A friend and I recently took Oreo to participate in an animal charity walk. It was his first time doing an organized walk. The event took place along a beautiful state trail here in Minnesota that we hadn’t previously had the opportunity to explore. The friend who joined us occasionally watches Oreo for me, so as we walked the mile out and back along the trail, I shared the ins and outs of my trail manners philosophy and demonstrated some of what Oreo and I are working on. My goal is to be able to continue participating in more organized walks and events like this in the future.
The key thing is, it isn’t just Oreo who is working on trail manners when we are out. We are both practicing our skills. What we practice, and for how long, varies depending on the circumstances. It started that day with me making an intentional decision to sign us up for our first charity walk. A few things about the event caught my attention right away. At just two miles, it was a relatively short walk. It was also self-paced, meaning I could give Oreo plenty of space from other dogs to support our success. The route was one mile out and one mile back, which meant Oreo could take in all the sniffs on the way out and would likely pick up his pace on the return trip. It was the first time this organization had held the event, and the weather forecast was a bit cool for the season, so I predicted it would be less crowded than more established annual events.
Mindful Reflection: What do you consider when taking your dog to events? What circumstances help you and your dog be successful?
I believe that all dogs and all dog owners should participate in some form of formal obedience training, even those with a background in animal behavior. The primary reason is that training brings a third party into the picture, and they are in a much better position to observe your behavior than you are. This goes back to my point that our trail manners practice isn’t just about Oreo and his behavior, it’s about both of us.
When I head out on a walk with Oreo, it’s important that I leverage both my knowledge and my observational skills. It’s my responsibility to maintain situational awareness so I can manage our experience and ensure neither of us approaches or exceeds our individual or collective stress threshold.
What does that look like in practice? At this event, it meant allowing Oreo sufficient time to get his bearings and sniff around a bit when we arrived, instead of heading straight to the sign-in desk where he’d encounter people (with and without dogs) wanting to approach and pet him. It meant keeping a close eye on his body language to make sure it stayed loose and using calming techniques to help him return to baseline if it started to shift.
For Oreo, that might mean stepping off the trail to let him sniff a tree, or stopping to ask him to do some of his favorite tricks so he can refocus on me instead of the stressor. Other times, I might simply encourage him with a “good boy” as he physically shakes off the stress on his own, or I may rub his chest and yawn to engage his mirror neurons and help him settle his nerves. Every dog is different and may need a different strategy depending on the situation. Learning the techniques that work for you and your dog is one of the most valuable outcomes of formal training classes.
Mindful Reflection: What techniques help you and your dog settle down when you’re nearing your stress threshold? Do you have more than one?
Oreo and I have participated in a wide variety of training classes, and I plan to continue enrolling us in more. For me, these classes allow me to hone my skills as Oreo’s handler at public events with insights from multiple third-party observers. They also help me learn what works for us, and what doesn’t.
When I first adopted Oreo, I thought it might be fun to participate in agility or some kind of dog sport together, or maybe even work toward getting him certified as a therapy dog. But once we began formal training, I discovered a few things about those goals:
- Not all dogs enjoy all dog sports.
- Some of the behaviors required to pass certification exams or compete in sports can feel difficult, unnatural, and might even be unnecessary for both handler and dog.
One of the skills taught in most basic obedience classes is loose leash walking. The idea is that as you walk with your dog, the 6-foot leash should form a slight “U” shape, rather than a straight line pulled taut between you. For some dog-handler pairs, this looks easy. For others, perfecting it can feel as frustrating as an overtired child throwing a tantrum before bedtime.
I was in the latter group. As a very young puppy, Oreo walked fairly well on leash, but as he got older and stronger, it became harder to stop him from pulling just by “being a tree,” as many trainers had suggested. It was also tough to keep him in a consistent left-side “heel” position as we advanced in class. I was downright frustrated.
According to a study led by Dr. Carri Westgarth from the University of Liverpool, I’m not alone. This kind of frustration often leads owners to avoid working on leash walking and often to avoid walks altogether. That obviously wasn’t good for either of us.
Enter a new set of third-party insights and a shift in my walking philosophy.
On the first day of a new class, the trainer asked, “Are you planning to do competition obedience with him?”
I quickly replied, “No.”
“Then why does it matter if he’s in a perfect ‘heel’ position every time you go for a walk?”
Bang! The lightbulb went off.
I realized I was the one responsible for the frustration Oreo and I were experiencing. And for no reason. We weren’t going to compete in AKC Obedience, so the only person who cared whether his nose was at my left pant seam was… me. And I didn’t really care, so why was I forcing us both to act like it mattered?
From that moment on, I decided I could still practice “heel” but loosen the definition. Now it just means Oreo is walking somewhere on my left side with that nice “U” shaped leash. I also realized that the traditional left-side “heel” position is most useful in competition or when walking on the shoulder of a road, where it keeps the dog farther from traffic.
On trails, it’s often more practical for Oreo to walk on my right side. That puts more distance between him and passing bikers, rollerbladers, or oncoming dogs. Rather than confusing him by calling both positions “heel,” I cue him to walk on the right by saying “side.” I also use the cue “switch” to prompt him to cross behind me from one side to the other to avoid me tripping over him or the leash.
Now we have practical trail walking manners that work for both of us. Are we perfect every time? Nope. But we practice every time.
My long-term goal is for Oreo to automatically switch to the “side” position behind me whenever someone approaches from the front or after hearing someone say “on your left” from behind. Sometimes it does happen without prompting. Other times, I use a bit of leash pressure to remind him what the cue means. But as we made our way through the charity walk, the fact that I wasn’t exasperated and he wasn’t frustrated helped us navigate the less-than-ideal “Don’t worry, he’s friendly!” trail behavior from other participants.
At the post-walk celebration, my friend looked at Oreo relaxing under the table, patiently waiting for what we would do next, and said, “He looks so content.” And he was, because he’d had the chance to sniff, move at his pace, and stay connected to me without feeling overwhelmed. I was content too. That’s the power of a good walk.
No one method will work for every dog and that’s where a customized approach makes all the difference. Whether you’re dealing with pulling, reactivity, or just want to enjoy calmer walks, having a plan tailored to you and your dog’s needs can be a game changer.
Want to create a trail manners plan for you and your pup?
Reach out at sue.murphy@wavelengthwellbeing.com for a FREE 15-minute consultation. I’d love to help!
