What do dogs think walks are for?

[Lolypoly14]

I have been pondering this this morning. .

Doggo loves water, any kind will do - sea, rivers, muddy puddles, etc. She can’t help herself and is straight in, so for the last week or so where it’s been freezing, I haven’t taken her anywhere watery.

Took her out for a big walk yesterday. Lovely long loop, where she can be off lead with a little bit of river on the way back to the carpark so she could have a little bit of a swim before getting back into the car with loads of dry towels (and heated seats) to snuggle into.

She loves walks, especially walks that involve getting in the car as that usually means somewhere good, and she get ridiculously excited when she sees me getting poo bags out of the drawer and my car keys (just poo bags means the park or round the block) and she recognises landmarks on the way (for example, driving past the big Tesco means her favourite beach and she starts getting super excited), but I always wonder what’s going through her head.

Does she realise I’m just taking her somewhere nice for fun? Does she think she’s taking me somewhere nice? Does she think we’re going on patrol or something?

I couldn’t sleep last night (insomnia) so I’ve been thinking about this for a while 😂

My brother had a lovely mongrel that hated going for a walk unless she was taken in the car to the beach. Put a lead on her to walk her to the shop, park or round the block and she would sit down and refuse to move. Open the car and she was straight in there waiting for him to drive off, if he turned towards the beach she was fine, up at the window tail wagging and smile on her face but if he turned away from the beach she would throw herself down on the seat and sulk, when they got to the woods or wherever he took her she wouldn't get out of the car and he would have to drive her to the beach. She was strong willed and very choosy about her walk.

To read their peemails of course!

For the last couple of years of his life, my border terrier spent a lot of time on Holkham Beach and the beaches and coastal paths to the west of there. It was absolutely his happy place. He had arthritis, and was a lot slower than he used to be, but the moment he got to the beach he would be off, running, rolling in the sand and yapping. Paradise for dogs. You just have to keep them away from the lovely, stinky dead seals and seabirds occasionally.

Awwww I just love dogs so much.

This thread is amazing.

Our dogs love buses (we live in London).

One day a month ago my husband was walking them in our local park and the naughty one (a terrier) sprinted off, like a blur, across the massive park and then out of it, with my hapless husband chasing her, calling her name.

The dog disappeared from sight, right out of the park, and my husband panicked as she'd run out to where there's a road. He legged it so wasn't far behind her but couldn't see which way she'd turned.

Then he spotted her, sitting like a good girl at the bus stop and looking down the road to see if the bus was coming!

Unreal.

Our dog has his nemesis living over the back fence. They growl and bark at each other if both are out at the same time. Our walks from home go past their house. He always... ALWAYS... poops outside their front garden wall.

That has got to be deliberate. So, seemingly, he sees his walks as a form of petty vengeance.

Lovely thread

we live near a park, on the way we pass a house where the owners offer treats (they check first) to any passing dogs.
they’ve not got their own dog (briefly had a rescue one that died I think)
my dog sits on their drive and looks longingly at the front door on every walk. If they see him they open the door and they’ve got a dog biscuit tin in the porch.
we have to put him on the lead a few minutes before we leave the park as he has form for running to their house. Last time dh found him ‘knocking’ (scrabbling) at the door!

My dog’s nemesis is my next door neighbour’s dog - but only when they’re in their back gardens

Out the front they’re besties. They go on walks together. In the back garden, they hate each other. We’ve lifted them up over the fence so they can see each other and they were like “oh, it’s you, hiii!!!” Put them back down and they wanted to kill each other again. Madness.

One of my other neighbours is a massive arsehole and I moan about him a lot - he goes out of his way to be spiteful and awkward. Doggo always does a poo outside their house, I wonder if she’s like “I’ve got your back” 😂

Mine has never been on a bus. Or seen snow (we haven’t had snow down here for years). I’m going by to make it my mission this year to take her on more exciting adventures.

I think dogs just like to know what going on around their homes. Mine also like to tour the garden in the morning, run round the perimeter, and a few times a day will just walk around the house checking all the rooms. Mine are German shepherds, I don't know if all breeds do this.

My dog thinks he’s accompanying me. The walk is for me, he’s irritated but does it because he loves me & out of duty of care for me. He hates the walk and would rather go in the garden then get back in the sofa.

My two love bus stops. They go and sit in them and I'm forced to stop for a bit. They're all waggy tails watching people get on and off. Two large German shepherds just watching the buses coming and, people getting on and off - they just love it!

My dog has a foolproof plan of walks.

