January is dedicated for you to get off the couch, get rid of the holiday blues, and walk your dog more in celebration of Walk Your Dog Month. Walking your dog more than just the usual 15 minutes for physiological needs has benefits for both you and your dog.
Walking for at least 30 minutes improves your general health, improves circulation and that benefits your heart, walking burns calories and makes you stay fit and in shape.
How Walking Benefits Your Dog and You
There are numerous benefits of walking your dog. Walking stimulates your dog mentally and physically. It will sniff around and meet other fellow dogs, it will tone its muscles and burn all residual energy. A tired dog is a happy dog.
Today, with the way we work and the less time we have for outdoor activities, we have more and more obese pets and/or already suffer from diabetes in dogs and skeletal difficulties because of their weight. These pets have poor health and reduced quality of life. With that, they have reduced life expectancy. You don’t want that for your pet, right?
Many people walk their dogs as a daily activity and an excellent way of bonding with their pets. This is why Walk Your Dog Month was founded so that more people would be encouraged to walk their dogs, if only for one month out of each year. This January is Walk Your Dog Month, so take this opportunity to walk with your pooch!
Walking your dog can be a great way to improve their physical and mental health. Regular walks can help them stay active, while also providing an opportunity for socialization with other pets and people. Not only will they get the necessary exercises for dogs, but it is also important for their overall well-being.
Through activity and physical contact, your dog will get more comfortable with you, building trust and a deeper connection. Additionally, the mental stimulation that comes from exploring the outdoors can help reduce stress-related issues like excessive barking, destructive chewing of dog beds, and canine displacement behavior.
Walking is also a great way to build up your dog’s physical fitness and health. Regular walks can help them maintain a healthy weight while providing an opportunity to get the cardio exercise they need for strong bones and muscles. Additionally, walking will give them an outlet for their natural energy, reducing hyperactivity and other problem behaviors.
What Can You do to Celebrate Walk Your Dog Month?
If you can walk your dog for more than 30 minutes only at night, make sure to stay safe. Wear light colors or a reflective cooling dog jacket. Get your dog an LED canine collar and leash, or even better an appropriate dog harness. Stay in a safe and well-lit area. Don’t go to the dark part of the park. Make sure that the dog is on a leash at all times. You never know when a squirrel will run in front of it and them chasing it into the street.
Have fun with long walks. Bring a dog chew toy and bring healthy dog treats. Teach your dog loose leash walking. A well-behaved dog is a cool dog. If it’s winter at the moment where you live, make sure to protect your dog from the cold by investing in booties or non-slip dog socks. If it’s needed to get a jacket for them. And don’t forget to protect the paws from the snow and all the chemicals on the street. Rubbing some dog paw balm on their paw pads will go a long way!
When walk your dog month rolls around, it should be a reminder to walk your dog. It’s fun and healthy. Not only do you get exercise, but so does your pet! You might want to think about walking certain days, such as walking every day or walking on weekends only. You can create goals for yourself and stick with them!
Here are some other ideas:
Walk every day for 10 minutes
- Walk fast
- Walk up hills
- Walk in new places
- Walk before you eat
- Take friends or family members with you
- Pick a friend to walk with after dinner
- Walk over the weekend
When walking, be sure to watch out for things such as cars and other animals.
How to Leash-Train Your Dog
During Walk Your Dog month in the US, it is important to keep your dog on a leash at all times. It is dangerous for dogs and people to walk together without leashes. A leash is also needed when you walk more than one dog, with its own leash attached together.
To learn how to walk your dog on a leash, start by getting them used to the idea of wearing a collar around their neck. Put it on before feeding time or when giving affection like scratches behind the ears or giving doggy belly rubs. This will associate the experience with positive emotions and calming dog treats (if used) instead of having it be something that they are forced into doing against their will.
Our Product Recommendations
If you are in the market for some suggested products to buy this Walk Your Dog Month, why not try our some of our recommendations below.
Leash
Funny Fuzzy Hand-knitted Braided Rope No Pull Dog Training All in One Leash
Collar
Funny Fuzzy Hand-knitted Braided Rope No Pull Cool Dog Accessories Training Collar
