[Animals] Why do dogs need to go for walks?

[#Wittels-]

Animals recognize and bond with their environment on daily walks. Why is it important to include games

The walk should not be rushed or have as the sole and exclusive reason to comply with the physiological mandates of the animal (Getty)
Those who have chosen dogs as pets take it for granted that they have to be taken out for a walk every day to relieve themselves and exercise. However, few know that this walk is also the equivalent for the dog to the reading of the news by the human being.

A quiet walk, not in a hurry, that allows the dog to capture the environment through olfactory images, will be an invaluable contribution to its emotional health and, as a logical consequence, to its full physical health.

Some authors say that walking the dog is a human invention and suggest replacing it with games. The proposal is much broader: walks and games together are, without a doubt, the ideal for our full relationship with dogs.

The best thing we can do is include these games in the time of the walk to stimulate the dogs and that they enjoy a full and happy life.

 

The games that a dog can play are varied, one of them is the "take and fetch", which consists of throwing a ball, a stick or an object and the dog retrieves it by bringing it (Getty)
The walk should not be rushed or have as the sole and exclusive reason to comply with the physiological mandates of the animal. In addition, the walk should take time and allow you to sniff to achieve what would be our equivalent of window shopping or visual appreciation of a landscape.

Through smell, the dog will be able to discern who passed by, let him know that he also passed by with his marking and have a clear panoramic notion of his neighborhood environment, absolutely necessary for his full vitality.

The games that a dog can play are varied, one of them is the "take and fetch", which consists of throwing a ball, a stick or an object and the dog retrieves it by bringing it. With regard to this game, it is often difficult to recover the object or the ball that, once it catches it, the dog considers it its possession or "already dead" prey and does not return it, frustrating the development of the sequence of the game.

One way to allow the continuity of the game is to do it with two balls and when we recover the first one, we make the second one bite, which will be more attractive because it is "alive" when it bounces with our actions and will encourage it to release the first one, continuing the development of the activity.

The walk should take time and allow you to sniff your way to what would be our equivalent of window shopping or visually appreciating a landscape (Photo: Jonas Walzberg/dpa)
Another game is the "polythief" of our childhood, which consists of chasing and being chased by exchanging roles consecutively. On the other hand, many dogs understand the game of ambush as the "hide and seek" of human childhood and know how to practice it.

Another of the games that dogs like the most is to look for hidden treats as it allows them to develop their sense of smell.

The truth is that inside the walk or outside of it, the game is a necessary and fundamental way of bonding for our relationship with dogs, since the stimulation on a physical and mental level will make the animal calmer and happier.

 

Link: https://www.infobae.com/america/perrosygatos/2022/04/16/por-que-los-perros-necesitan-salir-a-pasear/