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P.O. Box 1015 Waldorf, MD 20604-1015
Phone: 301 645-8181

7/1/2001. From the American Humane Association
Have You Walked Your Dog Today?

Time together and exercise make a walk with your dog something special.

Is your fenced yard a haven for your dog, or a prison? Every dog should have a safe and handy place to play, to relax in, and to defend. Fenced yards relieve owners of the necessity of walking their pet 3 or 4 times a day. Unfortunately, a lot of dog owners sentence their pets to "life" inside the chain links. They never take the dog for a walk, and deprive themselves of many of the pleasures of pet ownership. Every dog deserves one walk a day (or at least one walk a week) and every owner will benefit from providing it. Here's why:

1. Time Together, especially active time together, provides an opportunity for dog and owner to interact and establish mutual communication and a strong bond of affection. Dogs on a walk also get to socialize with other dogs. This is especially beneficial for puppies, who learn the rules of canine social interaction from meeting older dogs.

2. Most dogs won't run around a fenced yard enough to get the exercise they need. Your dog may run up and down the fence line barking at a passing stranger two or three times a day, but unless your yard is the size of a football field, that isn't much exercise. If you and your dog walk a mile or more a day, you'll both benefit by building strength and endurance, burning off calories, breathing fresh air, and discovering what's new in the neighborhood.

3. Yard bound dogs get bored. Walk past a fenced yard and watch the resident dog race along the fence line, press its face through the links or cracks, bark, pant, whimper, and practically turn summersaults to get your attention. Imagine being able to see a park, alley or vacant lot from your yard but never getting the chance to explore it. No wonder dogs gets frustrated. They deserve some variety in their lives. Regular walks will do just that.