Animal Education & Rescue

Reflections on Walking Dogs

By Sandy Kamen Wisniewski
Posted November 27, 2006

A while back I wrote a column about why I like to walk my dogs. I talked about as my dog and I walked along seeing things from their points of view, such as appreciating and getting excited about the little things. I also confessed that my dogs are unruly and pull like crazy on leash. As a dog trainer I readily admitted that it looks bad but as the shoemaker's shoes need repair, but he never gets around to it, I suffer the same dilemma.

Well, tonight, while walking, or honestly being dragged, by our two biggest dogs, Shrek, a rottweiler and Charlie, a stretched out version of a German Shepherd, mix, my husband thought of some clever ways to explain our dogs surging ahead, us in tow. For those of you who have dogs that drag you, you are welcome to steal these ideas.

He suggested that we wear a blue jacket, blue pants and dark glasses and with an air of confidence give the impression that we are on a serious hunt for bad guys and our dogs are on the scent. Seeing a neighbor trimming their lawn we would yell out, "they've got the scent, keep at it boys! Good dogs, good dogs! Go get 'em?

He also suggested that we tell people that our dogs are being trained to pull a sled and therefore we are encouraging them to pull. Every now and again as people give us a puzzled or disgusted look as we walk/run behind our dogs we yell out, "mush boys, mush!?

Then there is always the, we're-in-a-huge-hurry-because-we-are-such-busy-people excuse. As we pass neighbors, going the speed of a moped, we wave at them and say, "we have to get home, we have an important meeting." Then Chuck would flip open his cell phone and speak loudly (so the neighbor can hear) to an imaginary person, "we're on our way. We'll be there momentarily."

He also made a brilliant suggestion. Why not tell people that we purposely trained them to pull as a new and dynamic approach to working out? I could explain that with each step you take you are using your biceps, shoulders and back muscles. I'd go on, as you surge forward you are walking at brake-neck speed, far faster than you could walk, if you weren't being pulled by your dog, thus all this strength training and power walking burning more calories. We'll call it Burn Fat While Being Pulled By Your Dog.

Lastly, and most devious of a plan he suggested I have printed on the back of my shirt, "THIS DOG WAS NOT TRAINED BY COMPASSIONATE DOG TRAINING." That way I no longer have to explain why a dog trainer's dogs are so horrible on leash.

Sandy Kamen Wisniewski is President of The Pet Sitters of America, Animal Education and Rescue and SKW Enterprises. Sandy is a dog trainer, freelance writer and public speaker. She is available by e-mail: petsitters@anet.com . Her web sites are www.petsittersofamerica.com / www.compassionatedogtraining.com