Why you should walk your dog!

I used to have a love/hate relationship with my two small dogs. There was a time when I would arrange my schedule around their bio breaks.  Every two hours I would send them outside into the yard and yet they would still have accidents in the house!   I was tired of using Nature’s Miracle on my carpets every day.  Nothing was working.  Quick comment about “Nature’s Miracle.”  This is simply the best carpet cleaning spray on the market.  It doesn’t matter if you have dogs because this stuff is amazing!  I once had to clean lipstick artwork (courtesy of my friend’s daughter) on my tan carpet and that miracle solution took it right out!

I caught the main culprit!  It was Mocha, my female Cavachon.  Mocha is full of life, a bit hyper and believes in all play all of the time.  She loves to be outside but not for the reason that I send her there.  To Mocha, being outdoors means squirrels and rabbits and catching skinks, digging in the dirt and running after her brother Cap.  It does NOT mean going to the bathroom.  I did some online research, truly baffled by this conundrum and was a bit miffed at what I discovered.   Cesar Milan was very firm with me.  The answer was simple.  My dogs weren’t truly trained and the way to solve this problem was to……

WALK MY DOG!  Apparently I could not just let my dogs out into the yard and hope for the best.  Perhaps for some dogs this works but not for my mutts!  I have learned some valuable lessons during these walks including the fact that my dogs will go and go and go over the course of our walk.  They can last for hours once we get a good morning walk finished.

Now I walk my dogs about two miles every day.  We have not had one accident for three months.  Even more exciting is that I’ve found that these morning walks are so incredibly enjoyable for me as well.  Here are some observations I have made these past three months and the benefits that I have surprisingly received!

  1.  I have a cleaner house!  No more accidents!
  2. They love me more.  I love them more.  These walks have been such a bonding time for all of us.  Each morning they start to hop up and down in anticipation.  Their joy is contagious!
  3. I get some serious time breathing fresh air, listening to the birds and feeling good about being outside.  I’ve started to benefit from the stress relief of a simple walk.
  4. I laugh more.  When you walk your dogs and he pounces on a dandelion as if it was a chocolate bar, it’s just so easy to find little moments of laughter.
  5. I have had the opportunity to meet new people.  Lots of people are walking their dogs outside!  The dogs are getting more social as well.
  6. They sleep more.  I sleep better.  Studies have shown that even light exercise can help you sleep more.  As I type this, both of my dogs are passed out by my feet.
  7. My lawn is clean.  I know this is ridiculous right?  Wrong.  It’s no fun to mow a lawn full of poop.  Whether your son or husband mows the lawn or you have a contractor, they will appreciate you more if they don’t have to avoid landmines.
  8. I’m doing something that has been peaceful and solitary (with the exception of my pups).    I do a lot of thinking on my walks.  It’s good to have the peace and quiet.
  9. It gets me out of the house.  I tend to spend my mornings holding my son’s stress very close to my heart.  These walks while he’s running round like a chicken without a head helps me avoid conflict with him.  I get home just in time to give him a hug and send him on his merry way.  It works really well for both of us!
  10. My boys are taking responsibility for the dogs by walking them when they get home from school.  It has become a bit of a stress relief for them as well.  

Walking is so good for the soul.  Whether you have dogs or not, try to get out there once a week and see how it makes you feel!  Get those steps in!

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Lorraine Lundqvist

A blog highlighting my journey through midlife and beyond. Join me as I enjoy the ups and humorous downs of life over 40.

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