Solo v Group Dog Walking

You're sitting at work or at home thinking about what you will get up to this weekend with your four-legged friend. You are wondering will I take them on my usual walk around my neighbourhood or will I try something different?

You check and see that there are some group walks being hosted by a community of dog owners and you think to yourself:

"Hmm...I've always wanted to see how lemon would do in a situation like this?"

Well what better way to figure out what is best for your dog then to do some research.

It's a hard decision to make when it comes to figuring out what is best for your beloved pooch especially if you are unsure of how they will behave in situations that differ from what you would usually do. But rest assured we are here to debate this issue for you to make a healthy and educated decision.

Solo Walks

Solo walks are a great way of building a bond between you and your dog. It also gives them the benefit of being able to absorb the scents and layouts of their environment. They feel reassured that they can walk at their own pace and are the sole centre of attention with you.

Pauline Mitchell, Professional Dog Walker and Emmett Therapist for Dogs, said "Your dog needs to have time to stop and sniff and take in his or her environment and they need to bond with their owner on their walk also."

They will also learn to take your cues with pace, adapt to your commands along with becoming trained in the important- dos and don'ts.

There is also the reality that some dogs - just like humans- do not like to be in big groups. This can be due to an array of factors such as learned behaviour, a bad experience or it can simply be the dog's personality.

"With some dogs it could be their personalities but others may have had a bad experience that they have learnt to deal with it by ignoring. In my experience also dogs who just play and play and play and no one interrupts, the dog learns one of two things. They learn either to be a bully or to accept to be bullied," said Pauline Mitchell

It really depends on the individual dog and that's why it is vital to assess such behavioural traits and posture with your dog when it meets others on solo walks.

Leighanne Henderson, 36, Dog Walker and Dog Grooming Assistant said: "It depends on how well each dog copes with interactions, not all dogs enjoy a group environment so each dog would have to be assessed as an individual."

Group Walks

Groups are a great way to allow your dog to engage with others in order to learn social cues and acceptable behaviour. It also, helps that they look so adorably excited when doing so!

Leighanne said: "Dogs learn behaviour skills within groups as they learn how to meet and greet in a polite manner as well as adopt other social skills."

They learn how best to say hello and how to play when interacting with other breeds especially when they are learning from their mistakes. For instance, if they approach too playfully with another. Such robust behaviour will be scolded by the other dog especially if they are older.

It's a great way for them to practice and adopt how best to behave! Plus they will learn how to in future approach other canines when out for their solo walks with you.

Dogs are pack animals so they learn to follow others in situations like group walks and it's why the excitement of interacting can easily get out of control, so it's always best to keep an eye on your pooch.

Pauline said: "Dogs do need to play and interact with each other but in short periods of time and in a controlled way. You must interrupt when it’s getting too exciting."

The Recommendation

Our advice is to create a balancing act between both solo and group outings with your pet. Training is also vital in situations like this as it's up to you to control your dog if they become too excitable and misbehave.

They need to learn what is acceptable and what isn't from you but also, their fellow fur friends.

So if you are able to go to group meetings and walks - do so! It will benefit your dog to have a change of pace and give you as well as them something fun to look forward to.

Aftercare

It is also important to remember that with such excitement, your pooches can become worn out that is why we recommend you to allow them to reset afterwards. Let them chill out for a bit with a delicious treat or chewy toy.

As Pauline said: "Dogs like us sometimes need time to reset themselves. So you would reset yourself after a hard day with a glass of wine, a hot bath a good book. Dogs reset themselves by sniffing, licking and chewing or crunching."

Also, the weather can be a mishap of conditions so we have some recommendations over how best to clean your pooch after an especially frosty and/or muddy day.

Leighanne recommends: "You can always put them to the dog groomers for cleaning. Or if you want to try some home remedies, use wax on their paws in snowy times and you can also dip the dog's paws in a bowl of warm water to clean."

So what has your experience been with solo dog walking and meet ups? Have you managed to fine a good balance? Let us know by leaving a comment or through our Facebook comments section.