Building Relationships with Outsiders: Why Walking Your Dog is Essential
In our last article about socialization and bonding, we talked about the ways walks build your relationship with your dog. Well, the same is true for anyone else who walks your dog too! You may want to be your dog’s #1 best friend, but it’s good to have someone else that your dog is familiar with in case of emergency. Since you never know what will happen, it’s important for your dog to start building relationships with outsiders. That’s where walks come in handy!
We want to think that we’ll always be there for our pets. Whatever they need, we can provide it to them. But sometimes, that isn’t the case, and you need a plan in place for when that happens. When you go away, your dog still needs someone to do all the things you usually do, including walks. Before an emergency hits, pick someone you trust to start taking your dog on walks every once in a while. With each walk, your dog will trust this person more, and you can rest assured that there’s someone who can look after your dog when you can’t.
For some people, this outsider may be a family member who doesn’t live in the house with your dog. In this case, there’s an added comfort because your dog is building a relationship with someone you’re also close to. Your dog may even see this person occasionally at family gatherings, and that helps build trust too! But a couple of head pats at a party isn’t the most reliable way to bond. If possible, getting your family member to take your dog out on walks will progress their relationship much faster. If you have a family member who has a flexible schedule and can watch your dog on a whim, then this may be the perfect choice for you!
In other cases, you may find a professional dog walker to be the best option. The service isn’t free as it would be with a relative, but there’s still benefits that make it worth it! As long as you get the same person in regularly, your dog will eventually learn to trust the dog walker. The best part of this option is that the dog walker is a professional. When you do something as a job, you learn all the best tips, tricks, and methods. A dog walker is paid to take great care of your pet and will follow any instructions you may give. They’re also trained to handle big dogs or dogs that pull on the leash. Some even know CPR for dogs and other useful medical skills! Allowing your pet to bond with a dog walker may even help them socialize better with other strangers as well.
Your dog needs to have the capacity for building relationships with outsiders. No matter who you choose to walk your pet, you’ll be thankful when something comes up and you need someone your dog trusts to care for them. The best way to ensure a strong bond is to let that person walk your dog. It’s a simple activity, but it builds bonds quickly and strongly. It works in all the same ways that walking your own dog brings you closer to them. Don’t get caught unprepared! Pick someone you trust with your dog and let them start building a bond so that you have someone to call if you need help.
In our last article about socialization and bonding, we talked about the ways walks build your relationship with your dog. Well, the same is true for anyone else who walks your dog too! You may want to be your dog’s #1 best friend, but it’s good to have someone else that your dog is familiar…