Walking your dog is a very important part in maintaining a healthy lifestyle for him/her. It doesn't have to be a very far walk. It can be a simple run to the end of your street and back.
Some people, including myself, take my dog along when I do some errands around my town. For example, when I make my daily trip to the post office to drop off letters and pick up mail, I take my dog along with me, and when I get to the post office, I simply tie him up while I'm inside.
One thing that is very important to remember if you do this however is that if you leave your dog unattended, make sure that you tie him close to the pole to prevent him from being run over by cars when other people come to get their mail. When walking your dog along the road, here are some rules to follow in order to ensure that you and your dog arrive back home safely:
- Never walk your dog on a busy highway. You and your dog are at risk of being hit by a car.
- Always watch for cars coming from both directions.
- If you spot a car coming down the road, make sure that you wrap the rope around your hand until there is only a foot or two of space between you and your dog. This is necessary just in case your dog tries to run across the street just as the car comes by.
- Do not over walk your dog. Only walk your dog to what you think his limits are, over walking your dog is not good for him/her.
- As your dog gets older, he/she will want to take breaks every now and then while walking. Do not discourage this, as it is necessary for older dogs to take breaks. Simply stop and wait for your dog to continue.
- Take into consideration the weather conditions before you go out. Adjust the time length of your walk according to the weather. Example: In very hot weather, you may not want to walk your dog for very long.
On a final note, don't forget to give your dog a treat if he/she behaved well during his/her walk, and make sure he/she has lots of fresh drinking water after. He'll need it!
