Going out with your furry one doesn’t mean only walking and letting it relieve itself; there’s a world of possibilities when it comes to going out with your dog.
Here I’ll explain in detail everything you need to know before going out with your canine.
Table of Contents
Importance of taking your dog out
The moment you decide to have a pet, you must take the responsibility of teaching and fulfilling certain habits with it. One of them is the habit of going out and it’s essential because it’ll influence its routine, behavior, and health.
Otherwise, don’t expect your dog to be well-behaved and healthy when you haven’t made the effort to spend time with it.
Benefits of going out
Like all habits, when we get used to, they bring organization and positive aspects to our life and the life of our doggies. Now let’s see what these factors are.
Benefits for the canine
Walking, hiking or any activity you do with your pet will promote its physical condition. It’ll help it reduce stress, maintain its optimal weight, have good circulation, and keep muscles in good shape.
Going out allows dogs to socialize with other dogs and with people as well. Likewise, it will help it adopt a friendly and sociable behavior when sharing with others and especially to enjoy and feel comfortable with the environment.
On the other hand, when you share walks with your canine, you’re contributing to reducing its anxiety and you make its bond with you stronger.
Benefits for the owner
As the owner, any activity you do with your dog will influence you too, so you’ll improve your physical condition as well. Also, you’ll also reduce your own stress by having a pleasant moment together.
It’s also a chance for you to socialize; you’ll be able to casually start a conversation with another dog’s owner perhaps.
Taking care of your pet’s well-being makes you happy to see him or her healthy. So if your pet is well, you’ll be well too and above all, you’ll strengthen your bond.
What implements do you need to go out with your dog?
When it comes time to go out with your pet, there are necessary and optional items. These will depend on what kind of outing you are going on. Here I’ll tell you what they are.
The Leash or Collar
This item allows us to have our dog visually close and avoid inconveniences with other dogs. If the doAlso, if it is very lively and doesn’t pay attention due to excitement, with a collar we avoid it to get lost. Clearly, the use of this element depends on the type of owner and the behavior of the dog.
Plastic bags
You should always have bags with you when you go out with your dog. There are times when your canine will simply have the urge to poop, even if it is not time to go to the bathroom, so in this situation, it is better to be prepared.
If you want, opt for biodegradable bags that will decompose faster than plastic ones and will not leave tiny contaminating residues. Another option is to use a newspaper.
Muzzle
If your canine is not very friendly with other people or dogs and you find it difficult to control it, it is advisable to muzzle it for its and others’ safety.
Toys
If you go out with your furry friend to play and you want to do more than just run, the best is to bring a toy such as a ball or a rubber bone for it to have some other kind of fun. This item is optional.
Water bottle
It is recommended that if the outing with your dog includes long walks or high-performance exercises, you should bring water to keep it hydrated. In addition, it would be ideal to bring a small bowl, so that it is easier to give it water.
Schedules for going out with your dog
You must create a routine for your dog so that it gets used to it and knows the time of the day to go out. The schedules are usually distributed from 3 to 4 times a day, but there are people who take their pets out up to 5 times a day.
Clarifications:
- Keep in mind that if your dog eats at some of these times, you cannot take it out immediately. You should wait at least half an hour to an hour to avoid gastric torsion.
- Also, at any time you go out with your dog, it is likely that the first thing it does is to relieve itself, depending on whether it ate or drank plenty of water before going out.
- If your time is limited, remember that morning and evening walks should never be omitted. These are absolutely mandatory since the animal expels what it has endured during the night in the morning and expels what it has eaten either in the morning or late at night.
- According to the purposes of the outing (I will mention them below), you will determine the best time to go out with your furry friend.
Now I’m going to show you the best times for your pet to go out.
Outgoings in the morning
This is the first outing at the beginning of the day, so it is ideal that this is a little longer than the others. The ideal time is between 7 to 9 am because at that time the environment is still cool and the temperature is not so high. Besides, these are hours when there is little traffic of people in the parks, so your furry can walk calmly.
This outing is important because when canines wake up in the morning, their senses are more active and, therefore, they are more sensitive. This will allow the dog to enjoy and recognize the environment better. This is in addition to the physiological reason I explained before.
Outgoings at midday
Although this is the time of the day when the temperature is quite high, it is a good time for short outings. From 12 pm you can go out with your canine for short walks or companionship.
In addition, you can take advantage of the shade so that it doesn’t feel the direct sun. However, if your dog is especially sensitive to this climate, it is advisable not to take him out to avoid situations such as heat stroke.
Outgoings in the Afternoon
The time that goes well with your pet is from 4 to 5 pm because the sun has already lowered its intensity and there is more breeze in the air.
In addition, in some parks, there is no longer a high influx of people, which is ideal for a longer walk.
