walking a dog, any tips /tricks

[Helenluvsrob]

Hi
don't shoot me. I'm not a dog owner but would like to be. Have walked my sisters 2 dogs with her at times.
Friend out of the country and her husband has the cavalier for the week. he has an injury though and can't walk her so has asked for volunteers.
I'm going tomorrow.
With my sis we walk the same route meet the same dogs and no which cars not to let them go under ( this is spain and people leave out poisoned cat food :( )
I can either pop this dog in the car (she has clip lead thing) and take her to walk tocal to me or explore local to her. Either way I'm not clued up on the hazards. I know , or course not to let her off the lead , or to let her eat stuff and by friend has said she doesn't have to sit to cross the road ( sis dogs so).

Advice as to what to do for instance if we meet a dog that isn't friendly ( as far as I know thats hackles up and snarling but anything else to watch ?) , I know not to pick her up.
Any hazards I might not have even thought about?

I'll take some treats incase I need to trade for stuff she picks up etc

As I say I'm stepping in at late notice and want to be as prepared as I can.

In case she is interested in cats, look out for them so you spot them first and can strengthen your hold on the lead.
With other dogs, as you don't know your charge, I suggest you just keep her out of reach of them and let them look at each other from a slight distance, then move on.

Unfriendly dogs:

Your first cue is almost certainly going to be the owner's behaviour. Owners of unfriendly dogs tend to tense up, start to move towards the dog, may clip him back on a lead or pull him close, may step to the side of the path and/or stop walking. Don't be afraid to call out "is he ok?" or something similar.

The dog's behaviour may not be as extreme as hackles an snarling - that's quite far up the hierarchy. Have a read of the aggression ladder to see what the earlier signs might be: dogtrainingword.com/dog-aggression-ladder/

The dog you are walking may also give clues (depending on how dog savvy they are). Don't force them to approach a dog they are wary of.

If you meet a dog that looks unfriendly then simply keep your voice high and bright and say "come on [dog's name] and walk briskly by, keeping plenty of distance between you. You want your dog to think of the encounter as a very small deal so treat it like one.

The advice re cats is a good one - I would repeat it for any other animal (squirrels, birds etc).

Other than that - HAVE FUN. The more fun you are having, the more the dog will enjoy it. Don't be afraid to do non-walky things like toss the treats in some undergrowth and encourage her to go sniff them out. Think of it like an adventure you are on together, rather than an adventure you have taken her on, if that makes sense. If something looks interesting (like a turned up tree) then go explore it together. If there is a muddy puddle to cross, then make it a game and cross it together. If she catches a good scent she is really engrossed in then let her enjoy it. She could return home not having walked many steps but having had a lot of fun and will be all the better for it.

Thank you both ! I’m sure we will both have fun. I’m hoping I can make space for this lovely lady in my life longer term as I have an open borrowing invite too 😍

Sounds like you've already got the basics of it down. The rest you'll learn by trial and error. If the dog turns out to have issues you don't know about (happened to me with PestDog, who belongs to a friend but is looked after almost every day by me, and is quite reactive, and used to pull like hell) then come back and we'll give you specific advice on the issues. For nice 'normal' dogs, there's really not too much to dog walking if you're not letting them off the lead.

If picking up poisoned food is a significant concern, then the owner may want to consider muzzling purely to avoid that particular danger. Note that you can't just bung a muzzle on a dog that's not used to it, you have to train them to be comfortable with it, which is why it would really need to be the owner that instigates it.

Do, however, ensure that the dog gets lots of opportunities to stop and sniff. It's their main way of understanding the world, so I never understand the people who yank their dog along whenever it stops to sniff at something. It's like taking a toddler on a daytrip wearing a blindfold.

PS have fun! Walking PestDog is my favourite part of the day (at least in daylight!)

Thanks right. poinsoned food isn't a concern so much as this dog is in the UK I hope , more risk of half a maky dead rat or someones vomited takeaway I fear! We will take things at stop and sniff speed and I'll wrap up warm as it's freezing today