How long should you actually walk your dog?
20, 30, 45, 60+ minutes? What is the perfect amount of time to walk your dog? Quick answer - there is no magic number for the perfect dog walk where you will get the most benefits. Dog walking is an amazing way for pets and owners to connect with each other, practice training skills, and enjoy the outdoors. Many of you have been told to walk your dog for at least one hour to fulfill them. I’ve heard this enough times from owners (one was almost in tears over this unrealistic expectation), and it inspired me to create this blog post to give my thoughts.
Just like everything in dog training, walking guidelines depend on the dog - owner - & circumstances (keep reading for some different circumstance scenarios).
I want training to empower you, not to make you feel bad for never doing enough.
You should only walk your dog for an hour if you have the time and want to. Some owners need to tire their dogs out to relax, but things like the place command and structure make that unnecessary (read about dog training myth #1 for more thoughts on this). I'm not sure where this idea that a walk shorter than one hour isn’t enough for your dog to reap any benefits, but it’s simply not true.
The sweet spot for me is 20-30 minutes. Here’s how you get the most out of the shorter walks - follow it up with time spent on place. By doing this, you are fulfilling your dog's physical and mental needs ✨ Bonus if you start with some place time before walking out the door. I like to be as effective as possible when it comes to the time I have when working with a dog, and I want the same for you. By combining a walk with place, you can help your dog expend energy and strengthen their “clam muscle.” The perfect combo!
Not only is this super effective, but it also leads to lasting results for you and your dog. Done are the days when you need to tire your dog out to get them to relax. When you incorporate place time daily (after the walk is a great time to do this), relaxing on their bed becomes a new norm because it's part of your daily routine.
Let’s take a moment to look at some different dog/owner scenarios here…
Meet Sally & her pup Milo 👋🏼 Milo is a trained / non-reactive / calm mix breed. He adores being outdoors and so does his owner. Sally works from home & is on her computer in meetings most of the day. While she is working at her computer throughout the day, Milo has place time and practices being calm and relaxed. Both of them enjoy walking during her one hour lunch break to destress from the morning and spend some time together. Sally has a loop she does that takes them the whole hour. This works for Sally and Milo because she has time time, they both enjoy it, & it is a part of their routine. Some days Sally decides to eat lunch on her back porch and let Milo explore the yard or take a short walk instead of their usual loop. This is a perfect scenario for Milo & Sally ❤️
Now meet Lucy & her pup Ivy 👋🏼 Ivy is e collar trained / impulsive / rescue. Lucy’s job requires her to be out of the house along with a family of kiddos that have all the sports activities & homework in the afternoons. When they get home, Ivy spends some time on place while they finish up their homework / she loves to play with her human siblings - so place time while they work is tough mental work. Most days, Lucy and her family only have 15 - 30 minutes to walk Ivy around the block before dinner. They work hard on reminding Ivy to heel when they pass by the other neighborhood dogs / this is a really difficult skill for her & requires a lot of e collar guidance. While Lucy cooks dinner, Ivy watches from her place cot and practices resisting the urge to beg at her feet. This is a perfect scenario for Ivy & her family 🫶🏼
In both scenarios above these pups & their owners are doing what works best for them and both dogs are getting their needs met through the use of walking and place time. If you want to walk your dog for an hour, that’s great. But if you’re an owner who’s feeling overwhelmed and guilty for not carving out an hour for every walk - it's just not necessary. The combo of a walk (howevery many minutes you can find) plus place time is what I would recommend. Remember that for most dogs, laying calmly on place is just as much / if not more / mental stimulation than a walk.
Be weary of any training advice that says you MUST ______ (fill in the blank with any training advice). Dog training is not one size fits all. Walking your dog should not be overwhelming, do what works for you & your pup.
Take a look at this video for what a walk might look like with an e collar
Are you needing some guidance on how to get started with the e collar, add place time work into your routine, or refine your dog’s heel during a walk? Check out the E Collar Starter Guide, grab the E Collar Cheat Sheet Freebie, & the Intro to Place Freebie!
Let’s jump on a virtual training sesh together to figure out a walking routine that empowers you & works for you and your dog. I’d love to help!
Was this helpful? I’d love to know what your scenario is at home & what works for you & your pup! Visit this instagram post and let me know in the comments. I love hearing from you!