Night walks - to check for any loitering cats and chase them off. He feels pleased as punch with himself if a cat runs away from him. He's practically puffed up with pride at his manly assertions (note most cats are bigger than him)

Day walks - mark local territory and ensure all the other local dogs still see him as 'king' of the road. The rule being it doesn't matter how small you are it's who pees the most outside that is king of the road. Thus he who drinks the most, pees the most. You can see his visible dismay on his walks if he starts 'running dry'. Most walks he runs to his bowls and takes a massive drink before we set out to 'top up the tank'

Car journeys - going to different areas to spread the word of the great ruler that he is. Peeing all over territories of non local dogs is very satisfying. Imaging all the dogs local to the area going 'hey who's this Fido dude, coming here to our park and acting like he owns the place'

Gloating when passing by any dog stuck in their house at the window. If he sees a dog at a window and hears it barking he will always double back and pee on the lampost/ pavement outside their house. I can almost hear him going 'neh neh neh neh neh you're stuck in there and I'm out here neh neh neh neh neh'

Checking the garden hourly for intruders - birds, cats. I've taught him hedgehogs get a free pass for his own sake.

Trips to the beach - a chance to continue his aspirations to visit Australia by digging a really big hole. When Australia appears to not be at bottom of hole he runs to a different part of the beach and starts again. 'Come on, come on I know it's here somewhere

All walks good for chasing his ball especially the ones that squeek and he can 'kill' them. Also good for burying at the beach and then digging them back up.

Hunt for food on walks even though he eats like doggy royalty. If he finds food running back to the house with it in his mouth before some other dog ambushes him and steals it. Any location which proves to be a good supplier will be checked on every walk from this day forward. Walks with no food will be supplemented by sniffing out dogs poos and eating any fresh ones (subject to distracting owner while he does this without being shouted at)

I'm sure on his walks his thought process re me goes like this-
'good job I'm here she never knows the right way to go'
'Where are you going that's the wrong way'
'It's a cat, it's a cat, hurry, hurry, run, run, it's an emergency'
'god knows what she would do without me'
'I hope she knows the way to the beach, she got us lost last time'
'Ow watch out for the speed bump you moron'
'Letta me out here, yes I know there's no parking spaces, but letta me out here and you go park. I've got serious work to do'
'It's so delightful having my own chauffer to take me wherever I want to go'
'I'm thirsty. I hope you remember to bring my plastic bowl and water bottle this time. Do you see how much sand is on my face'
'fuck me I'm amazing'

p.s. No cats were hurt during the writing of this post (although one did beat my dog up a few years ago)

Mine do the same, one sits there while everyone coos at how pretty she is. And theres a beach they both love, any beach is good, but one in particular I'm almost pulled over and dogs are howling to get to the sea.

Walked them round a dam yesterday all frozen water and filthy puddles and ducks to bark at. They had the time of their life, I was trying to not break an ankle. We have a cat garden, one saw a cat about 6 years ago sunning itself in the garden. Ever since then that garden must be thoroughly checked for the cat, its probably dead now.
Also a tree that fell apart as we were passing it, the day after a storm, that tree must be looked at suspiciously and walked around with a big margin, that was 7 years ago and a section of the woods we dont often visit.

I don't know what they think, but my God they get excited when we put our walking boots on or pack for a trip.

Great thread really has made me smile.

Snubbing any dog that he thinks is beneath him (talk to the paw)

Snubbing any dog who is bigger than him (you can kiss my furry butt)

Snubbing any dog who is wearing those light up collar things in the dark (fuck me it's a dog that's been crossbreed with a christmas tree)

Just joking he likes most dogs but that was more fun to write.

Mine is nearly 15 so walks are very much on his terms these days. At the moment they’re just a bathroom trip, he won’t go any further after he’s done his 💩

My questions would be - what do dogs dream about? When they make those dummy little noises in their sleep, I assume they are dreaming?

And a sad one - but what do they think if they go to kennels when you are on holiday? The kennels is lovely, the staff give him a big fuss, and he's been before, but I do wonder if he worries, or he just knows we'll come back for him?

They just have an instinct to be out and patrol/ hunt/ explore, like most pack animals.

Mines clearly broken because when I get the lead out he fucks off and hides with a thought of "oh good god she's making me getting off the sofa and out from under my snuggly blanket" 😂

Our dog comes on holiday with us, from the midlands to south France.
I think how weird it is for him that some days we’ll get in the car and then out at the local park. Another day in the car and then out into the heat of southern France in the summer.
He never knows if we’ll be in the car 5 minutes or 15 hours!

I agree with them about Holkham beach. 🐶

That's made me laugh - we were packing the car to go away once and lost the dog. Searched the house and garden, called her to no avail. She was nestled in the boot between the bags making sure we didn't leave her 😂

Sniffing other dogs wee, finding a three day old kebab for a snack, and rolling in some fox poo if she's lucky. It's very exciting.

When I need to go out without him, I have to say, “Wait here because I’m coming back”, otherwise he’s jumping around like a mad thing.

Once I’ve said it, he’ll do a really stroppy whine/sigh thing, and sit and stare at me. I have to avoid his gaze because it makes me feel really uncomfortable 😂.

My dog hates walks and definitely views them as some kind of punishment 😅 my husband dropped her lead when she was a pup and she bolted and was missing for 14 hours over night, something scared her that night and every since she hates going on a walk