Becoming a responsible dog owner is more than just taking care of your puppies and preventing them from stealing sandwiches during a picnic. Alexandra Fraser told us about her experience in the first few weeks of walking the dog.

I used to think that walking a dog is easy.

Tap the leader, grab the poop bag, let go of the hound as soon as you leave the road, maybe put on the earphones. Walk for a while, throw a stick, and go home. complete.

Wilf explored Yichen wearing a rapidly shrinking seat belt.

When I was six, my family raised their first dog—I don’t know the ins and outs of how Claire went from a cute chocolate puppy to a walkable dog. All I know is that I have a furry dog ​​toy to match her Christmas instead of grabbing her leg.

What's more confusing is that I don't remember how our second dog entered the family when I was 12 years old, and how it adapted to walk the dog. My two brothers are both in boarding school, only my mother and me, of course should I get a tip or two?

My mother's third dog, Nala, is not mysterious. She is a madman, is a coronavirus, and I don't live at home. She is almost alone now, and to be honest, I still don't believe that she is a righteous member of society.

As a result, unsurprisingly, walking the dog is much more than you initially thought. There are some obvious things-train a puppy to listen to voice commands so that it does not run up the mountain the moment you take the lead, clean up their mess, and keep them eyesight. However, when you release your dog in the world for the first time, there are many other things to keep in mind.

The first is the reaction dog. There are many dogs who do not have the best start in life, and there are some dogs that are not because of their own fault, but just don't like other dogs. Usually, owners will put in a lot of effort to make their dog as comfortable as possible, and a puppy running at full speed under the lead of the dog is the secret of disaster.

"Don't worry, he is very friendly!" Perhaps the most unhelpful thing a dog owner can say. Yes, your puppy may be friendly, but theirs may be unfriendly.

The perfect habitat for the perfect puppies.

The second is to judge. A useful tip is great here and there, but when you start a sentence "I think he is leading at this age because...?" Raise your eyebrows, you are not good for yourself.

It is a shame to let the puppies leave the lead prematurely and needs to be suppressed. In most cases, puppies will be close to their owners, especially during their first few walks-this is an inherent safety response. Once your puppy has passed four months, this safety response will decrease exponentially, which means that if you let them grow up without you for the first time, you will have a harder life.

The best time to get your dog out of the lead is when you know they will come back when you call. I spent Wilf’s vaccination and isolation training. He reacted to the whistle "here" and in our garden, so when he can go out, I have confidence in his ability to recall. He is very close to us, but we let him loose the rope from the beginning, even if he is more confident about himself now, he will not leave us more than ten steps without turning around to check whereabouts.

I never thought about what I would do-walk with Wilf before sunrise.

Seeing Wilf grow up confidently and explore his surroundings while walking is one of the purest things I have ever experienced. I don’t need my headphones—in fact, I left my phone at home during our last walk (admittedly, accidentally). Nothing keeps you alive like a puppy.

This is not to say that I have completely abandoned Taylor Swift. When I sang in the car, Wilf liked it.

The best time to let your puppies lose their lead is when you are confident that they can return to you. Don't feel pressure to keep them chained for longer!

Pick it up after your dog. This should be obvious, but somehow it is not. If you don’t like to carry a poo bag with you, you can find a trail with many trash cans along the way, but you must pick it up. Each.

When you encounter puppies on a walk, you absolutely must ask their age. This is the law.

Beware of the leading dog. They may be perfectly fine, or they may be reactive dogs who don't want to be fussed about. Make eye contact with the owner and make sure you can catch your puppy before they get too close.

A post shared by Wilf The Cocker Spaniel (@wilfthecocker)

Don't let your dog steal the ball. To be honest, this should be illegal.

Likewise, do your best to help the owner retrieve the lost ball. The other day, I almost fell into Itchen and saved a drowning tennis ball to a whippet. worth.

Don't judge. They may wear dog vests, they may drool over the kitchen, and they may wield a stick like a lunatic. Unless you see a dog being abused, let it live if you live.

Ask before you pet the dog. Wilf is a confident puppy, but if an adult rushes towards him, he will be frightened. Even if you "have a dog exactly like him!", before you touch their dog, check with its owner.

Ask before feeding another dog snack. What if they are allergic to your salmon?

chat! Don't do anything that makes you uncomfortable, but honestly, if you ignore other dog owners, you will miss the entire world of social interaction. If your dog looks gregarious, ask them their dog's name, smile a little at the failed training habits, and tell them how beautiful their furry friends are. Dog owners are often the salt in the soil and go out to make friends.

New to Puppy Diary? Catch up here! 

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