The Daily Dog Walk

Simple pleasures and great benefits

While it doesn’t always seem so on cold, rainy freezing nights in January, the daily walk is one of the greatest gifts that the dog brings to the relationship. For those people who can put aside the hustle and hassles of everyday life and can spend 30 minutes seeing the world as the dog does, enjoying the sights, sounds, smells, although maybe not the tastes, of what is going on all around them, the walk can be beneficial in a number of ways. Not only does it reduce stress, but it provides exercise that so many are lacking these days. It has been suggested of Americans, an increasingly overweight, out of shape, sedentary society, that everyone should walk their dog for 30 minutes a day, even if they don’t have a dog.

Another benefit of walking the dog is the number of new people you will meet. Dog owners are everywhere, and dogs are the world’s best door openers. They are also the world’s greatest equalizers. The head of a large corporation and the person who cleans the office have something in common if both have dogs, and they have plenty to talk about. People with dogs often congregate in places the dogs can enjoy, and while the dogs enjoy each other’s company, the people do likewise.

A walk doesn’t have to be a group activity; it can just be the two of you on a brisk stroll around the neighborhood. Doing things together strengthens the relationship between dog and owner. There is nothing wrong with letting a dog out in a fenced yard, in fact it is a plus, but to strengthen the owner-pet bond you need to do things together. It lets you be the leader, which he wants, so he doesn’t have to make decisions on his own.

Somewhere in the metro area, at one of the "shelters", someone is placing a needle in a dog’s vein or placing it in a gas chamber to kill it. Maybe the dog’s owner died, or just got tired of caring for it, or used one of the other dumb excuses people give for dumping a perfectly good dog. If you or someone you know spends too much time in front of the TV, washing down junk food with a Pepsi or a beer, one of these dogs could change your life. It would make an ideal friend, get you out of the house, introduce you to new people, help you lose some weight and get your heart and lungs back in the game. It can help you become more aware of the world around you, and make you laugh about a dozen times a day.

Save a dog’s life and it might save yours.

Josh Billings

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