Why do you walk your dog?
That’s not really a silly question. Most dogs love walks. And, from the human’s point of view, there are many reasons to take a dog for walks.
Some walks are simply toilet breaks for the dog. Short and necessary, there is no time for sniffing around.
Some walks are a chore, sandwiched in with or combined with other chores. The walker might be multitasking: pushing a stroller, talking on a cell phone, and shepherding a child to school in the morning. There is simply not time to pay attention to the dog as well, but at least he’s getting out.
Still other walks are meant for exercise for dog, owner, or both. On these walks, the owner might want to keep up a fast walking pace and might grow impatient with a dog who stops to sniff bushes, trees, flowers, blades of grass …
But what’s wrong with these scenarios is, they disregard the dog’s perspective.
This article appears in Jan 27 – Feb 2, 2011.