Outgoings in the evening
This is when we finish the routine of outings with our canine. Contrary to the morning, at this time the day of activities of most people ends, which allows that in the street there is a very low number of people passing by.
The ideal time in the evening is from 8 to 9 pm because the intensity of the cold weather, which usually begins at about 10 pm, has not yet risen. As they are in a quiet environment without noise it will help to relax the animal so that when they arrive home, they feel comfortable to go to sleep.
Frequency of outings
As an owner, you should keep in mind that the frequency with which you take your pet out will also depend on factors such as the type of diet (how many times it eats a day), whether it is in an early or advanced stage of life and how much physical activity it needs according to its breed or weight.
However, it is recommended that your canine be allowed to go out 3 to 4 times a day. If your schedule is quite busy, try to meet the minimum number of outings, which is 2 times a day.
On the other hand, if you are a person who has more free time, take advantage of it by walking your dog up to 5 times a day. The dog will always enjoy the outings because it will allow him to explore and enjoy his environment.
And how long should the outings last? The minimum to allow your dog to do the most necessary activities such as relieve itself and interact with its environment is approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
There is no time limit for the duration of the outings, but if it is your case that you can only go out with it twice a day, the ideal is that this time can be extended between 30 to 50 minutes. While if you take your canine out several times a day, you can go for short walks of 10 to 20 minutes.
However, another factor in the frequency of the outing is the purpose of it, so later I’ll tell you how much time is recommended depending on the activity you’re doing with your pet.
Aspects that affect going out with your dog
Various aspects influence when going out with your pet, such as the environment and lifestyle. Below I’ll describe each of these factors in detail.
Importance of climate
Believe it or not, the weather influences the frequencies and times of the outgoings. It affects aspects such as your pet’s behavior and health. If you’re not aware of these details, you can negatively affect your dog’s well-being.
Now we’ll take a look at the specific environmental factors that affect canines.
Can it influence their health or behavior?
The climate directly influences health aspects at the muscular, respiratory, and skin level. Moreover, their appetite and mood are affected by their behavior.
Health
At skin level
When the cold season arrives, the canine’s coat will grow thicker. Although this helps to keep it warm, the thicker coat is the cause for the development of dandruff, and itchy and dry skin.
To keep your dog’s skin healthy then it’s recommended to use olive oil on its food to keep it moist and protect its coat better, finally reducing the problems of dry skin.
At a muscular level
Cold and wetter climates also affect dogs’ joints. This can affect their circulation and muscle condition, resulting in a lack of firmness, weakness and difficulty walking, as well as increasing pain in canines with arthritis.
To reduce this weakness, you must keep your pet physically active on a daily basis. This will help strengthen its muscles and promote good circulation.
At a respiratory level
Heat affects brachycephalic breeds, whose skull anatomy is different. They have a short head, flattened face, smaller nostrils, and shorter bones respectively. Besides, they show the characteristics of having an elongated and soft palate.
Some examples of these breeds are the Pug, the English Bulldog, the French Bulldog, and the Boston Terrier.
But, why are they affected by heat? – Due to their anatomy, these dogs can suffer from brachycephalic syndrome, which consists of airway obstruction.
In addition, with extreme heat, this syndrome can lead to breathing difficulties, fainting, excessive drooling, and even difficulty in swallowing. Therefore, such affections are more latent during the summer.
In hot conditions, they are more prone to hyperthermia or, as we know it, “heat stroke”. This causes an elevation of the body temperature, leading to vascular, respiratory, neurological, and hemorrhage problems.
That is why is highly recommended to keep your dog hydrated and cool; avoid exposing it to such temperatures and, above all, be attentive to any change it may show.
Behavior
Appetite
When the winter and autumn seasons arrive, your pet will want to eat more food than usual. That’s because they instinctively store body fat as a preparation and resistance for these cold climates.
To avoid overeating, keep them active through physical activity because the energy generated by walking can build up internal heat until they reach an appropriate body temperature.
Mood
The opposite applies here. If the dog only goes out for short times, spends most of the time indoors, and cannot optimally enjoy the outside environment, it’ll develop depression.
This will affect its behavior and health in areas such as coat loss and signs of lethargy or aggressiveness. This is a result of the lack of socialization and the accumulated stress from not having a habit of going out.
On the other hand, some canines are especially sensitive to specific weather events. An example of this is lightning and thunder, which lead to a negative change in the behavior of some dogs.
Some pets present a phobia and will reflect it with whining, barking, panting, and the desire to hide. Besides, these situations generate a higher production of cortisol, meaning that stress will increase even more.
Again to mention hot weather, apart from causing respiratory problems; it also produces changes in the animal’s behavior. They become less active, prefer to spend most of the time resting and may become a bit aggressive due to the heat stroke.
