Walking with the right equipment for dog and owner

10 common mistakes when walking your dog and how to avoid them

1. Prevent sniffing the surroundings

Often you are in a hurry and want to get the walk with your dog over with quickly. Be it because of deadline pressure or bad weather. Then it happens that dog owners pull on the leash and interrupt dogs sniffing. However, this sniffing of the surroundings is enormously important for dogs. By picking up scent, they pick up information about other animals or available food. It also helps them to orientate themselves in unfamiliar places. If a dog is repeatedly or permanently prevented from sniffing its surroundings, this can lead to stress and anxiety in the dog. If bad weather is the reason for a shortened walk, you can remedy the situation with a practical outdoor jacket. 

2. Tugging on the leash when the dog pulls

Unfortunately, you often see dog owners pulling hard on the leash when their dog pulls. This can cause injury to the dog and will not improve the dog's unwanted behaviour in the long term. When a dog pulls strongly on the leash, training is necessary to improve the leash behaviour. Training can be aided by a practical leash and treats for positive reinforcement of the desired behaviour. 

3. Punishing the dog when other dogs are around

If a dog shows misbehaviour, such as aggressive behaviour in the presence of other dogs, the dog should not be punished directly. Punishment could be directly associated by the dog with other dogs and would thus reinforce negative behaviour. Instead, the dog's social behaviour should be improved in separate training sessions in a quiet environment. It may be advisable to seek the assistance of dog trainers or a dog school. 

4. Prevent contact with other dogs

Basically, dogs are social animals that like to play with each other. Breed and size are completely irrelevant for playing together. Only if your dog is conspicuous for its aggressive behaviour should you work on this before your dog plays with other dogs. Well-socialised dogs enjoy contact with other dogs. Regular contact with other dogs will prevent behavioural problems towards other dogs from arising in the first place. 

5. Walks that are too long or too short

The dog's urge to exercise varies greatly depending on its size and breed. The dog's state of health should also be taken into account when measuring the number of walks. However, for a dog's well-being, walks should be taken several times a day, regardless of breed. If dogs do not demand their rounds or want to shorten them of their own accord, this may be due to weather conditions, for example. Hot asphalt in summer can be just as unpleasant for dogs' paws as frozen floors with road salt in winter. You can prevent this by using dog shoes. 

6. Do not carry a dog tag

Fearful dogs in particular, which run away when stressed, and hunting dogs, which may follow their hunting instinct when picking up a scent, should always carry a dog tag. But even well-behaved dogs run away from time to time, so they too should be chipped - and also carry their dog tag. This way, a runaway dog can be quickly reunited with its owner.   

7. Letting dogs bite the leash

This behaviour is often a sign of the dog's annoyance, frustration or stress. If dogs sometimes bite the leash, it is a good idea to have a distraction toy that the dog can bite instead. It is important that the dog learns to bite only on things that it is allowed to bite on. 

8. Do not vary the walk

So that dogs do not get bored and are always stimulated anew, you should vary the walk round again and again. Make sure there is as much variety as possible from meadows, woods or beaches. The main thing is that the dog gets enough opportunity to play, climb and romp. 

9. Do not let dogs off the leash

Free running is important for dogs and contributes significantly to their well-being. When running freely, the dog perceives its surroundings differently and gains important experience. If the dog does not hear well, the free run should be moved to a fenced area. Playing with throwing toys and tug toys is also much more fun with an unleashed dog. Free play and romping increases the dog's fitness and contributes to its balance. 

10. Not paying enough attention to the dog

As a dog owner, you have a great responsibility for your four-legged friend, as well as for other people around the dog. That is why it is important to keep an eye upon Because even if your dog is well trained, you have to be considerate of other people who may be afraid of dogs. In addition, of course, to keep your dog safe, you must always make sure that your dog does not eat anything incompatible or otherwise put itself in danger. This way you will also get to know the dog's behaviour better and know how to react to certain behaviour patterns accordingly.