YOU, we hope … daily!

Big pup or small, young pup or old, no matter how slow or vigorous, walking our pups is not just for exercise – besides the fact that they’re totally grossed out soiling on their home turf.

Think about it this way.  Getting our pups outside daily, beyond our backyards, is like you logging into Facebook!  When you pick up your mobile device or open up your laptop and click the Facebook icon, a plethora of info comes firing at you.  We’re immediately bombarded with ads, videos, posts from friends and family, pictures, courses, businesses, new friend requests, groups to join, etc.  It’s the same for Fido when you hit the hiking trail or stroll through the neighbourhood. Getting outside and seeing other pups, smelling every pole, and marking their territory is how they engage.  It’s their ‘facebook’ or favourite social media and very mentally stimulating.  

While we treat our pups like family, they are special and obviously different from us.  It’s important to understand their language, and how they operate.  They are a different kind of animal and have their own specific needs.  Check this out!

Let’s consider the power of their noses alone while taking a walk!  Did you know … ??

-A dog’s nose has up to 300 million olfactory receptors compared to about 6 million in us human animals. And the part of a dog’s brain that’s devoted to analyzing smells is about 40x greater than ours … WOOF!  They’re naturally built to be attracted to new and interesting odors.

-A dog’s sense of smell is super sensitive, a 100,000 times better than humans. Imagine being able to detect a ½ teaspoon of sugar in an Olympic-sized swimming pool .. WOOF!  With training, this is how dogs can sniff out bombs, drugs, pursue suspects, find dead bodies, detect human diseases like cancer, diabetes, tuberculosis, malaria, and even smell a natural disaster fast approaching like an earthquake … double WOOF!

-A dog can breathe in and out at the same time!  
When we inhale, we take in breath and smell through the same airways.  A dog’s inhalation separates these two functions because of a fold of tissue just inside their nostril.
When we exhale, our air exits out the same way it came in.  A dog’s exhalation exits through the slits on the sides of their noses allowing for new smells to keep coming in … WOOF on!

-We can’t wiggle our nostrils independently. Dogs can. That’s when we find them on sniffing missions weaving back and forth across invisible trails, which can be as tiring as a swim!

– Just from ‘pee-mail’ dogs can determine … 

• the gender of other dogs
• whether they’re fixed or not
• a dog in heat
• another dog’s health
• stress level
• … even a dog’s social status!!

So you see – er, smell – that getting out on daily walks is not just about exercise, moving, getting the blood flowing.  Walks, jogs, runs, hikes are a playground for the mind as well as the body making for a more more relaxed pup which promotes a calm demeanor, more restful naps, a hearty appetite, and better overall health … and s.

And of course, the most important reasons for regular dog walks?  Good ole fashion quality funtime together that strengthens your friendship, trust and love. 

So … let’s get walking.

#PetWalking  #WalkYourDogEveryDay  #WhoLetTheDogsOut  #DogNoseFacts  #DogSocialMedia  #DogWalking  #DogWalker