Setting out to walk with my dog in the local neighbourhood the other day I noticed, further up the street, a woman walking a lopey, overweight mastiff / ridgeback cross. They were behind us for the first block and constantly the woman would say in a very stern, unforgiving tone – WALK! I wasn’t sure what was going on but eventually they passed us and as they did the lopey…super inquisitive and friendly dog, walked slowly to take us in – the stern voice said WALK! and I realised that at every slow down point when he wanted to smell or have a look at, or stick his nose into something he was yanked on the lead and commanded to WALK! The pace the human had set was weight reducing, muscle building, exercise pace and the type of dog I was looking at was far from any of that! He looked the type to be hungry to be fed regularly but predominantly happy to lie around in the sun all day diverting from that activity only to glance at something that may have taken his olfactory or visual fancy.
Even though first and foremost we are the boss and dogs must fit in with us, they are also an individual dog with certain behaviours and needs and if those are incongruous with our needs and behaviours we need to bring common sense to finding a way that works for both species harmoniously.
Over the years I have noticed that a bit of give and take never went astray (just like dancing) when building a relationship with my dogs.
