Let’s talk about walking – it’s not as simple as it sounds

For the last two and a half months I have walked Pinot three times a day, every day.

Everyone walks their dog. But everyone walks their dog differently.

It’s not really something you think about, or notice, until you bring your puppy home and put your sneakers on for that first adventure. Or face the wall of leashes, collars, and harnesses at your local pet store. 

The first choice is to use a collar or harness.

If you use a collar, do you use the one the dog wears daily or do you use the more aggressive-looking metal one? 

If you use a harness, do you walk your dog with a front lead or back? Do you want a handle on the harness? Should you get one that slips over your dog’s head or one that clips?

I didn’t consider a muzzle lead, so I don’t know much about them. But that’s another option.

I knew that I wanted to use a harness, but I didn’t know how many choices came after that decision.

Do you use a ‘no pull’ harness with a martingale loop? Do you get one that has the ability to transform to a no-hands option (clips to a belt)? Do you use the kind with the mesh chest plate and a long back piece or the kinds that are just 1/4-inch fabric connections?

Pinot’s first harness had no chest or back piece and one clip that attached between her shoulder blades. Putting it on her always involved nipping at my fingers and lots of twisting of the harness. It was not an enjoyable process. 

Pinot’s second harness had a chest piece with two clips that connected behind her front legs and had a martingale loop at the top of her shoulders. It was much more enjoyable to put on. This harness also had a front and back loop. 

For the last two and a half months I have walked Pinot three times a day, every day.

Our first walk is around 7:30 am. It lasts 45 minutes to an hour. Then I have my morning coffee.

Walking is an amazing adventure for the Peanut; she never leaves a stone or leaf un-sniffed, managing to eat every tree-seed without slowing down, and pulling you every which way the wind blows. Literally. Chasing leaves that fly across the road or new smells. No matter how short the leash is kept, Pinot will take off towards that new scent. Darting onto the grass to find the source of a smell and then plopping down to dig her nose into the dirt and investigating her find.

I don’t want to deprive her of getting her sniffs nor do I want to punish her for her ability to literally see where a moving object is going half a second before it gets there. Seriously, read Inside of a Dog by Alexandra Horowitz. It is amazing what dogs’ senses allow them to do. You will never look at your four-legged companion the same again.

But my shoulder would appreciate a smoother adventure. 

For the last two and a half months I have walked Pinot three times a day, every day, from the back loop of a harness. 

A magical thing happened this last week; her new trainer suggested using the front loop.

No more darting. No more dragging me backwards. We actually walk. Pinot’s snout is still basically trailing the ground, picking up every tree seed she can (of course), but we’re walking. My Apple Watch now registers our entire walk as exercise.

And we’re walking smooth enough I could actually drink coffee and walk her. At the same time.