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| Diamond...relaxing |
While my son
was away at college, I became the caregiver to Diamond. We have certainly
learned a few things along the way. Arriving at our house in the middle of
winter, Diamond was a house puppy for many months. As she got acclimated to the
outdoors, we began to take walks. At first, she walked me more than I walked
her.
What is the
etiquette for walking your dog through your neighborhood? Here are three tips…
1. Use a leash – when our puppy, Diamond
was a few months old, I would let her out in the front yard to roam around in
the grass. She would stay within a small area. As she got older she became more
comfortable with her surroundings. One day she took off and ran up to the lady next
door. Then she laid on her back with her paws in the air for the woman to
scratch her back. The woman was also a dog owner and didn’t mind Diamond’s rambunctious
behavior, but that may not be the case with everyone. Keep your dog on a leash
when outside.
2. Set boundaries – when people are
walking near, keep your dog close to you. Some people may be afraid of dogs. Be
sure your dog doesn’t destroy anyone’s landscape, flowerbed, etc. along his
walk.
3. Clean up – always carry some type of
bag to clean up after your dog. No matter how cute or friendly your dog may be,
no one wants to see or potentially step on your dog’s poop.
4. Teach your dog to stop pulling his
leash – our dog is still learning this one, but none the less it is a good goal.
5. Give your dog a treat – take a few
treats with you on your walk; reward your dog for following your directions.
Provide an additional treat at the end of your walk.
Spring is in
the air, my son is home to take over pet parenting duties and Diamond is teaching
him a thing or two about dog walking.
If you're looking for help dog walking you can also check out Rover's dog walking service.
What tips
would you add to etiquette for walking your dog?
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