What do you do out walking?

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Broodle

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Bear with me, I will try to get my mental ramblings into some sort of written coherence! :D

I tend to view walks as r&r time for my dogs, and so I basically let them get on with whatever they want (within reason!), only issuing commands when I need them to do something or stop doing something (and they respond straight away, or know about it if they don't :p). They generally run ahead but stay within sight (or they get recalled), and look back at me regularly to check I'm still with them. I throw the odd stick, and sometimes we take a ball with us, but they mostly just get on with it. When they were young pups we did some training on walks, but now I just check the commands are still working every now and then. I like to be able to switch off when out walking, and so this suits me well.

On the other hand I see lots of other people out walking who spend most if not all of their walk interacting with their dogs, chucking toys and balls about, and doing lots of training etc. As far as I can see, the dogs tend to stay pretty much to heel and keep their concentration on their owners rather than their surroundings. I chatted to one of these owners the other day and she said she would find walks desperately dull if she was just walking along, and liked to be busy entertaining her dog.

So, I thought it would be interesting to ask on here to see what all of you do. Are you a 'let them get on with it' or a 'micromanager'? And do you think the type and/or number of dogs you have makes a difference?

Be interested to hear your thoughts :)
 
Because one of my youngsters is only just off the lead (told to lead walk to allow developement, he has HD), his recall had disappeared. I now take a ball launcher with which he's obsessed. He and his brother stay together to retrieve while the older dog does his thing. I never used to 'manage' walks and my first pair just stayed in sight but did their own thing.

I think walks should be R+R, but from what I'm seeing, the youngsters are thoroughly enjoying their ball games. :) I do practise recall and other commands whilst out:heeling on the way there and back is a constant challenge! I never just ignore what they're doing, but I do think it's their walk, they should be allowed chill time.
 
I dunno where we went wrong :(. Our first pair were awful, too, but heeled beautifully when off lead, the one left still does. I practised to death with the pups but they are both appalling unless totally knackered. Drives me nuts. I think they want to be huskies! Speaking to other spangle owners, they have the same problem. I do think we made a rod for our own backs by getting two: they encourage the naughtiness in each other!
 
cinammontoast said:
I dunno where we went wrong :(. Our first pair were awful, too, but heeled beautifully when off lead, the one left still does. I practised to death with the pups but they are both appalling unless totally knackered. Drives me nuts. I think they want to be huskies! Speaking to other spangle owners, they have the same problem. I do think we made a rod for our own backs by getting two: they encourage the naughtiness in each other!
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My neighbour suggested once that I get myself a little chariot for my dogs to tow me around in - that is how awful my dogs are on lead (when not wearing their haltis)!!! :o:o Like yours they are ok when knackered, but a nightmare when fresh. I have admitted defeat now and just use haltis, but I frequently get asked why my dopey looking waggy tailed dogs are wearing muzzles, which is a bit embarassing :rolleyes:

Oh, and a big *I agree* that it is so much harder to walk two dogs on the lead than one!!
 
I despair on walks. Why my dog cannot just walk beside me is beyond me. :o

I am always armed with interesting toys and treats to keep her concentration on me. Walks are training for us, she has chill time at home / playing with my mums pup.
 
I tend to do a bit of both,

With Millie, she is let off lead as soon as we're somewhere safe, I do bits and bobs of training with her, walking at heel off lead (not her strongest but getting there), sits and stay, sits when at a distance from me etc. I'll take a ball and play fetch with her (her favourite thing ever - she's a tennis ball OCD JRT!), and also just let her snuffle around in the undergrowth doing her own thing - like yours OP, Millie only goes a certain distance and is always looking back to where I am.

With Suzy, I do a lot of walks with her on lead, her recall is just not good enough to be able to treat her the same as Millie. When we get to enclosed safe areas she is allowed off lead and has a 5 minute hoon, doing what she wants (which is normally running at speed being chased by Millie) - then recently I've been trying to get her to play and have fun - or she tends to shut down and do nothing much at all. getting there slowly but surely.

If going out for one of our 8-10 mile walks, Millie is allowed to do her own thing, and Suzy too when off lead, although she spends more time on lead then off - but she does tend to walk nicely at my side once she realises we're in for a long walk!
 
I am really lucky in that we have our own land, straight out the back door, walk down our lane and out into our fields. My dogs have to sit by the back door and told to wait whilst I open door until I give the ok command. They tend to stay with me until we get into our fields and then they are off. They run arond the field following the hedges looking for rabbits but keep coming back to check on me. I do play hide and seek with them sometimes but I always carry a whistle,treats and leads.

My dogs are very fit and would run all day and playing with a ball wouldnt expend the energy that they do running free. I do put Diesel on the lead the last part of the walk because a lane we use is open to the road and his recall isnt as reliable as Darceys. Whilst running free they play with each other constantly and being brother and sister they have a very tight bond.

Their walks is their free time and they need that to keep them sane, training is done separately and that is my time and I expect concentration on me.
 
Its a shame you dont live near me lexie, Dax would have a blast and its just wonderful for them to let off steam. I think a lot of behavioural problems would lessen if a dog is allowed to be a dog and have a good run and end up dog tired.
 
Dobiegirl said:
Their walks is their free time and they need that to keep them sane, training is done separately and that is my time and I expect concentration on me.
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I think this sums it up for me. Tbh, I'd be on to a loser if I expected 100% concentration on me during walks, so I'm much better off not trying in the first place!
 
Another musing... I think it probably depends on where you walk too. I walk my dogs on footpaths and through fields out in the sticks, so there generally is no problem with them doing their own thing. I'd love love love to have my own land to walk on like Dobiegirl, but this is the next best thing. I guess my walking 'style' may be different if I were walking in a city park or similar, where there are more people and dogs about.
 