Zone where you live
The geographical position clearly influences the type of climate in each country. There will be areas where the climate tends towards high temperatures and other areas where it will be the opposite. Below I will show you the differences.
Countries with seasons
The location of these countries implies that the arrival of each season will be significantly marked.
In countries such as Spain, Mexico to the north, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, and border areas with Brazil, a very hot summer prevails in those that are more towards the central part near the tropical zone and the arrival of winter is stronger in countries that are located to the south, where the temperate zone is.
Taking this into account, it is necessary to be prepared when the change of season approaches. This is in order to take better care of your pet and avoid adverse effects due to the climate transition.
Countries without seasons
On the other hand, the climate of countries located in the equatorial and tropical zone is characterized by having only two seasons, which are different from the seasons. These are divided into the dry season and the rainy season.
The countries that have this type of climate in South America are Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru, Brazil to the north, and Ecuador. On the other hand, in Central America, the countries with this climate are Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Panama, and southern Mexico.
Climate change
Now that the climate has changed in recent years, the arrival of each season or change of season is no longer the same as in the past.
Although we already have notions of the behavior of the climate throughout the year, now with climate change these will be affected in that some climates will intensify their temperature more than normal and in the case of the seasons there will be both the prolongation of one and the shortage of another.
In addition, this change also directly affects the environment and its characteristics, such as vegetation.
Checking the floor temperature
To check the temperature of the floor, put the back of your hand (clearly bare skin) on the surface of the floor for 10 seconds. If you’re unable to keep your hand there or you feel the temperature is too high, the surface is definitely not suitable for the canine to walk on.
Check surfaces like concrete, metal, asphalt, wood, sand and brick which get hotter than normal when they receive direct sun.
In addition to touching the ground, there are two ways that can help us get an idea of the temperature of the surface. The first is somewhat obvious, if you feel very intense heat in the environment, the ground will be much higher.
The other way is in case you overlook checking. You will notice your dog’s discomfort, that it doesn’t want to walk, and that it lifts its paws more often to avoid keeping them on the surface. Clearly, this will mean you need to take your canine out at another time of the day or at least until the temperature drops in intensity.
Care of the pads
The care of their pads will depend on which climate we want to protect them from, warm or cold. For both climates, constantly check its pads if you take it out in extreme environments, to detect any affectation.
You can also choose to walk it during daylight hours when the maximum or minimum temperature hasn’t been reached yet. Consider your geographical location, whether there are seasons or not.
Another care is to keep the area around the pads clear by removing the fur that grows there to avoid the accumulation of dirt or tangled objects that can cause pressure and damage to the skin.
Now I will tell you which are the cares depending on the type of weather you want to go for a walk with your pet.
Warm weather
If your canine stays mostly indoors, it is vital that you adapt it to the outdoor surface so that it has more resistance in its pads. You are going to do this when the temperature is in moderate conditions.
On the other hand, avoid prolonged walking on surfaces that heat up easily to avoid any damage. Take advantage of terrains such as grass that are ideal for high temperatures as they don’t absorb heat like artificial surfaces. Going for shade can also help minimize the impact of heat on the ground.
Use a specific pad moisturizer only if the pads are cracked, peeling, or too dry to minimize the impact they have already had. Do not use a human-use product.
You can also use a special dog pad wax to help prevent burns.
Cold weather
Making your dog wear special boots for cold weather is an effective way to protect your pet’s pads during the winter. This will help insulate it from the snow surface completely.
Also, the wax, besides protecting against the impact of the warm weather, can protect the pad surface by creating an ice and dirt-repellent layer.
However, if your pet can’t stand boots or you can’t afford these special products, you can clean the surface of the boots thoroughly with warm water after every outing. This is to make sure that there is no snow or any encrusted object left on them.
What happens if I don’t take care of my dog’s pads?
The skin of the pads can burn, starting with a swollen and reddened area. You’ll see transparent blisters appearing and in the worst case, the skin can get charred.
On the other hand, as the animal feels uncomfortable because of the damage, it will begin to lick and bite the affected area and, therefore, the lesion will become larger and irritated.
In addition, due to the prolonged time, it may have been on the surface, it’ll cause the pads to become cracked or cut, thus causing them to bleed.
So remember to take proper care of this area of your furry friend to avoid these physical health problems in the future.
Purposes of the outing
Each outing has a different purpose and this means that the dog will require more or less energy.
Strolling
Walking can be done in different ways, varying not only in the length but also in the intensity with which it is to be done. These are the different ways in which you can walk your pet.
Walking
This is the most common way to walk your furry friend. It basically consists of short-distance walks at a gentle pace. This type of outing helps the dog to recognize the environment it is in: it’ll be able to sniff and pay more attention to the place.
