Yes, You Should Walk Your Puppy — But Not the Way You Think

Everyone knows that dog owners are supposed to take their dogs for walks a couple of times a day.

Sounds simple enough in theory… until you bring home a 10-week-old puppy and discover that your puppy has absolutely no interest in leaving the yard.

Then things get even more confusing.

Your veterinarian tells you to be careful about taking your puppy places because they haven’t finished their vaccinations. Your dog trainer tells you that your puppy needs to be socialized.

Cue the screaming.

So, what are you supposed to do?

Yes, You Should Walk Your Puppy

First of all, yes — you should take your puppy out and introduce them to the world.

The first few months of a dog’s life are extremely important for socialization. Waiting until your puppy has finished all of their vaccinations before exposing them to the world can mean missing an important developmental period.

The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) strongly supports early, appropriate socialization.

“Incomplete or improper socialization during this important time can increase the risk of behavioral problems later in life including fear, avoidance, and/or aggression.”

Behavioral problems can have a major impact on the relationship between dogs and their owners and are a significant reason dogs are surrendered to shelters.

Of course, this does not mean you should ignore your veterinarian’s advice about vaccinations or disease exposure.

Your puppy should continue to see your veterinarian regularly and receive their recommended vaccinations and booster shots.

The trick is finding safe ways to let your puppy experience the world while protecting them from unnecessary health risks.

And that brings us to another important point…

Puppy Walks Are Not Exercise

If you’re used to getting your 10,000 steps in before breakfast, you may want to forget about that routine for a while.

In fact, if you’re hoping to make it around the block before breakfast, you may be setting your expectations a little too high.

A puppy walk isn’t really about how far you go.

It’s about what your puppy experiences along the way.

Your puppy is learning about the world. That means walks need to be slow.

Your puppy may spend five minutes just standing at the front step, sniffing the air and looking around.

And then comes the investigation.

A twig!

A bird!

A leaf!

A strange smell!

A person!

Another dog!

Every single thing may be fascinating to your puppy.

And after experiencing something new, your puppy may stop and simply… think about it.

That’s okay.

Be patient.

Your puppy isn’t thinking about getting their daily cardio. They’re not worried about how many kilometres they’ve walked.

They’re building a mental database of All The Things.

Sometimes the puppy brain needs a moment to load.

That’s okay.

Beware the Opposition Reflex

The “opposition reflex” is a term associated with the tendency of an animal to resist pressure or restraint.

Think about what happens when you pull on your puppy’s leash.

The leash puts pressure on the collar or harness.

Your puppy feels that pressure and naturally pushes against it.

You pull.

Your puppy pulls back.

You pull harder.

Your puppy pulls harder.

Congratulations.

You’ve just entered a game of tug-of-war that neither of you wanted to play.

And while Pavlov may have given this reaction a scientific name, I’m going to give the human version another name:

The Puppet Reflex.

Stop Puppeteering Your Puppy!

Your puppy’s leash should be a safety line, not a steering wheel.

Its job is to prevent your puppy from wandering into the road, running away, or getting into something dangerous.

It shouldn’t be used to constantly drag, pull, or steer your puppy from one place to another.

Every time you use the leash to physically move your puppy, you risk teaching them that pulling against the leash is how they get where they want to go.

That can quickly become a habit.

And here’s the funny part:

How can we expect our dogs to learn not to pull on the leash if we’re constantly pulling on them?

We can put a man on the moon, but apparently teaching ourselves to stop pulling a puppy around is where things get difficult!

We’re In This Together

Once you clip a leash onto your puppy and hold the other end, you’re no longer two individuals going for a walk.

You’re a team.

Think of it as a six-legged race.

You have two legs.

Your puppy has four.

And now you have to figure out how to move together.

You are the older, more experienced member of the team. You have the bigger brain, opposable thumbs, and probably a GPS on your phone.

So yes, you should help lead the way.

But that doesn’t mean dragging your puppy behind you.

Instead, wait.

Let your puppy investigate the area within the safe boundary of the leash.

Let them sniff.

Let them look around.

Let them process what they’re seeing and hearing.

Give them time to become comfortable.

Eventually, your puppy may realize that you’re standing there too.

They may look up at you.

That’s your moment.

Get excited.

Praise your puppy.

Encourage them to come with you.

You can use treats, a favourite toy, or even something like peanut butter on a touch stick to make moving with you fun and rewarding.

Take a few steps together.

Then, when your puppy gets distracted by a bush, a leaf, a bird, or the most interesting blade of grass they’ve ever seen…

Stop.

Wait again.

Let them investigate.

Then try again.

Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

You may not get very far today.

You may not get very far tomorrow.

That’s okay.

The goal isn’t to see how quickly you can get around the block.

The goal is to teach your puppy that walking with you is enjoyable.

Eventually, your puppy will learn that they don’t need to pull you toward everything they see.

They’ll learn to check in with you.

They’ll learn that moving together can be fun.

And you’ll learn to communicate without constantly pulling on the leash.

You may not cover much distance during those first few walks.

But that’s not the point.

You’re not just taking your puppy for a walk.

You’re teaching your puppy how to walk with you.

And when you get there, you’ll get there together — and that’s a skill you can use for the rest of your dog’s life.