Some of us are lucky and have dogs that are calm and content to lounge around the house and cuddle with us. That doesn’t seem to be the case for me.
Even before I was a dog trainer or involved in dog sports, I had busy dogs who needed more than a leash walk to be mentally and physically satisfied.
I meet dogs every day who are not having their needs met.
This can make everyone, human and canine frustrated. Over the next few months, I am going to introduce you to ways to help you meet the overall needs of your dog.
You might be surprised to find out how much fun it can be to get more involved with your pet.
These are my dogs Jesse and Rio. They are active canines who enjoy having adventures with me. Most days we take sedate leash walks around our neighborhood.
But several times a week, we walk on the wild side.
This is a favorite location where we can walk safely, away from traffic and with the land owner’s permission. There are so many smells, the dogs love to use their natural scenting ability and investigate the area. This activity alone is great for the canine brain.
Then we hike around, looking at cattle, chickens and a great variety of wildlife.
It is so interesting to see how the dogs react to the livestock. Rio is afraid of the cows, but loves to chase birds and assorted critters. He does spend more time on leash than Jesse, who is my totally devoted and more reliable companion.
Finding new places to walk your dog can be fun and exciting, try Sebastian
Riverview Park or the Sebastian Storm Water Park. These are to great places for dogs, on leash, to walk on the wild side.
Cissy Sumner
Certified Behavior Consultant Canine-Knowledge Assessed
Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge and Skills Assessed
Best Behavior Dog Training
Member, Board of Directors, CCPDT
Consulting Dog Trainer & Behavior Counselor
for the Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County
APDT #062323
C.L.A.S.S. Evaluator #750283
AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator #13985
Vero Beach, FL
772-978-7863
www.bestbehaviordogtraining.org
