Enriched Walks
Enjoy the journey as well as the destination
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Teaching the dogs to relax on the walks helps them process better, reduces their stress and also means when they reach the destination they are not as worked up. Just like us dogs can benefit from a second to stop and breathe to help calm the mind and enjoy our environment, be it a busy street or a forest path.
Trying to cram a whole day's energy into one 30 or 60 minute walk can often leave you both feeling worse after the walk. Maddie’s Dog Academy has some great tips on ways to enrich your walks. You can also try a rucksack walk.
I like to find my own style and I encourage you to see what your dog loves to do when you both are alone on a walk, be it sniffing, foraging, playing in a puddle or sitting in a nice comfy spot. Your walks are the best time to connect not only physically through the leash but emotionally as well with your dog. This will help you both decompress after a hard day.