Dogs Everywhere?

There is a trend occurring right now to take your dog everywhere with you. Dogs on patios, dogs in stores, dogs at events where they would never have been included prior, dogs in places they would have never been allow before. For some training and socialization at certain points and in certain places I think it’s great. Beyond that, I’m not a fan. Every now and then maybe, or for those specific dogs who actually enjoy doing these things and ARE well behaved, fine. But that’s not the case for most.

A rather large portion of dogs that I see dragged around all over the place are not trained properly to be in these scenarios. And a very large portion of them are not enjoying the experience. Most people miss out on the body language and subtle cues that dogs display that tell you this. Sometimes these cues are not so subtle and yet people either continue to miss them or flat out ignore them. Many of the times dogs would be happier left at home, in the environment that is comfortable to them. It’s keeps them out of trouble, especially if they are not trained or socialized to tolerate these outings. Much of the time dragging your dog along is completely unnecessary.

For those who insist on it, make sure that you step back and observe your dog. Are they actually enjoying the experience? Are they calm and relaxed? Are they stressed or nervous? Are they over stimulated and very vocal? Are they trying to hide, tail tucked, heavy panting? Are they outgoing and social or are they anxious? Are they trained to tolerate these situations? Or are they out of control and putting themselves and others in danger? Most dogs would prefer a “dog type” outing over a more human centred outing – hiking, playing in a field, training, a walk with friends, a dog beach, etc. and they would be ecstatic to join you on that.

Please do your dog a favour and really seek to find out if they enjoy being dragged around. Please do others a favour and ensure that your dog is trained and well behaved in these situations. A dog would likely take a hike over a pint at the pub any day, so think about that next time you decide to drag your dog out with you.