Oh My Dog! - The Dream of Relaxed Walkies
With our last dog going for walks was a source of joy for everyone involved. We would take her out twice a day, in the morning and in the evening for a half an hour each, with an optional third walk in between that could be shorter or much longer, depending on the occasion. During this time she had a chance to pee and poo, while also catching up on her social media, that is smelling the marking of fellow dogs, to which she would add her own. Occasionally she would meet other dogs, or simply enjoy rolling around on a patch of grass. By the time we got home she would be properly exhausted, appreciating her bed even more.
Little did we realize back then how ideal this situation was, which now has become a far-away goal, hoping to be achieved one day... Because our little Bandido is not a big fan of walkies, at least not at first. After the initial success story of his first walk, there was a bit of a regression.
Stimulation Overload
Admittedly, the outside world is a crazy place, especially for a young puppy. And if this outside world happens to be located in Mexico City, one can guarantee that the constant flow of interesting smells, sounds, people, other dogs, but also scary noises and fast moving things will quickly overwhelm even the most curious and enthusiastic little dog.
So stepping out on the sidewalk usually starts with a bit of acclimatization, where we just sit and wait by the door... There are plenty of things grabbing the attention, so Bandi perks his ears and wiggles his nose as he's looking from one fascinating sight to the next. You would think that he may just jump up and take off, pursuing all these new impressions in a frenzy of curiosity. However, the opposite seems to be true: waiting and observing seems to be the approach of this wise little dog. Not that I mind, after all we have spent who knows how many hours sitting around the front door. But at some point walking would be nice too.
A Drag Leaving, A Run Returning
I've made sure to reward each tentative step away from the building, and on a few occasions it even seemed like we'd be on our merry way soon. But at wasn't to be. Once we got too far from home - meaning five steps - the desire to return into the safety of the familiar was too strong. And of course I could pull him by his leash quite easily - his 2.5 kg / 5 lbs body is no match to overpower, but the idea is to provide a nice experience for the dog, so forcing him into it would have the opposite effect.
Since he was always so eager to return, I tried to take advantage of that, and carry him to the next corner, from where he would walk home happily. He certainly did walk home, though I'm not so sure about the happily part. He scurried back so fast that he had no chance to interact with the numerous smells, sounds, and people, which I'm sure he would have enjoyed otherwise. So after a few trials I abandoned this strategy to get him to walk.
Walking in the Pack
What actually helped in getting Bandido out to walk without any coercion, was joining up with people and dogs he knows from very early on: The couple who adopted his mom, and luckily happens to be living right in our building, have become regular walking mates. So in an ideal situation it's my wife and I, our friends from the third floor, Bandido, his mother, and his brother, who the couple also kept. Going out in such a big group is always more fun, and our little dog gains the same confidence as what he displays at home: Tail curled upwards, ears in exploration more, moving his little legs to keep the pace of the rest of us. What a joy it is to walk like that! This way we actually get to cover impressive distances quite fast.
Latest Development for the Better
It is nice to see that one can get used to the most overwhelming situations, and after a while going for walkies will come naturally. Visiting the street in the early morning hours will reduce distractions to a minimum, giving Bandi the chance to check out the most important smells. (Yes, it took us quite some time to get to that point, but persistence pays off.) The other thing that seemed to have worked, is taking him with us in the car whenever we had things to do in other parts of the city. Finding himself in a completely unknown surroundings, though not any worse than our own neighborhood, gave Bandido a bit of confidence to walk along with us, while smelling the lawn patches along the way.
Fortunately things are progressing in the right direction, albeit in tiny baby-steps. Bandi regularly gets to experience new areas - short walks always leave lots to be explored at a later time - and each time he seems to be a little braver, and a little more curious about the world outside. This is amazing news, especially considering how far we still are from the relaxed walkies that were so normal for our old dog.