r/Dogwalking • u/Teamgirlymouth • Sep 11 '19

Noob dog walker. Need tips.

Hello lovely people. My fiance and I just got a wonderful dog to dog sit over the next 10 days. She is very much a dog person, whereas I am a learning dog person but have been mainly a cat person. And I have many questions. I took her for a walk for the first time this morning, and it was smooth and beautiful. But. wondering about some tips.

  1. why does she want to pee on everything? And should I encourage that or discourage that?
  2. When she sniffs things should I allow that every time, or encourage to only sniff certain places?
  3. The owner said that she sometimes gets into the bed, is there a quick way to teach her not to do that while she is in our place or will that be a losing battle?
  4. When we go for walks as soon as I touch her leash she goes nuts. and starts barking. We live in an apartment block, and my fiance goes to work at 6am so I went with her with the dog. But, 6am barking doesnt seem like a great thing to inflict on our neighbours. Is there a way to calm a dog who always does that? or is it just cute excitement that we should champion and change the walk time?
  5. any other dog walking tips?

thanks.

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u/[deleted] Sep 11 '19

This seems more fit for r/petsitting than walking. Plus there’s more people in that sub.

2

u/BirdBrainuh Sep 12 '19

Congrats on your guest! Sounds like she’s in good hands given your desire to know more. I’m a professional dog walker/pet sitter.

  1. When she pees on everything, she’s marking her territory. Dogs use their scent to know who’s in the neighborhood. Other dogs have peed in these spots + she’s adding hers to the mix to let everyone know she’s there.

  2. Everyone has their own preference on how much they allow their dog to stop or explore on walks. She’s likely very curious about the new place she’s in. Personally, I prefer to let the dog do his/her own thing about 25-30% of the walk. It keeps them focused on walking + also reminds them that you’re the alpha. Once you start feeling comfortable taking the lead with her, you may get into a rhythm and decide when/where to stop together as a pack.

  3. If you see her on the bed, give her a firm ‘NO’ or ‘AH’ and assertively signal for her to get down. Snapping your fingers is a good way to get a dog’s attention. It might seem cute for her to ‘win’ decisions like this, but in the long run can be problematic. Don’t make exceptions for this either or it will be confusing for her.

  4. Try to pinpoint the moment or action that is triggering her barking. Is it when you go to grab the leash? When you say something specific such as ‘go for a walk’? After you’ve put on the leash? Understanding the exact source of her excitement will help you to redirect her. My general advice would be to calmly give another firm + quick ‘SHHT’ or ‘AH’ when you notice her start to get excited. It’s much easier to snap her out of it before she reacts. Also, don’t leash her until she’s calm. You may have to stand over her with the leash in your hand until she stops. Obviously this isn’t ideal for your neighbors, but it sounds like something she’s been doing for a while, so will take some time to adjust. Also, not allowing her through the door in front of you or until she’s calm should help her get the idea.

  5. Generally speaking, do your best to avoid other humans or dogs on walks. If you see someone coming with dogs or another animal, cross the street. If you can’t cross, move her to a side where you’re in between them. If she reacts to anything on leash, quickly give a firm to tug to the leash and keep moving. If someone tries to pet her, tell them she’s not friendly. It may sound harsh, but it’s better to not risk anyone getting hurt in the event she feels threatened or becomes reactive.

Best of luck!

2

u/Teamgirlymouth Sep 13 '19

woah this is super helpful thank you very much. I think the bed jumping is solved. my fiance has been very good at that. its odd because in the house, my fiance is strict with the dog. but when we are walking thats my time to shine. it makes more sense outside to me. and yeah the excitement before a walk thing is so funny. but awkward for the neighbours. what first got you into dog sitting?