dog to be a little stressful, it may be time to seek the advice of a trainer. Similarly, if your dog isn’t confident out and about. An interim solution might be to find a sole use space to walk while you seek some advice from a qualified trainer. Many dogs have missed out on valuable socialisation opportunities during Covid-19, and trainers are working hard to catch up with group classes and 121s.
Until next time
Jen
