{"id":5599,"date":"2021-08-27T16:55:13","date_gmt":"2021-08-27T20:55:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/companyofanimals.us\/?p=5599"},"modified":"2025-08-27T10:58:53","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T14:58:53","slug":"dog-walking-etiquette","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/companyofanimals.com\/us\/dog-walking-etiquette\/","title":{"rendered":"Dog Walking Etiquette"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dog walking etiquette is essential for maintaining a positive and respectful environment for both dog owners and the general public. Following proper etiquette while walking your dog helps ensure everyone&#8217;s safety and enjoyment. Here are some key principles to keep in mind:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">\n<h3><b>Scoop the poop<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you have ever stepped in dog poo, you\u2019ll know how unpleasant it is! While some dog owners genuinely forget their poo bags, some believe dog poo is akin to fertiliser, nourishing the ground as it decomposes. This is a MYTH, and it is causing waterways to become polluted with disease-causing bacteria and viruses. This makes local waters undrinkable, unswimmable and unfishable and can cause severe illness in humans.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As such, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the number 1 rule of dog walking etiquette is to<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> always be prepared to pick up your dog\u2019s poo and dispose of it safely. Do not let your dog do its business within 200 metres of a body of water and carry biodegradable poop bags with you and dispose of them in the specially marked bins.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3><b>Train your dog!<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To ensure your daily strolls are enjoyable for all, you need to put the hours into <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">training your dog<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and make sure your furry friend is clear on what behavior is expected of them. Work on the basics such as \u2018sit\u2019, \u2018stay\u2019, \u2018down\u2019, \u2018come\u2019, and \u2018no\u2019. Getting these locked down will help you to feel in control of your dog when you\u2019re walking together. It\u2019s also vital that your dog develops an understanding of commands such as \u201cleave it\u201d in order to avoid trips to the vet for your pet\u2019s culinary choices. If scavenging becomes an ongoing risk to your dog\u2019s safety, you may want to use our <\/span><a href=\"\/us\/brand-product\/baskerville-classic-muzzle\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Baskerville Anti-Scavenging Muzzle<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> may help you to address the issue.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Getting your training basics well rehearsed will help with general dog walking etiquette as well as obedience in the house.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use positive reinforcement to train your dog to focus on you and to walk close to you on a <\/span><a href=\"\/us\/how-to-stop-your-dog-pulling-on-the-lead\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">slack lead<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. You also need to make sure that your dog knows to \u201csit\u201d at busy intersections and roads. If you\u2019re in a quiet area and let them off their lead, you\u2019ll also want the peace of mind that they\u2019ll immediately come to you if called so an excellent recall is KEY.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lastly, you need to train your dog not to jump up. Jumping up on a stranger may be meant as a friendly greeting but this will eventually at best, result in a disgruntled walker and a possible cleaning bill but at worst, an injury and even a court case. Either way, it is best to stay on the safe side. You can learn more about training your dog not to jump up on our blog \u2018<\/span><a href=\"\/us\/why-does-my-dog-jump-up\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why does my dog jump up?\u2019<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">\n<h3><b>Respect others<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One thing is for certain, on your daily walks you and your dog are going to encounter other dogs, people, property, and wildlife. Being respectful of your environment is one of the most <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">important parts of dog walking etiquette<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before you allow your dog to interact with other dogs, people, or children, you must ask permission first. While you love your dog and know them to be friendly, you will frequently come across people that are uncomfortable and even fearful of dogs and that is to be respected. If someone is looking apprehensive you should simply smile and move on.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keeping a close eye on your environment is also key to protecting the local wildlife. Your exuberant and inquisitive pooch may love to frolic in fields but be mindful of the stress this could cause ground nesting birds and livestock. You can learn more about how you can protect your local wildlife on our blog <\/span><a href=\"\/us\/we-are-on-wildlife-watch\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2018We are on wildlife watch\u2019<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">\n<h3><b>Keep a close eye on the play<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dogs love to play, and why shouldn\u2019t they! However, it is important to make sure that everyone is happy about the state of play. If you see behaviour starting to get out of control or one of them gets too excited, it could lead to conflict.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you do notice one playmate getting too boisterous towards the other, you need to call your dog away to allow them to calm down. If you start to see one pinning the other down or nipping their ears or face, chasing, body slamming or starting to hump excessively<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, then<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> consider it time to stop <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the dogs<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">playing<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and move on so that the experience ends on a friendly note.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">\n<h3><b>Safety first<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So far, we have discussed how you and your dog can help to keep others safe, but it is equally important you keep yourself and your dog safe. Whilst it is essential to have a charged phone on <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">you <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in case of emergencies, we recommend it stay in your pocket. \u201cWalkies\u201d is a time for you to focus on and bond with your dog.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your dog walking etiquette may slip or you could miss a hazard if you are not paying attention. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By giving your pet, and your surroundings your full attention you are able to avoid potential conflicts and hazards before they occur. It may also be worth carrying a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/companyofanimals.com\/uk\/brand\/pet-corrector\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pet Corrector<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with you on your walks should you need to put a stop to a dangerous situation with another animal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s always tempting to let your dog run free, but we recommend that you keep your dog on the lead when out and about or else being extremely selective when you do go off lead. An excellent recall is vital for even the friendliest of dogs.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some dogs may be nervous of your well-meaning pooch, others may have complex aggression issues, so it is best to keep them on a lead for their protection. You may want to consider using a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/companyofanimals.com\/uk\/brand-product\/company-of-animals-recall-line-10m\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">long line<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or a <\/span><a href=\"\/us\/brand-product\/halti-retractable-lead\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">retractable lead<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to give your dog more freedom but always approach others with caution and respect.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Next time you\u2019re out with your pooch, keep these friendly dog walking etiquette tips in mind. Both you, your dog and the public will respect you more for it.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dog walking etiquette is essential for maintaining a positive and respectful environment for both dog owners and the general public. Following proper etiquette while walking your dog helps ensure everyone&#8217;s safety and enjoyment. Here are some key principles to keep in mind: Scoop the poop If you have ever stepped in dog poo, you\u2019ll know [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6051,"featured_media":5600,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5599","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","family-behaviour","family-lifestyle","family-puppy","content-activities","content-aggression","content-anxiety","content-bad-habit","content-training","behaviour-basic-commands","behaviour-daily-walks","behaviour-playing","behaviour-pulling-on-lead","behaviour-recall","behaviour-scavenging","content-entity"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/companyofanimals.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5599","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/companyofanimals.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/companyofanimals.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/companyofanimals.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6051"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/companyofanimals.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5599"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/companyofanimals.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5599\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23753,"href":"https:\/\/companyofanimals.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5599\/revisions\/23753"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/companyofanimals.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5600"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/companyofanimals.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5599"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}