[yorkietalkjilly]

To my way of thinking, domesticated dogs have been taken from their normal place in nature, closeted in our homes and apartments and cut off from much of the out-door life with its sights, scents, energy, lacking most of their ingrained ability to seek and hunt, run and venture about the land that they used to enjoy before humans changed so much of their lifestyles.

And I see the first half of the walk as a way of allowing them to feel they are getting a chance to roam, seek and wander just a little bit and enjoy taking in all the "information" we are told is in the odor left on the grass/dirt/pavement by dog's paw sweat, urine and fecal matter left behind by previous dogs.

When the dog stops to smell something intensely, the experts say the dog is eagerly finding out all kinds of information about his canine world (kind of like us getting on the internet to get caught up with the national news and hearing from our friends)the sex, health, adventures and attitude of the dog that left that scent and to our little house-bound dog, that is very exciting, big-time, much-wanted information. As there are more critters other than just dogs out and about, our little terriers can pick up the scents left by those critters as well. Not to mention getting to see people and other dogs and cars coming and going with the occasional chance to meet a person or dog.

It must be wonderful for them to get a chance to commune with nature and information left by other dogs and critters! A dog with a really developed nose ability, can even track the scent of humans that just passed that way. It's all bound to be pretty heady stuff for a dog removed from nature and living inside 24/7 and you can tell how much they like it as they get crazy excited at the very mention of getting to go "walkies" and find out all about what's been going on and get to roam, sniff and exercise and meet and interact with other dogs and people.

So, during a walk, the first half of it, I allow Tibbe to take his time, meander and wander out to the end of his leash at times, stop, smell and sniff and pee, pee, pee just about all he wants as he has no chance to get that kind of intensely natural/informative fun in the back yard as there just isn't all that activity going on back there as there is out on the walkways and paths. Then, the second half of the walk, we go pretty fast with him trotting along at my heel and getting a good cardio and muscle work-out all the way back. To me, the walk is for the dog's benefit and and I try to let him really enjoy all aspects of it.