This walk is usually not very long, it can last between 15 and 20 minutes approximately and its frequency is usually daily or every other day during the week.
Playing
We usually play with our canines at home for short periods, but when it comes to doing this outside, the situation changes. As the purpose is that your pet has fun unloading that energy accumulated, the duration is going to be longer.
As owners, we cannot dedicate much time to this activity, so it is usually recommended to play with the canine daily or every other day for at least 10 minutes at home.
On the other hand, when it is outdoors the idea is that your dog enjoys the environment as much as possible, so the frequency of playing outside is not estimated, but the ideal duration is from 1 hour onwards or until the dog’s endurance is reaching its limit.
Sport and training
When doing this activity specifically, the canine will be focused on following the course and training instructions given by its owner. This is usually done in the morning hours because it is the time of the day when the atmosphere is cool and a little warm, so people take advantage of it to go out for a sport.
The frequency is determined by the schedule that the owner has planned according to his training routine. However, as the duration of this activity is usually long (up to 4 hours), it should be done once a day and not in several periods during the day because you could affect your furry’s health by pushing him beyond the limit.
Company
This is also one of the most common activities. As its name implies, its purpose is to keep you company. At times when you have to go shopping, run an errand or any other activity that doesn’t require a long trip, you take your pet to accompany you.
It’ll depend on how often the owner goes out for such activities and decides he/she wants to have his/her pet as a companion.
Doing their needs
In addition to walking, it’s necessary to take your pet out to relieve himself. This makes it a frequent activity, but not so long. As the purpose of this outing is entirely for your dog to do his business, its duration can vary between 15 and 20 minutes approximately and it should be done 2 to 3 times a day.
To make this task easier for you, you can read the 7 tips to make your dog do his business outside.
Do I keep it with the collar or do I let it loose?
There are owners who prefer to let their furry friends run loose because they like the idea of them going out and exploring the place. On the other hand, other owners will feel more safe keeping their canine collared.
Besides, it’s not only the owner’s decision but also the canine’s behavior. If your dog is aggressive or shy with both dogs and people, it is better to keep it with the collar on.
The important thing during the outing with the animal is that it feels comfortable with its environment and not, on the contrary, that the interaction with it can produce tension and stress.
Do the breed, age and lifestyle influence the outing with my dog?
Each dog is unique, so the characteristics of these aspects will influence the care we should provide.
Breed
Due to its physiognomy and anatomy, some breeds are better able to withstand the temperature of a climate than others. Let me show you the breeds prone to be irritated by the cold and the breeds that don’t tolerate the heat very well.
Warm Climate
As I mentioned before, brachiocephalic breeds such as Bulldogs, Pugs, and Boston Terriers are mostly affected by summer.
In addition, large breeds with long coats are more susceptible to heat. For example, there are the Afghan Hound and the Alaskan Malamute.
Cold climate
Alternatively, there are breeds that are intolerant to colds such as the Greyhound, Italian Greyhounds, hairless breeds such as the Xoloitzacuintle, the American Hairless Terrier, or the Chinese Crested. In addition, this climate affects breeds with diseases such as hypothyroidism or arthritis.
Just as there are breeds that don’t do well in the cold, there are others that will do well in this climate. Among these, we have the Samoyed and the Siberian Eskimo dogs. Breeds with long hair or double hair will also enjoy the cold environment such as the St. Bernard or the Newfoundland.
Age
Depending on the stage of life of the canine, it will need a certain number of outings and caution with the temperature of the environment.
Puppy
It’s important that you only go for a walk with your puppy after it has the complete vaccination schedule. Not before as it doesn’t have enough defenses to protect itself from the outside.
On the other hand, as they are in a learning stage, you have to teach them habits such as going outside to do their needs, which is very important. This will require a greater number of walks until it gets used to it and above all to take care of the temperature of the environment since it is starting to explore and adapt to the environment.
Adult
Once the canine reaches this stage, it’ll have learned to control its body, so the number of outings will be more moderate. But remember not to neglect this and try to give it the necessary time during the walk.
Senior
Older adults are more likely to be affected by hot weather. Also, because they are less active they require more outings to keep their health. Keep these walks short so they can enjoy them and not become fatigued.
Lifestyle
There are several factors in the canine’s lifestyle that determine the care that should be maintained with their health.
For example, if your dog consumes food more than once a day or if it drinks water frequently, it will necessarily require more walks. Not only for it to do its needs outside, but also to help it maintain its ideal weight.
On the other hand, some breeds need an active lifestyle, which requires frequent sports to keep their physique in good condition. Among these breeds are the Braco de Weimar, the Foxhound and the Beagle.
Remember to follow these aspects in mind so that your furry can fully enjoy their walks and be a happy pet.
