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How many people can honestly say they walk their dog every day? I believe in walking my mutt every day, but that doesn’t mean I do it. I exercise him daily, but that is different than a walk. Throwing a ball for 20 minutes or visiting the dog park might excite my mutt, but these do not compare to the benefits of a walk (or run).
So, for the next 30 days (starting today, March 12, 2008), I am going to commit to walking my mutt for a minimum of 20 minutes a day on top of our usual exercise. For example, if Ace and I are going to play fetch, we are going to walk for 20 minutes first. Playing fetch will not be Ace’s only form of exercise. If we go to the dog park or any other park where he will run off leash, we will walk for 20 minutes first. Even on the three or four days a week where Ace and I run together, we will walk first. Moving at my walking pace requires Ace to focus on heeling, which is what he needs work on. Of course, on days where the walk is Ace’s only exercise, we will walk longer than 20 minutes.
I want to challenge everyone to do the same. Starting today, walk your dog for a minimum of 20 minutes per day for the next 30 days, no exceptions. If you don’t do this already, I expect you’ll see a big difference in your dog’s behavior. The walk provides a physical and mental challenge for your dog, especially if she is working on heeling. It increases the bond between you and your dog and enforces your leadership role.
During the next 30 days, here are some of the things I hope to accomplish by walking Ace more:
1. Improve his response to heeling with a single command and few reminders.
2. Work to perfect Ace’s heeling without a pinch collar.
3. Work on Ace’s off-leash heeling.
4. Walk in as many places as possible so Ace learns not to get overexcited in new areas.
5. Use more treats for positive reinfocrcement like I used to do when he was first learning commands.
6. Practice random basic obedience along the walk such as sits, downs and the recall. I want to get him to respond on the first command at least 95% of the time.
7. Practice name reinforcement by saying Ace’s name and encouraging eye contact and focus on me.
I plan to post my progress and findings over the next month. I hope to hear from others who are up for this challenge. What are your goals? Your conflicts? What changes do you notice over time?
Click here to see all my 30-day challenge posts.
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March 12th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Great Post! It makes me miss my dog back home
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