Letting your dog outside in the backyard to do its business or to run around in the sun and get some rays is amazing, however it is essential to take your dog on walks outside of your property for these reasons.
Taking your dog for a walk is the greatest gift you can give a dog, it not only helps with their weight control, behavior, anxiety and interaction with other dogs and people, but helps with mental stimulation dogs naturally love to sniff and explore, going for walks literally is a sniffing buffet for your dog. Have you ever noticed how when you pull our the lead and say those 5 magic words "Let's go for a walk" your dogs eyes light up and they are overwhelmed with excitement, and some dogs are so over stimulated getting their harness and lead on is more of a challenge then the walk. Well that is a sign your dog not only loves their walk but needs their walk.
You may be thinking but why? my dog never stops running around, chasing the birds, he sleeps really well and is not overweight. This may all be true however dogs need constant stimulation. Taking your dog on a walk outside your property not only provides them with physical wellness but also mental wellness.
Dogs that are never or almost never walked lack social skills with other dogs and humans alike. Dogs that are not walked regularly often are found to be the dog and the window or the fence line barking like crazy at the mailman or the kids walking by on their way home from school or just at another dog being walked, they can even develop traits like perimeter circling or constantly try to escape.
Walking your dog helps your dog to gain a confidence with not only other dogs but people, sounds and situations. Have you ever been to the vet and seen a dog sitting by its owner perfectly still whilst another dog is running around, pulling on the lead barking and just over all very anxious, and you think to yourself that the behaved dog must have been to dog training school whilst the other needs to go. Well you would probably fined the well behaved dog hasn't been to some intensive dog training program but yet is walked on a regular basis if not daily.
Imagine if you were never able to leave your house or your property, you would start to feel overwhelmed, caged in and anxious, this is what not walking your dog several times a week can do to them causing your dog to become bored, anxious and even destructive, chewing on shoes, chair legs and yes going crazy barking at people and dogs passing by or even at your front door.
Taking your dog on a walk daily or ever other day is not just beneficial for your dogs mental and physical health but is the greatest reward you can give them, not to mention exercise for us Hoomans.