Hmm- it varies. As the first bit of the walk is roads, we practice not pulling on the beggaring lead! Its a bit free range after that, depending on livestock (especially the big woolly bunnies that go 'baaa') and how well he's recalled. Not really allowed to run into a field I cant see, so lots of 'wait'!

I suppose I quite like the time walking with him, so no toys, keeping an eye out for rabbits is enough brain power! I take him to the park a bit, for his social skills, and the usual sit/down/recall.

Oh God, I've just realised- my dog does the canine equivalent of hacking in the morning and schooling in the afternoon!
 
Dobiegirl said:
Its a shame you dont live near me lexie, Dax would have a blast and its just wonderful for them to let off steam. I think a lot of behavioural problems would lessen if a dog is allowed to be a dog and have a good run and end up dog tired.
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Oh he does DG- we have a field where he can most definitely just get on with it- although his definition of getting on with it is mugging me until i throw the blumming ball!!!! If i had a 3 acre back garden i could run him in before taking him out am 110% sure he would be less reactive!!

Shame it can not be every day of the week though........ Can you not move? or fancy a lodger?LOL
 
Very similar to you Katie - they check in on me throughout so not concerned about them disappearing - in fact I encourage them to when we are on farmland.

My favorite walks are when I can see them hunting 3 or 4 felds away (no roads nearby) tails up, noses down - that's the way I like my hounds! :D

I spend hours every day bimbling about with them and it is my therapy and thinking time - I prefer to walk alone although I meet with friends and their dogs most days.

Hate on lead walks and just let them get on with it, often they'll be just ahead of me but love them to go off exploring and come back with big grins on their faces as if to say "Mum, you won't believe what we found!" lol
 
Ollies nearly always dragging me to the park. At the park, I drop the lunge line. A. He's not mine, so to lose him i'ld feel awful. B. He can be a bugger to have his lead clipped back on, so its easier just to leave it on. C. He's weary of other dogs so I have to be able to collect him quick to supervise him.

We walk through three fields. Normally we spend 15 -30 minutes throwing his ball on the front field, he soon gets bored and his nose takes over. Then we go into the back field which we walk around for another 20 - 40 minutes. He's normally around 40 foot from me, he doesn't run around much and doesn't play with other dogs but he will however greet them etc. Then we normally head down a little trail and into a side field, and throw the ball for a little longer, until him or I get tired, then I get dragged back home.. ;)
 
BTW I do throw the ball / stick! I dont just use them for attention purposes. My attention tricks only work because she knows I will throw them at some point and she loves it!
 
mollichop said:
Hate on lead walks and just let them get on with it, often they'll be just ahead of me but love them to go off exploring and come back with big grins on their faces as if to say "Mum, you won't believe what we found!" lol
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Me too! And I love watching the interaction between my dogs when they're investigating something gross, and the moment when they think they've seen something exciting and sort of 'point' before careering off to find out.
 
Mine plays constantly.... throwing bits of leaves/grass/mud etc (no guesses as to what breed - !)

She also takes off to the nearest bit of water......

I dont walk her far as she flakes after about 20-30 mins of playing, little walking, swimming etc lol!.. :)
 
With the big dog he can batter on and do what he wants.

The pup is in a routine where we walk a bit, do a bit of heelwork and focus, walk a bit, then on non-work days we do that ^^^ then go to the green, do heelwork and ball chucking/exchange and then at the end I lay a little track for him.
I do constantly recall and reward when out walking and do little bits of control work and if I see a distraction, other people, dog, livestock etc I call him close and do focus work.
 
Depends ...

We are in the middle of an Estate, no cars, no roads ... just pheasants!

Walking all 10 together, off lead - they do as they please. Never go out of sight (if one gets slightly too far ahead they are recalled)

If on training, being gundogs, it's 1-2-1 intense 20 min sessions. Whether it's the beginning of training, sit, heel, wait etc or advanced it's only ever 20 mins. I don't 'talk' to the dog, only give commands.

I love training but if i'm honest the best bit of my dogs, other than working them of course, is getting up on a saturday morning and just walking, walking and walking with all 10 of them through the fields and woods (sometimes i take the under-keepers too which = 14 dogs! :o:o) switch off and just wander! :D:D
 
We have different kinds of walks.

At the park or forest he can do what he wants or i will play with him if he is interested.

If we go to the ball field it is a training time.

If we are walking around the neighbourhood it is for physical exercise only so we don't stop and sniff we just keep walking forward.
 
I don't do any training with mine:o we encourage them to hoon about and we have a good laugh, my whippet is hilarious, she jumps 10 foot in the air for the ball and they all scramble around trying to get it as the whippet is faster but the small shaggy x breed has better coordination and fabulous breaks unlike the whippet who runs so fast she cannot stop:D, the lurchers do walls of death and stalk each other like a western movie (we just laugh) and walk on and they follow and play.
Pancake and bud hunt and OH teaches panner how to stalk the swifts and sets her onto them:o
He will also play hide and seek with them. So our walks are just fun fun fun and lots of blasting around and tiring out.
I can recall them all when needed and make them walk to heel then just set them away again with "GO ONNNNNNNNNN THENNNNNNN" this sees them all running full speed ahead then turn and head back:D
I only train when I have rescues in or private dogs Im training for other folk my own have already been through their paces:)
Otherwise the lurchers go out with OH and do some structured hunting.:)
 
Thanks for your comments everyone - lots of fun sounding walks you lot go on! Cayla - yours sound manic, but so so fun!! :D
 
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